PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
Water Pressure Intermittent
No Water Pressure
Water Pressure Tank Problems
Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
Bad water pressure regulator
Water pipe clog diagnosis
Water pipe clog repair guide
Making the "right" repair
Typical Water Tank & Pump Prices
WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
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How to Diagnose Water Tank Problems
WaterAPedia ©
- How to diagnose problems with the water tank itself
- How to decide if water tank replacement is necessary
- Typical cost of various well, pump, and water tank repairs.
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at
inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.
This article describes how and why to diagnose problems right at the water tank in order to help distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building. The process of diagnosis and the costs of the repair are explained. Consumer advice on saving money on water supply repair costs includes a review of the parts and labor costs of a typical well pump and pressure tank replacement case. Also see the preceding section of this article on the problems in water supply caused by issues with the water pressure tank: Water Pressure Tank Problems. The illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.
© 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.
How do we diagnose poor water pressure or loss of water pressure in a building, and what are the common causes and repairs for this problem?
Water Pressure Problem Tests for Homes on a Private Well
Shaking the Water Pressure Tank to Diagnose its Condition
Testing a home water tank: Some plumbers or homeowners check to see if their water tank contains any water
by simply "shaking" the water pressure tank. Be careful: moving an empty water tank around can cause plumbing leaks or
even a burst pipe. There may be a trick to this but shaking the water pressure tank alone is not going to reliably
diagnoses a ruptured bladder in a captive air water tank). Shaking the tank can tell you that the water tank is empty but not why
the water tank is empty.
Why is there no water in the tank?: The water tank could be empty simply because you ran all of its water out into the home and
the water pump never came on to replenish the water supply. The possible causes of an empty water tank and no water in the home include
causes we list in detail just below:
What are the Causes of Low or Poor Water Pressure or Loss of Water Pressure in a Building?
- Loss of electrical power (pump does not run) to the pump or pump control - nothing is running the water pump. Is power turned on? Is there power at the pump control and is there power to the pump?
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Bad water pressure control switch (pump does not run, pump does not respond to changes in water pressure, pump won't shut off) a failing pressure control switch on the water pump - perhaps the switch is not turning on the pump. This can be checked by manually closing the pump relay - DON'T TRY THIS YOURSELF - SHOCK HAZARD - unless you are qualified and trained. Pressure Control Switch problems are discussed further at CAUSES OF SHORT CYCLING. Also be sure to review PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT for instructions on how to adjust the water pump pressure control switch.
Our photo shows a new switch we installed on a one line jet pump in 2005.
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Bad water pressure regulator: (poor municipal water pressure) if the building is connected to a municipal water supply there may be a water pressure regulator installed, usually close to the water meter or where the water supply pipe enters the building.
A detailed guide to water pressure regulators and diagnosis and adjustment advice for these devices are at Bad water pressure regulator.
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- Clogged water filter (pump cycles on and off very rapidly, reduced water pressure in the building) a clogged water filter can cause rapid pump cycling on and off - discussed further at CAUSES OF SHORT CYCLING
- Clogged water supply piping (reduced water flow) can cause poor water flow in a building. This can occur suddenly from debris clogging a delivery pipe, often at a turn or "elbow" in the piping, but that's not common. If the building water supply piping is blocked usually this is a long-standing problem. We discuss how to diagnose clogged water supply piping or blocked pipes as a cause of reduced or poor water pressure in our article at Water pipe clog diagnosis.
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Bad water tank: (pump cycling on and off or "short cycling water pump") where buildings use a private pump and well and on some buildings with poor municipal water supply quantity or pressure, a water pressure tank is installed. (See WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK and then see Water Pressure Tank Problems for detailed diagnosis procedures).
- Gently moving or "shaking" the water tank can tell you if the tank contains any water at all. The water tank could be empty simply because the well ran out of water (water was pulled out of the well faster than it could recover), or perhaps because the water pump never came on to replenish the water supply.
- Some of the possible causes of an empty water tank and no water in the home include other symptoms discussed in this list of loss of water pressure. Water tanks that use
an internal bladder can have a ruptured bladder.
