Help, a few months ago I was taking a shower and then my water just quit so I turned it off and back on and it started again. The hot had a major murkiness to it so I changed the hot water tank and solved that problem. Here is the problem now we are on well water, a lot of the time when I first run water whether it's shower, dishwasher, washing machine etc the water pressure is pretty slow and then the water just shuts off completely, after a few seconds if I turn the water back on it runs fine for the rest of the day. The one time it did it when I was starting the washer and I looked at the pressure gauge which is usually at 30 was dropped all the way down to I believe 20 then shot back up to the normal range and water was fine. We have a submersible pump and we also have a water holding tank. Any suggestions?
COMMUNITY FORUM
Dan:
When something like this happens, it could be that your check valve is leaking back to the well. When you turn on the faucet, it draws it down below the low water setting on the solenoid valve and the pump kicks on and recharges the pump to the high setting, many times 45psi. So then as long as your using it fairly regularly during the day, the pump is kicking on and the pressure never gets to the low setting. But at night, when no one is using it, it leaks back to the well. Each system, has a pump with a check valve to hold the water in the system, or the water would run all the way back into the ground when the pump shuts off.
You could also be having a problem with the solenoid valve not being set to the right low level, I like to set them at 30 psi and then have a larger pressure storage tank. Many of the newer systems have a small pressure storage tank and a variable speed pump to process the water as fast as you need it. But the older ones relied on a storage tank.
Good Luck
Raymond VinZant Plumbing Prof.
When something like this happens, it could be that your check valve is leaking back to the well. When you turn on the faucet, it draws it down below the low water setting on the solenoid valve and the pump kicks on and recharges the pump to the high setting, many times 45psi. So then as long as your using it fairly regularly during the day, the pump is kicking on and the pressure never gets to the low setting. But at night, when no one is using it, it leaks back to the well. Each system, has a pump with a check valve to hold the water in the system, or the water would run all the way back into the ground when the pump shuts off.
You could also be having a problem with the solenoid valve not being set to the right low level, I like to set them at 30 psi and then have a larger pressure storage tank. Many of the newer systems have a small pressure storage tank and a variable speed pump to process the water as fast as you need it. But the older ones relied on a storage tank.
Good Luck
Raymond VinZant Plumbing Prof.
