Low to no pressure problem

[Pochie]

Pump is submersible and is 95' deep. 15 years old. Gould's pump. Tech inspected and did the following: bled air tank...set pressure to much higher than it was. Well pipe full of water. Said there is some 'grounding' on pump??? When all faucets are OFF...turning the cellar cold water on is is FULL pressure. Letting that run 1/2 power I turned the outside faucet and NOTHING.... I shut the cellar OFF and then put the outside faucet on and FULL power. I shut all faucets off and sink on 3rd level good...bathrooms on 4th level good. When cellar faucet on FULL 3rd level sink runs maybe 40%. I cannot figure it out as the pump fills the tank quickly and then goes back to 40 and comes on again. Also put a new pressure switch in which was clogged with debris. With the cellar faucet ON FULL power there is constant full pressure water coming out...same if all faucets OFF and just the outside faucet in ON...same if just one faucet is ON anywhere in house. Help!

 

[Reach4]

Watch the pressure gauge, and maybe get a garden hose thread pressure gauge. Then see how the pressure gauges read when you are in your "low pressure" conditions.

You could take a movie of your pressure gauge as you run around opening valves.

I am wondering if the drop is before or after the pressure tank.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Pochie]

Watch the pressure gauge, and maybe get a garden hose thread pressure gauge. Then see how the pressure gauges read when you are in your "low pressure" conditions.

You could take a movie of your pressure gauge as you run around opening valves.

I am wondering if the drop is before or after the pressure tank.

Hi. When any faucet is on FULL the pressure gauge is at 60 or 65 and falls to 40 and kicks on again...there is no water pressure lost at the faucet. I just cannot figure it out if the pump is supplying the air tank and the water is coming out full...yet it is only one faucet on at a time. It also just occurred to me that living at my house alone for 38 years I only ever had ONE faucet outlet on at a time.
My old pump worked well but when it broke my new one had much greater pressure. Then would a more powerful pump would then supply all the faucets? I have my receipt for this pump but I don't know what HP rating it is. It is a Goulds' stainless model#
7GS07422 or 77 at the end...as the tech didn't print clearly.

 

[Pochie]

Hi. When any faucet is on FULL the pressure gauge is at 60 or 65 and falls to 40 and kicks on again...there is no water pressure lost at the faucet. I just cannot figure it out if the pump is supplying the air tank and the water is coming out full...yet it is only one faucet on at a time. It also just occurred to me that living at my house alone for 38 years I only ever had ONE faucet outlet on at a time.
My old pump worked well but when it broke my new one had much greater pressure. Then would a more powerful pump would then supply all the faucets? I have my receipt for this pump but I don't know what HP rating it is. It is a Goulds' stainless model#
7GS07422 or 77 at the end...as the tech didn't print clearly.

I chedked Gould's website and my pump is a 3/4 HP....7 GPM

 

[John Gayewski]

A volume problem is either something in your piping or your pump.

 

[Bannerman]

Letting that run 1/2 power

What is running 1/2 power?

the pump fills the tank quickly and then goes back to 40 and comes on again.

To clarify, is the water pressure dropping back to 40 psi while no water is being used anywhere, or only while a faucet is open?

Agree with John regarding the issue being volume related since pressure builds normally.

Are there any water treatment devices (water softener, iron filtration system, filters, UV system) that maybe causing a flow restriction?

Perhaps the main water supply valve after the pressure tank may not be fully open and is causing a flow reduction at higher flow rates. Even if the valve seems to be fully open, a piece of the valve could be broken internally which could be partially blocking the flow path and thereby resulting in less flow through the valve. If considering replacment of the main valve, suggest replacing with a full port ball valve for greater reliability compared to a gate valve, and less flow reduction compared to a globe valve.

Since the pressure switch had been clogged with debris, perhaps there is debris that remains accumulated in the tank Tee and other piping that is supplying the home's plumbing fixtures?

 

[Pochie]

Thanks for your input. Here is my issue as simple as I can make it. I turned the cellar faucet on FULL. The pressure is great and dial goes to 80 and then shuts off. Goes down to 42 and turns on again. The whole time lots of water is coming out. Nothing comes out of any of the other faucets in the house or hose hookup outside. If I turn the cellar OFF then the outside hose hookup will run FULL pressure. If that is OFF then the kitchen or bathroom sink will run at FULL pressure...but if the sink faucet and both bathroom faucets are ON they will run OK but not at a gushing pressure. I am the only one that has ever lived here and I would have only had one faucet on at a time so maybe I need a higher GPM rating to give more pressure to get the water to all the faucets. I don't understand the comments re the volume as I have plenty of water and pressure....just one outlet at a time.

 

[John Gayewski]

If there is a restriction on your piping the pump won't be able to deliver enough water to multiple faucets at the same time. A valve might be stuck half open. There could be debris somewhere in the common piping.

Or your pump is undersized.

 

[Valveman]

Make sure your gauge is correct. But if the pressure never gets below 40 on the gauge, it is 40 all over the house. That means there is a restriction in the line somewhere. If it was a pump or supply problem the pressure would drop below 40 instead of increasing when the pump comes on.