- Steel water tanks may not be as badly rusted as the rusty water tank in this photo, but they may have pinhole leaks that result in lost air charge in the water tank. See WHAT IS SHORT CYCLING or a bladder that's stuck to itself (pump always comes on immediately).
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- Well water supply pipe failure (pump runs, reduced or no water flow into the building) A well water supply pipe failure in the well or between the well and the building, so water is not being delivered to the home. (Or in cold climates, the line may have frozen) Examples of this problem include frozen pipes, pipe leaks causing loss of water (inside the well or underground between well and building), or air leaks into the well piping, causing loss of prime (with jet pump systems). Even when a submersible pump is located in the well (and there is no loss of prime problem), if the water piping is leaking between the pump and the building water pressure may be reduced or lost.
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Loss of prime (pump runs but no water is delivered) in an in-building pump, or an internal pump failure such as broken vanes - the pump motor runs but no water is delivered. An in-building pump could also run and no water be delivered if the well has run dry.
- A shallow well jet pump well line could have a bad foot valve (in the well) and so be losing prime. A leak in the well line can also lead to loss of prime as it lets water out or air into the well piping.
Some water pumps, particularly jet pumps, include a removable plug atop the pump assembly, giving access to the water pumping chamber in order to add
water to "prime the pump" in the event that the water pump has become air bound. This photograph shows such a plug on top of our one line jet pump.
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- Water Pump Internal Parts Failure: (pump runs but no water is delivered) a pump failure such as broken vanes in the pump assembly, worn out and leaky internal pump bearings or parts, or clogging with sediment or minerals can result in a pump whose motor runs but whose water output is reduced.
- Water Pump Motor Failure: (pump motor stops or does not start at all): A failed or failing in-well submersible water pump stops delivering water at all, or periodically overheats and temporarily stops working. Such a pump is probably at end of life, unless the problem is traced to a voltage, switch, or wiring problem.
- Water Table Level Fluctuations: (seasonal reduction in water flow or water quantity): in some areas, fluctuations in the level of ground water such as a drop in the level of groundwater during the dry season or during droughts, can result in a reduced well recovery rate or complete loss of well water.
- Water Pressure Intermittent Bad or Lost: When you lose water pressure or lose all water supply for some time period but later it returns, check the possible explanations outlined at How to Diagnose Loss of Water Pressure which later Returns or Recovers "on its own".
- Water Pressure Totally Lost: If you lose and do not recover water pressure in the building see Diagnosis of Loss of Water Pressure which Does Not Recover on its Own.
- Well is Failing: (reduced or no water flow, increasingly slow well recovery rate) the well itself may be deteriorating, with less water flowing into the well or water flowing into the more slowly than in the past. Reductions in well flow rate occur over time when minerals clog the rock fissures that lead water into the well, or sudden reductions in well flow rate (and total water quantity) can occur if the well casing is cracked (perhaps by nearby blasting or equipment movement) or if someone drills another well nearby and happens to tap into the same water aquifer. See WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
If you have no water pressure at all, see No Water Pressure
If your water pressure is intermittent, starts and stops, or varies in pressure, see Water Pressure Intermittent
Is there some water pressure but the pressure and/or flow are poor?
- Water supply piping problem? See Bad water pressure Clogged Pipes & Water pipe clog repair guide
The following articles pertain if you have a private well, pump, and tank sysem for your building
- Water Tank Problems? See Water Pressure Tank Problems
- Water pump problems? See
- WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
- WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS
- WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
- Bad water pressure regulator? See Bad water pressure regulator (not ususally installed on private well and pump systems, often present on municipal water supply systems that use an in-building local water pump and pressure tank to boost pressure)
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PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS
WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
More Information
InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning
InspectAPedia Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing Water Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Bias Pledge
Contact Us
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More Information on Plumbing & Other Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs
Plumbing Diagnosis & Repair: Water supply, drainage, septic systems, water testing, water contamination, defective plumbing materials & products.
- Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
- Water pressure tank failures & water pump short cycling diagnosis and repair
- Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
- Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
- Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
- Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
- Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice (This Article)
- Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
- Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
- Water testing for Pesticides: comprehensive and pesticides-example parameters
- Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
- When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
- Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
- Typical Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
- Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
- General water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department.
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