Frequent On/Off of Well Pump

[Mary Jane Hershey]

I’m on well water and have a captive water air tank under my house. My well pump is submerged in a dug well outside my home. The pump is cycling on and off much more quickly than it has in the past. The captive water air tank was replaced 4 years ago. The air pressure in the tank is much greater (20 pounds) than the 2 pounds over the start of the pressure switch. How can this happen and what should I do?
Thanks

[daveroconnParticipant]

Your expansion tank sounds as though it is waterlogged this would make your pump act as you described.

If you are getting air from your expansion tank then the bladder inside has failed DO NOT DRINK THE WATER the following is how to check the tank.

The only way an expansion tank can drain is for air behind the bladder to push it out. If your tank does not drain completely than it does not have enough air in it to displace the water inside. You should be able to easily move the tank empty.

To drain an expansion tank

First you need to drain the tank as far as it can go by itself. Next using a bicycle tire pump fill up the tank only until the water begins to flow out. Do not over pump the tank or you may ruin the bladder. Keep doing this until you are sure all of the water is out of the tank. Now to obtain the proper air pressure this can only be checked with the tank empty. Fill the tank up with 2 psi below the start of your pressure switch. (Example 30 psi on means 28 psi in the tank.) If the tank will not hold this pressure then the bladder has failed.

Now it would be a good time to disinfect the tank with some bleach. Use an empty filter sump housing to introduce about a 1/4 cup of bleach into the tank you will need some valves to do this. Now rinse the tank by filling it and draining it several times.

Respectfully David F. Walling
Reverse osmosis systems for your home

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