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How to Diagnose & Fix Lost Water Pressure + Water Pump & Tank Repair Cost Estimates
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• 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.

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.

• Bad or No water pressure? See WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE for a step by step detailed guide to diagnosing and correcting bad water pressure or total loss of water pressure.
• Intermittent water pump cycling is discussed at Intermittent Water Pump Cycling When No Water is Running - this means that the water pump comes on for no apparent reason.
• Short cycling of a water pump means that the water pump turns on and off too rapidly or too frequently when water is being run in the buildng. See What Causes 'Water Pump Short Cycling' and Water Tank Repairs: Diagnose 'Water Pump Short Cycling'.
• Loss of water pressure means that the pressure with which water enters a plumbing fixture has become too slow, or is sometimes too slow or weak in water flow rate, or water flow may stop entirely. See Water Pump Problems? How to Diagnose & Repair Poor or No Water Pressure.
• Details on how to repair the water pump pressure control switch are discussed at How to Repair the Water Pump Pressure Control SwitchThe illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.

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. © 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.

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.

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

In the following article sections I'll 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

• How to Adjust Water Pump Pressure: The detailed, step by step procedure for inspecting and adjusting the water pressure control switch is discussed in detail at ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL.
• Diagnosing Water Pump Short Cycling on and off: If your water pump is clicking on and off too often or quite rapidly see SHORT CYCLING.
• Diagnosing & Repairing Lost Air in the Water Tank: The problem of lost air in the water pressure tank along with how to correct that condition are discussed beginning at SIGNS OF AIR LOSS.
• Diagnosing & Repairng a Water Pressure Control or Water Pump Control Switch: We discuss diagnosing and repairing a water pressure control switch that sticks "on" or "off" or simply won't operate, at water pump Pressure Switch Repairs.

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.

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia ^© Website
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

Use links just below or 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.

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

Diagnosing loss of water or loss of water pressure in a building - shaking the water pressure tank

First I'm confused by the diagnosis offered by simply "shaking" a water pressure tank. There may be a trick to this but I don't see how shaking the water pressure tank diagnoses a ruptured bladder. Shaking the tank can tell you that the water tank is empty but not why the water tank is empty.

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. Some of the possible causes of an empty water tank and no water in the home include:

We discuss in detail how to diagnose loss of water pressure or how to diagnose and fix poor water pressure at Diagnosing loss of water - be sure to read that article. Some examples of what we discuss there are listed just below:

• Loss of electrical power 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?
• A bad water 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 ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL for instructions on how to adjust the water pump pressure control switch.
• A bad water pressure regulator could be at fault (though not usually if the water pressure loss is sudden. Details are at Bad water pressure regulator
• A clogged water filter cause rapid pump cycling on and off - discussed further at CAUSES OF SHORT CYCLING
• 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)
• Loss of prime 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.
• A Failed Water Pump: 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.

Further diagnosis: loss of water pressure which later returns "on its own"

When you lose water for some time period but later it returns I think immediately of the following possible explanations:

1. The well is being pumped "dry" and you're waiting for the well itself to recover water. With age however some wells deteriorate and deliver less and less water as their flow rate from the water table into the well diminishes. This occurs as minerals clog the cracks or passages through which water is entering the well.
2. A pump is shutting down on thermal overload and you're waiting for it to cool down and automatically re-set it's overload switch. If the pump is visible in the building you can diagnose this condition:
• If the pump keeps running and you have no water there is a problem with the well or well piping or foot valve in the well -- maybe. See contrasting cases after this list.
• If the pump shuts itself off and is hot, it's off on thermal reset.
• If the pump is in the well you can't see these conditions directly but an electrician or plumber can do some diagnosis from the building by noting the amperage draw on the pump circuit.

By contrast with cases where you lose but then recover water pressure in the building are cases where you lose and do not recover water pressure or flow:

If inside the well there is a leaky or broken water line rising from the pump, the pump could run but deliver less or no water to the building. If this defect is present, the system will not recover to normal operation on its own.

If the pump keeps running and you have no water it is also possible that the pump itself is defective, such as having broken internal parts so that the motor runs but the pump does not move water. But if the impeller blades in the pump are broken, the system would never recover. You'd have either no water or only very low pump output no matter what conditions in the well.

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 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

Did the well contractor make the "right" repair to the pump and pressure tank?

IF the tank and pump replacement have completely fixed the symptom you were having, then the contractor seems to have made the correct repair. However given the sequence that you describe, I understand that you'd suspect that there was nothing wrong with the pressure tank and that the problem, all along, was the well pump.

