Low Water Pressure Solutions

Causes of Low Well Water Pressure:

• Check your home to see if all locations are experiencing problems. If the pressure is low in only one area, like the kitchen sink, for example, check the faucet. Remove the end of it and turn the water on. If the water flow is normal, the pipe is not blocked. If the water pressure increases, check the aerator, remove any debris and replace.

• Check the shut-of valve at the water tank. If it has been turned slightly, pressure will be impacted.

• If only your hot water is affected, check the water heater and make sure the shut-off valve is on.

• An electrical power outage or lightning strike may result in poor water pressure or none at all. If this happens, check for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker.

• Check if the plumbing valve is closed in the piping system. This can happen when someone replaces a cartridge type water filter, turns the pump back on but forgets to turn the built-in water shutoff valve back to the ‘on’ position.

• Check the gauge at the bottom of the tank. There should be a 20 psi differential from when the pump kicks on and back off. If there is, then you may have a restriction in a filter or valve. If the pump can’t pump or keep up with demand or is cutting off on overload, that may also be a reason why you have low water pressure. At this time, you might want to call a well water professional.

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If Your Water Pressure is Intermittent, Check the Following:

• Has the main or some other water supply valve been partially shut off?
• Do you see a burst pipe or water in the yard?
• Is the well pump running?
• Is the well pump’s electricity on?
• Is there water in the well? If so, how much?
• Are you waiting for the well water to recover in the well?
• Are the well pump controls turning the pump on properly?
• Is the well pump pulling high amperage?
• Do you have proper voltage?

Possible Causes of Intermittent Water Pressure:

• The well is being pumped dry and you are waiting for the water level to recover. Some wells deteriorate with age and pump out less water. This happens as minerals clog the passages the water uses to enter the well.

• The well pump motor is overheating. You may have a model that automatically shuts off if it gets too hot. It will then turn back on once the system cools down 15-20 minutes later. You could have a bad thermal sensor switch if the pump on-off activity is erratic or lasts a long time.

• If the pump keeps running but there is no water, there may be a problem with the well, well piping or well pump.

• The pump may be damaged if the motor is spinning, but the pump impeller is broken and water is not moving upward.

• Inside the well, there may be a broken water line rising from the pump if the pump is running, but delivering little or no water.

The Low Water Pressure is Intermittent:

Many things can cause low water pressure. It could be due to minor issues like the shut-off valve being closed or a faucet filter being blocked. More serious issues include pump failure, a wire short or in rare cases the well is starting to fail.

Is Your Well Water Brown When it Comes out of the Faucet? Here are Some Reasons Why:

• Well water can contain natural occurring minerals, such as sulfur or iron. Large amounts of iron can turn your water brown or reddish-brown. It won’t hurt you, but it can stain clothing and plumbing fixtures. Install a filter to remove most of the iron from the water.

• Rusty pipes can turn water brown. Your pipes may be rusty if water from certain parts of your home comes out brown, but the water from other faucets is clear. If you live in an older home, have your water tested for lead.

• Water that contains suspended particles or dirt, leaves or other organic matter can appear brown and cloudy. Let a glass of water stand overnight and see if there is silt at the bottom the next day. Check the filter on your well pump if you see anything. Flooding can also cause silt buildup in wells. If this happens, contact a professional.

• Rainwater, runoff from watering the lawn or runoff from your roof or gutters all drain back into the soil. The water goes through layers of dirt and rock before reaching the aquifer that feeds your well. Your well water may be contaminated if there is a change in color or taste or someone in your home becomes ill.

• Well water can become contaminated through naturally occurring chemicals and minerals, local land use practices, animal feeding operations and malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems. Contaminated well water can cause health problems including gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems and neurological disorders.

• Owners of private wells are responsible for making sure their drinking water is safe. The Centers of Disease Control recommends private wells be checked annually for mechanical problems, cleanliness and the presence of coliform bacteria, nitrates and other chemicals of local concern.

My Water Pressure is Always Low & Water Sometimes Barely Comes Out at all:

• This could be due to the fact that multiple water outlets in your home are being used at the same time. Private well systems are typically set up to run at a certain pressure per square inch (psi). For instance, the more water your family uses, the more the pressure drops and the pump has to start over again when the pressure reaches 40 psi. Once the pressure reaches 40 psi, the pressure switch should activate and the pressure should start to climb back up to 60 psi. If it does then you may have a filter restricting flow through the house. If it does not, then you may have a more severe problem.

• The pressure setting in most homes now is between 40-60 psi. Others are 30-50 psi and a few, 50-70 psi.

• The well pump will come on at 40 psi with that setting and kick off when the pressure reaches 60 psi. If one fixture is low, most likely the fixture is restricting the flow and should be cleaned or replaced.

My Well Pump Runs but Doesn’t Provide Enough Water:

This can happen if the well water level is too low or the well recovery rate is poor. The pump may also run continuously if the well pump is oversized for the yield rate. If the level is low or the well is losing water, turn off the well pump and allow the water level to recover. This could take up to several hours. Re-start the well pump. Make a note of how much water can be drawn before the water supply or flow rate drops or stops. Air discharge at plumbing fixtures is another sign of this problem.

Monticello Pump Services, Inc. always recommends calling a professional, but here are a few things you may check before calling. If you’d like to chat with a pro, we are just a phone call away and would be happy to assist you further.

Check valves are used on well water system piping. They hold pressure in the system when the pump stops. Check valves also prevent backspin of the well pump, water hammer and upthrust inside the pump. These conditions can lead to pump or motor failure, shortened service life and system operating problems.

Types of Check Valves:

1. An Above-Ground check valve may be built into the well pump. Physically separate check valves may be installed above-ground in the well piping.
2. A Well Foot Valve is a one-way valve installed at the bottom of the well. It allows water to flow up from the well and into the well piping.
3. Spring-load check valves are designed to quickly close when the water stops flowing, before it can move in the opposite direction
4. Drop Pipe Check Valves are spring-loaded check valves that can absorb the extra weight of piping put in deep wells.
5. A Back-flow Preventer is a check valve installed on potable water supply piping to prevent possible contamination of the water supply system.
6. Flow-control valves are commonly installed on showers and other water-using appliances to limit the gallon-per-minute flow so the system doesn’t become overloaded.
7. Pressure-relief valves are usually adjusted to relieve pressure higher than 75 psi. These valves keep excess water pressure from damaging water system components as well as the pressure tank. High pressure can result if the pressure switch that controls the pump is bad or if the pump stays on too long.
8. Swing-type check valves SHOULD NEVER be used with submersible pumps. When the pump stops, the water flow suddenly reverses direction before the valve closes, causing a sudden change in the velocity of the water.