Well pump runs constantly and pressure tank doesn't fill

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OffTheRadar

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I have a well and pressure tank (Well-X-Trol WX-250). Upon troubleshooting low water pressure in our home, I discovered that our pressure tank is never filling and our well pump is running constantly.
  • The pressure gauge at the front of the WX-250 shows a constant 27 PSI. This drops to 0 when the power is turned off to the pump, and drops to 10-15 when a faucet is turned on inside the house. The pump always runs and the pressure will not go above this.

  • Initially the air pressure inside the WX-250 was around 10 PSI. I increased this to the recommended 38 PSI but it seems to not have had an impact.

  • I'm sure water isn't going into the pressure tank. When I turn off the power to the pump and open the valve from the tank, no water comes out. The tank is also very light.
Is my problem with the well pump or with the pressure tank? Could I have a blockage in the pipe that connects to the pressure tank?
 

Wondering

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I would think you have a hole in the pipe in the well keeping it from building pressure. Do you have a submersible pump or a jet pump on top of well/tank? If it is a jet pump then you may have trouble with the jet/foot valve. I am no pro at this--sure someone else will answer shortly. I wouldn't keep letting it run. Might burn up the pump.
 

Reach4

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You may have more than one problem. It is not just the pressure tank, or you would have different symptoms. The pressure tank may be fine. With the precharge higher than what the pump can deliver, the pressure tank will be pretty much empty.

The problem would not just be a blockage. You get water, so there is no full blockage. Your water pressure does not rise to normal when you are not using water, so it does not match the symptoms of a partial blockage.

Instead it seems likely that there is a problem with your pump or the pumping system. You could have a leak in your drop pipe. You could have clogged jet in your jet pump. You could have a bad pump. Do you have a submersible pump with the pump down the well, do you have a jet pump with 2 pipes going down the well, or do you have a jet pump with one pipe going down the well?
 

Reach4

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Yes, with wires going down the casing, you have a submersible. You could measure the pressure at that spigot by the well casing, but I expect it is going to measure about 27 psi.

Presuming that is true, I would get the pump pulled. The problem could be a leak, as wondering suspects, or it it could be a bad pump. Either way, you will need to get the pump pulled.

If you set your pressure tank precharge back to 10 PSI , you could learn something. If the water pressure then slowly rises to 27, then the tank is probably OK. If you then turn off the pump, a hole in the downpipe would cause the pressure to drop fairly fast.

That would just confirm things. If the pressure holds, then the problem would be a bad pump. It would kill the theory of a hole in the downpipe.
 
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OffTheRadar

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I really appreciate the replies, you definitely got me pointed in the right direction! Since you guys seemed to be thinking something pump related, I went ahead and pulled out pump. It was 60 feet deep, and there were three 20' sections of PVC pipe between the surface and the pump. As we were pulling it up you could see water pouring out of both of the couplings between these sections. I figured that had to be the issue and I replaced everything between the pump and the water line that runs to the house - fittings, check valve, seal, etc. I fired it up and the pressure tank filled right away, the pump cut off when it reached 65 PSI, and our water pressure is better than ever!

I did use polyethylene pipe instead of PVC, do you think this is OK? I thought it would be best to avoid joining several pieces together and liked that it's more flexible in case I have to pull it again (we have a Jacuzzi brand pump dated 1996, so I don't know how much life it has left).

Thanks again for the help.
 

Reach4

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Nice. "wondering" predicted that in reply #2. I expect poly to be fine. I hope you used 2 or more worm gear clamps on each end of the poly. If you did not, you are probably OK anyway.


When using PVC, they should have used threaded schedule 80 PVC. Maybe it was. What kind of couplers were they? I have read that some people over-torque PVC threaded couplings, and that stainless is more forgiving of that. While you still have the old PVC, you could probably measure to the water line mark to record how far down your water level usually is.

That pump might last another 15 years. It might not. Franklin, the leading name in pump motors, bought Jacuzzi pumps a few years ago. I they sell the pumps under the Franklin name and I think Schaefer also.

Also note that if your pressure switch is set for 45-65, the precharge on the pressure tank should be 43.
 
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OffTheRadar

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I actually did use two clamps on each poly connection (thanks to a how-to I read before getting started).

The PVC was schedule 80 threaded. The couplers seemed to be rubber, does that make any sense at all? They were black and seemed in bad shape. I touched one and slimy black stuff got all over my hands so I didn't investigate any further. I'll take a closer look in the morning.

Thanks for letting me know about adjusting the precharge. That makes sense but I didn't even think about it!
 
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