If the contractor were skilled and diagnosed that a bad tank was hastening the demise of or even causing the demise of the well pump, it would be poor practice to replace only the pump. While a more sophisticated analysis (perhaps using an ammeter to look at current on the pump circuit, for example), might have detected at the outset that it was the pump that needed replacing, it is very common in all trades for a repair person to first replace, among the possible causes of a problem, the items which are less costly and most accessible - in this case, the water pressure tank. (Presuming your pump is a submersible down in the well.)

Were the well pump replacement and water pressure tank replacement costs reasonable?

The cost - sounds a bit steep if the pump was in the house but more plausible if the pump was a submersible in the well.

How can you check on the reasonableness of plumbing repair costs such as water tank and well pump replacement?

Most plumbers charge what seems to homeowners to be outrageous rates, but in fact plumbers, as a group, are more honorable than some presidents and certainly moreso than some real estate agents.

1. Proceed with caution, respect for, and tact towards the repair person. We often are most suspicious of the work and charges by people whose specialty is a mystery to us. Don't accuse the contractor of bad behavior unless you have clear and certain data. (By example: I just hired a plumbing contractor to put in a new main sewer line between a house and a septic tank. The site crew boss wrote up the job as "install 70 ft. of waste line, house to tank". The plumbing contractor bills charges "by the foot". In this case I measured the line, which was a straight run of 48 feet. I was able to ask that the bill be corrected to represent the more accurate case, not the site-man's "guesstimate" at he length.)
2. Check out water pressure tank and pump prices at Home Depot or Loews for the same type of tank and pump as you had installed.

Here are some Typical Water Pressure Tank Prices and Costs

Here are some Typical Water Well Pump Prices and Costs

Water pressure tank prices (online) run from about $80 (Sears 42-gallon) to $150. to $750. (Well Mate or Well-X-Trol) for the water pressure tank itself, not including installation cost.

Submersible well pump prices (online) run from about $200. to $300. (Flotec and Wayne) to $500 (Flint Walling/Star) to $870 (Grundfos 30 GPM) In the building, a deep well 2-line jet pump is about $250. (Jacuzzi) In the building, a shallow well jet pump prices run from a cost of about $150. to $200.

(Other special types of water pumps such as for groundwater can of course cost much more).

Some online advertisers promise low prices but won't publish them on the web. I never ever call nor deal with people who hide their prices as I assume that they're counting on high pressure sales tactics to close the deal and that later I'll find I over-paid.

Save and examine plumbing parts that were removed for replacement

Look at the water pressure tank that was removed - it may be possible to open it and confirm for yourself that the bladder was shot.

A water pump that has been removed can be tested on a test bench; in some cases it is economical to bring a pump to an electric motor repair shop for analysis and repair.

Why don't people do this? There are not enough such shops around, and second, people don't want to wait a week with no water while their pump is being repaired.

Typical overall well pump and pressure tank replacement cost examples

The retail price for the parts alone depends on what you had installed but could run between $300. to $1400. This leaves your labor cost running between $1700 at the low parts-cost end to $600. at the high parts-cost end. If the pump was a submersible (in-well), the costs to pull well line and old pump and get the new one in place will be more than an in-building pump replacement.

In sum, depending on what types of equipment you had installed, the price might be right-on. Don't accuse your plumber of cheating you, but don't be afraid to ask for a more detailed explanation of the make-up of your bill.

How to check on the success and reliability - the "prognosis" of a an expensive well pump and water pressure tank repair job

First of all, there should be no leaks, anywhere, on the equipment which was repaired. If something was left wet, wipe it off and check for leaks. I don't pay my plumber if s/he leaves her/his work leaking. I call the boss.

Second, everything worked-on should be working normally to your eye and ear.

An expert plumber or well contractor can check the operation of your system by a combination of observation and electrical testing, such as measuring the amperage draw on the well pump circuit during pump operation. If these parameters are in normal range you should be ok insofar as the equipment is concerned. Your repair person should have made these checks. Ask him or her.

If you have been in the home for several years you should have an idea whether or not you've had a history of the well running out of water. You can understand more about your well and how the well itself is performing by noting its technical statistics such as well depth, water level, pump depth, static head, and well flow rate - topics I discuss at my website. If it is determined that you have a low-yield well, there are several solutions besides just drilling a new well - itself a shot in the dark.

More expert information on this topic

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• Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
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