Well Problem - Pump will not turn off

21 years ago

Hello, I need help diagnosing a well pump problem. I know almost nothing about well pumps, but I hate paying repairmen for anything, so typically I try fixing problems myself.

We have a well for our outdoor water supply. We get excellent water pressure, but the pump will not turn off. I have to plug in the pump when I want to use it, then unplug it when I'm done. The pressure tank builds pressure while running, but drops to 5 - 10 psi immediatley after unplugging it.

There is a valve in the supply line that runs to the pump (check valve?). I originally thought this valve was full of sediment and allowing water to back flow, thus causing pressure loss when the pump shuts off. I took off the valve and cleaned it out, and it did contain sediment. I reinstalled the valve, primed the pump and started it up. It worked pretty well for a few days; however the pump still ran a few minutes every hour even if we weren't using the outdoor well water. But a few days later I woke up and noticed the pump had been running for quite a long time. When I went to the cellar, I found quite a bit of water around the tank.

Now I'm back to plugging/unplugging the pump when I need to use it, which is a pain.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Comments (4)

mikie_gw
21 years ago
When I went to the cellar, I found quite a bit of water around the tank.

To start with you need to find where that water is leaking from and fix it - otherwise every so often the pressure drops to the pump cut-in setting & then the pump cycles on and runs until the pressure switch reaches its cut off setting - and then that leak (or the check valve) lets it slowly loose pressure and the pump runs again, and stops,,, again, again, etc.

After you fix that leak if it still runs the check valve probably needs replacing but if its an air bladder tank bleed it and check the air pressure which should be about two pounds less than the cut-in pressure.
Around here it seems like those check valves don't last forever but do last a good long time.
Waterit
21 years ago
Sounds as if the air bladder in the pressure tank has a hole in it. Locate the Schrader valve (looks like a valve stem on a tire) and depress it for a second. If water comes out along with the escaping air, the bladder is breached. Replace the tank (fitting a new bladder is a pain in the sit-down).

FYI - Mikie's info about adjusting the pressure in the tank is dead-on but leaves out one critical fact: the system must be off and the tank drained of water when checking the tank pressure.
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clydenehs
20 years ago
I am having a problem with my well pump. It runs constantly. I have already replace the pressure switch, drained the tank, added air pressure and still the pump continues to run without adding any pressure to the tank at all. I added 30psi to the tank. The pump will keep the pressure at no more than 20psi. Do I need to also replace the holding/pressure tank? I can do all of the work myself, but am a little limited when it comes to the actual technical side of how it all works. I believe my well and tank were put in back in 1979. The tank shows some corrosion at the bottom as well as around all of the fittings and valves.
Any ideas?
clyde
clydenehs
20 years ago
I am having a problem with my well pump. It runs constantly. I have already replace the pressure switch, drained the tank, added air pressure and still the pump continues to run without adding any pressure to the tank at all. I added 30psi to the tank. The pump will keep the pressure at no more than 20psi. Do I need to also replace the holding/pressure tank? I can do all of the work myself, but am a little limited when it comes to the actual technical side of how it all works. I believe my well and tank were put in back in 1979. The tank shows some corrosion at the bottom as well as around all of the fittings and valves.
Any ideas?
clyde