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Well pressure switch is failing

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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Taking a shower and losing water pressure with a whole head of shampoo is not a good thing. Its even worse when it happens to the lovely Mrs_Bob because she doesn't seem to see the humor in the situation :yum:

The water pressure is fine for about 10 or 15 minutes of steady use but then dropped about 20% before returning to normal. After about a week of that we noticed the pressure would drop further. Another week and the water would completely stop for about 30-seconds before the pump kicked in and restored pressure.

So now I'm waiting ... waiting ... waiting ... The repair man will be here sometime today, hopefully this morning, with a new pressure switch. The company is local, they have the switch in stock, said it was a quick & cheap repair.

Our well is 21+ years old. Pump works fine. I checked the pressure tank, its only 2 years old and properly charged.

Killed the power to the pump, drained the system, checked the air pressure to make sure the tank was not over/under pressure. Ideal is 30# mine was at 27-28, so almost right on the money.

System worked well for about 48 hours with only minimal pressure loss while showering. Now it drops in pressure to a trickle. Time to replace the pressure switch. I'm guessing that I could probably change it out but I really don't like working with plumbing. Electricity doesn't really bother me but water leaks are a problem I can't resolve and usually rely on one of my plumber friends to come help me out. This time the plumber said he had no clue about pressure switches, so I'm going to rely on the well company and pay the bill.
 

mbsieg

awful member
GOLD Site Supporter
hope its not the well, sounds like my buddies problem. he ended up getting his well fracked.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
You're lucky that it is just the pressure switch. They're pretty easy to change out.

Last year my 18-year old pump gave out. The well is just used for irrigation and topping up the lake/pond during the summer. I got a water well company in to pull the pump and it was stuck inside the casing. They couldn't work or pull it free and the tubing eventually came apart. Result .... junk ... and I had to have a new water well drilled. That was an expense that I wasn't expecting but I've hopefully got a water well that will see me outta here.

Melsdad, do you have to treat the water before using it in the house?

Around here the water from a deep well usually contains iron which stains everything red. "Clean" water usually comes from a well that is relatively shallow but with very limited output but it's usually good enough for domestic use.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
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hope its not the well, sounds like my buddies problem. he ended up getting his well fracked.
You can do that yourself. An e-mail from a friend:

My water well is slowing down in volume. It was drilled 25 years ago, back then it produced so much water that we could not get numbers for the bank mortgage, because we could not bail it dry. I called my well driller and he said to dump 6 gallons of white vinegar and 1 gallon of 8% Clorox down the well. Then recirculate with an outside water bib and hose. Then fill to the top of the casing with stored water(I'll use the water tank you gave me years ago ;). Let it sit for a day then start pumping it out. It is supposed to dissolve the minerals, iron and other nasty stuff that is plugging up my well. I have heard of clorox for bacteria, but not the vinegar. I did find this article that says the same thing, so once the weather breaks in the spring, I'm going to give it a shot.


http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/index.php/maintainance/tips
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Repair guy showed up.

Yes, I could have done it myself after watching him. Live and learn. Still was a pretty cheap repair anyway.

He said it was totally clogged up with iron. We have to treat our water for iron and hardness.
 

road squawker

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
...Melsdad, do you have to treat the water before using it in the house?

Around here the water from a deep well usually contains iron which stains everything red. "Clean" water usually comes from a well that is relatively shallow but with very limited output but it's usually good enough for domestic use.

yeah, all iron in wells is not the same and it requires different treatments


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...r.aspx&usg=AFQjCNFXDbfvDP3QSB2kgJoRv6Z2DbjvpQ
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I have iron in my well water here. I have a two tank Kenetico system designed specifically for high iron situations. It aerates the water in the first tank, coagulating it. That helps the special ceramic filters remove it, if I remember correctly.. The system has twin softeners side by side with the ceramic filter section sitting on top. One set of tanks is in use while the other is regenerating. That way you always have soft water. It also regenerates based on gallons used, not a simple timer. It requires no electricity to operate, as it contains a flow meter and only regenerates when you have used the prescribed amount of water.. I went from 40+ bags of salt with the "clock system" to 10 bags before we had kids. Now we are using about 24 bags per year. I have had one service call to clean the flow meter. That's the only issue I have had...

I have had this system for 20 years or more, and have no complaints.

Rereading your post I see the issue was ahead of the softener...

Regards, Kirk
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
...

Rereading your post I see the issue was ahead of the softener...

Regards, Kirk

Yup, this is the pressure switch that is ahead of the filter & softener system that was faulty.

Iron had built up, over the past 21 years, causing the switch to fail.
 
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