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PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
  Questions about lost water pressure
  Advice to a homeowner
  Adjusting Water Pump Pressure Control
  Right Repair to Pump & Tank?
  Well Pump & Tank Replacement Costs
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  Water Pressure Intermittent
  No Water Pressure
  Well Tank relation to Water Pressure
  Water Pressure Tank Problems
  Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
  Water pipe clog diagnosis
  Water pipe clog repair guide
  Making the "right" repair
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  IDENTIFY WELL PUMP TANK COMPONENTS
  MAIN WATER SHUTOFF VALVE
  WATER PUMP ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
  WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
    WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPLACE
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
  WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY
  WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH
  WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  TANK AIR INLET VALVE
  TANK AIR VALVE REPAIRS
  WATER TANK PRESSURE GAUGE
  WATER TANK DRAIN VALVE
  WATER TANK RELIEF VALVE
  CHECK VALVES
  WATER FILTERS
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET
  PUMP, TWO LINE JET
  PUMP, SUBMERSIBLE
  PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
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 BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
WELL PUMP PRIMING GUIDE

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How to Diagnose & Fix Lost Water Pressure + Water Pump & Tank Repair Cost Estimates
WaterAPedia ©

  • How to diagnose loss of water pressure or loss of water in a building
  • How to decide if water pump replacement is needed
  • 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 questions and answers from and to a homeowner who lost water pressure. The basics process of diagnosis and the costs of the repair are explained. Consumer advice on saving money on well repair costs includes a review of the parts and labor costs of a typical well pump and pressure tank replacement case.

If the building water supply stops and takes minutes to hours to recover, you may have problem with the well flow rate. But the problem of lost water supply and pressure could be more mechanical: a bad well pump. The well pump, in turn, could have been damaged or hastened to the end of its life by a bad water pressure tank which has caused well pump short-cycling. Short cycling of the pump motor can burn up the pump relay control.

Readers of this document should also see Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety. The illustration at left is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.

© 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Loss of Well Water Pressure or Poor Water Supply - Diagnosis & Repair Guide

Questions about well repairs from a homeowner who lost water pressure and supply

The following is an actual case of a correspondent who lost water pressure and called a well and plumbing contractor who made several repairs. At the end of the repair water pressure and supply were restored but the owner had a bit of "sticker shock" when he saw the bill. He wrote to ask our opinion. Our reply, which follows the owner's note below, reviews the diagnosis, repair, and repair costs for this well pump and water tank replacement project.

We have a private well with the same components shown on your diagram (well pump, pressure tank, pressure switch etc..) We recently experienced loss of water pressure and actually a lack of any water flow at all from our faucets in our house. As we waited 30 min to 1 hr, the water would return and run normal for several hours, only to return to no water again. This went on for about 24 hours.

We contacted the well contractor shown on our well cap. He quickly determine the bladder in the pressure tank was ruptured by just shaking the water tank.

After installing a new $600 dollar tank, the well contractor waited for the water pump to come on. It didn't. Then the contractor sold us a new well pump.

The total bill: $2000 and some change.

1. Is this a fair price for repair of a water pressure tank or pump or both? Did the contractor make the right repair? Was we overcharged?

2. Can we check his prognosis by inspecting the replaced tank and pump?

Advice to a homeowner about water tank replacement and well pump replacement diagnosis, repair procedure and repair cost

In the following article sections we will review the repair items, procedures, and costs, but we must recognize that by remote email we could be missing something important and thus be WAY wrong.

A Guide to Building Water Pressure by Adjusting or Repairing the Water Pump Pressure Control Switch or the Water Pressure Tank

...

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PLUMBING TOPICS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
  Questions about lost water pressure
  Advice to a homeowner
  Adjusting Water Pump Pressure Control
  Shaking the Water Tank?
  Water pressure Later Returns "on its own"
  Right Repair to Pump & Tank?
  Well Pump & Tank Replacement Costs
  Save & Examine Plumbing Parts
  Typical Complete Well Pump & Tank Costs
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  Water Pressure Intermittent
  No Water Pressure
  Well Tank relation to Water Pressure
  Water Pressure Tank Problems
  Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
  Water pipe clog diagnosis
  Water pipe clog repair guide
  Making the "right" repair
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET
  PUMP, TWO LINE JET
  PUMP, SUBMERSIBLE
  PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER

How might a bad water pressure tank be related to water pressure or water supply loss symptoms

  1. A bad or defective water pressure tank or water tank bladder can cause well pump short cycling which in turn is hard on the pump (damages the pump) and, especially with an older pump, might push it over the edge of failure. When the water pump fails the building will lose water supply completely (unless it is served by an artesian well).
  2. A water pump might be at end of its life and about to burn up but still work after a cool-down cycle (some pumps have a thermal overload that shuts them off and an automatic reset - especially one that is inaccessible such as a submersible). In this case water pressure and supply will return after the cool-down problem but the failure is likely to be recurrent.
  3. To review loss of air charge, water pump short cycling, water pump pressure control settings, and other water tank repairs be sure to see WATER PUMP & WATER TANK REPAIRS
PLUMBING TOPICS

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

Plumbing Diagnosis & Repair: Water supply, drainage, septic systems, water testing, water contamination, defective plumbing materials & products.

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