Pressure/flow drop after installing the pressure tank.

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PlumbingNoob1

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So for about 5 years when my mom moved into her house there has been no pressure tank on her water system, she has a submersible pump I think it is a bruiser pump. I added a 20 gallon pressure tank, replaced the gauge, 30-50psi pressure switch, 70psi pressure relief valve, added check valve, and replaced the spigot. Now that I have added and replaced all this stuff, we noticed that the pressure is the same as before but when you turn on multiple high flow faucets the pressure dies off drastically. any ideas what could be going on?

The first picture is the setup before and the one with he tank is what I did.

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Reach4

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" we noticed that the pressure is the same as before but when you turn on multiple high flow faucets the pressure dies off drastically. any ideas what could be going on?"

Is the pressure loss you describe as shown by the pressure gauge, or something else, such as the flow seeming weak a the tub etc? If not the gauge, do you have a cartridge filter or softener?

I think you added a check valve at the pressure tank, and you should not have. That does not explain the pressure loss, unless you are using a hydrant or faucet upstream of your new check valve.
 

PlumbingNoob1

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" we noticed that the pressure is the same as before but when you turn on multiple high flow faucets the pressure dies off drastically. any ideas what could be going on?"

Is the pressure loss you describe as shown by the pressure gauge, or something else, such as the flow seeming weak a the tub etc?
the best example I can give is that when my mom is filling the tub and I turn on the kitchen faucet with eh old system it would barely come out then ramp up to almost full pressure but now the water barely comes out of the kitchen faucet and does not ramp up. before I added the pressure tank the system would run for about 30 seconds then the pump would be off for 2 minutes then on for 30 seconds and off for 2 minutes. I was careless and stressed out and did not check the new system but just by playing with the faucets I can tell it runs longer (filling the pressure tank)
 

Reach4

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" before I added the pressure tank the system would run for about 30 seconds then the pump would be off for 2 minutes then on for 30 seconds and off for 2 minutes."
How does that differ now, regarding cycling? Maybe 30 seconds becomes 60 seconds?

I wonder if there is a buried pressure tank that is still connected. Otherwise I can't imagine how the "before" cycling worked.
 

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" before I added the pressure tank the system would run for about 30 seconds then the pump would be off for 2 minutes then on for 30 seconds and off for 2 minutes."
How does that differ now, regarding cycling? Maybe 30 seconds becomes 60 seconds?

I wonder if there is a buried pressure tank that is still connected. Otherwise I can't imagine how the "before" cycling worked.
im not sure because i called the company that drilled the well and they said they laid 90' of water line from pump to house then put a pressure tank in the crawlspace. which I did find cut off and tossed in the corner of the crawlspace
 

PlumbingNoob1

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im not sure because i called the company that drilled the well and they said they laid 90' of water line from pump to house then put a pressure tank in the crawlspace. which I did find cut off and tossed in the corner of the crawlspace.
if i turn off the power to the well it takes about 15 minutes for the water to fully stop at the garden hose. also forgot to mention I forgot to check with the new system but with the old system it would do 5.5 gallons per minute at the pressure switch petcock
 

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If 5.5 GPM is all the pump can supply, I am sure the tub and faucet are using more than 5.5 GPM, which is why the pressure goes low and stays low. You would need a larger pump if you want to use larger water.
 

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If 5.5 GPM is all the pump can supply, I am sure the tub and faucet are using more than 5.5 GPM, which is why the pressure goes low and stays low. You would need a larger pump if you want to use larger water.
before i added the pressure tank i didn't have the issue
 

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Take the cover off the pressure switch so you can see the points open and close, while also looking at the pressure gauge. 30/50 is pretty low pressure to start with, but does the pressure go from 30 to 50 or just stay at say 20 while you are using water as described above?
 

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im not sure because i called the company that drilled the well and they said they laid 90' of water line from pump to house then put a pressure tank in the crawlspace. which I did find cut off and tossed in the corner of the crawlspace
That makes sense. I think you had already removed the old pressure tank by the time you took the "before" photo. I am also thinking that it is more accurate to say that you replaced the old pressure tank.

So what I suggest is to watch the pressure gauge while your mom turns on sinks and tub. Alternatively, make a movie of the pressure gauge with your cell phone, as you go around and turn valves on and off.
 

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Take the cover off the pressure switch so you can see the points open and close, while also looking at the pressure gauge. 30/50 is pretty low pressure to start with, but does the pressure go from 30 to 50 or just stay at say 20 while you are using water as described above?
It goes 30 to 50 just like the old system did
 

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That makes sense. I think you had already removed the old pressure tank by the time you took the "before" photo. I am also thinking that it is more accurate to say that you replaced the old pressure tank.

So what I suggest is to watch the pressure gauge while your mom turns on sinks and tub. Alternatively, make a movie of the pressure gauge with your cell phone, as you go around and turn valves on and off.
The pressure tank was disconnected for 4 years before I added one
 

Reach4

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It goes 30 to 50 just like the old system did
That means that the problem you describe in #3 is caused by something downstream of your pressure tank and pressure gauge. Clogged filter, crushed pipe, clogged pipe, whatever.

For the kitchen faucet, try cleaning, or removing, the aerator.
 

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What Reach said. And the 30/50 is pretty low to start with. Tighten the large adjustment screw in the pressure switch about 3 full turns to the right and see how 40/60 works.
 

PlumbingNoob1

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What Reach said. And the 30/50 is pretty low to start with. Tighten the large adjustment screw in the pressure switch about 3 full turns to the right and see how 40/60 works.
I was thinking about trying this and also inflating the pressure tank to 38 psi.
so I do not know the technicals of plumbing but I understand how it works.
it just boggles my mind because before we had excellent pressure and now that I added a pressure tank and check valve it's kinda sucky. I put the new gauge on the old setup before I started the job ( the old gauge was stuck at 40 psi even with the pump off) and it would kick on at 30psi and shut off at 50psi. when we would lose power we would forget about not having power and flush the toilets at least 4 or more times with no power. when I had to drain the whole water system of the house I shut off power to it and my mom had the kitchen faucet going, tub going, and 2 bathroom sinks going and it took 15 minutes to the point the water stopped coming out of the garden hose.
when we first moved in, I thought they drilled the well into an artesian aquifer but running out of water kills that idea.
 

Reach4

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What I suggest is to watch the pressure gauge while your mom turns on sinks and tub. Alternatively, make a movie of the pressure gauge with your cell phone, as you go around and turn valves on and off.
 

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ok WOW never mind everyone. whoever told me to check my filters thank you. somehow when I changed my carbon filter last I somehow left it halfway between the filter and bypass settings. I went to go check for sediment buildup and noticed the little lever to bypass the system when changing the filter and noticed the lever. and did a test and I can now run the tub and the kitchen faucet with absolutely no drop in pressure. so that means that the whole reason we had the water pressure drop that caused me to add the tank and the check valve and change the pressure switch and other components, was because I didn't change the filter to filter fully. HA HA OMG. oh well, I technically needed to do the job cause he had no tank and the fitting leaked and the pressure gauge was stuck at 40psi.
 

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PlumbingNoob1

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If the filter had been in the picture we would not have wasted so much time. Glad you got it working.
yea the plumbing project is in the crawlspace that can only be accessed from outside and a previous owner put the charcoal filter in the house so you don't have to go to the crawlspace to change it when your water smells like fart
 
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