Well Pressure Tank Questions: Short Cycling

[Stoogesman]

Hi everyone, I had a plumber come by today to look at my old softener system and while he was draining some water from the well pressure tank, he said my pressure tank is failing. I asked why and he said it's short cycling. Specifically, he said as soon as he opened up the pressure tank drain, the pump would kick on. He informed me that is not normal and the tank is in need of replacement. After he left, I had my son flush an upstairs toilet and the well pump did kick on. The toilet I tested is a 1.28 gallon per flush toilet.

From everything I am reading, the well pump should not be kicking on just flushing one toilet, only pulling 1.28 gallons. School me if I am wrong or the plumber was trying to upsell me. Also note, the pressure tank is 15 years and 2.5 months old.

 

[Sarg]

A 20 gallon pressure tank only holds about 7 gallons of water below the air bladder.
If the tank is not holding water it could be the tank or there's a leak in the well pipes or pump check valve.
Shut off the pump .... open a faucet to drop all water pressure and check the pressure tank air pressure to be sure it isn't set too high. Do you have a water pressure gauge at the switch to monitor how your system cycles?
If the pump starts at 30 ( 30/50 pressure switch ) then the air pressure at the tank schrader valve should be at 27-28 psi.
Your plumber was actually there .... you don't have confidence in him ?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Stoogesman]

A 20 gallon pressure tank only holds about 7 gallons of water below the air bladder.
If the tank is not holding water it could be the tank or there's a leak in the well pipes or pump check valve.
Shut off the pump .... open a faucet to drop all water pressure and check the pressure tank air pressure to be sure it isn't set too high. Do you have a water pressure gauge at the switch to monitor how your system cycles?
If the pump starts at 30 ( 30/50 pressure switch ) then the air pressure at the tank schrader valve should be at 27-28 psi.
Your plumber was actually there .... you don't have confidence in him ?

It was my first time meeting him and he was giving me a water softener quote. I had no idea my pressure tank was acting up.

 

[Valveman]

This is the age old story of pressure tanks. Pressure tanks are sized to allow "regular cycling" for an average of 2 to 14 years before tearing a hole in the diaphragm/bladder. Then "short cycling" starts and usually destroys the pump/motor in short order. "Planned obsolescence" at its best. Using a Cycle Stop Valve to stop the cycling allows the use of a much smaller tank, eliminates destructive cycling, making the pump, tank, and everything last many times longer than "planned". Another bonus is the strong constant pressure to the house. Don't just replace the tank, solve the problem for good by adding a Cycle Stop Valve as comes in the complete PK1A kit, which includes a new tank.

PK1A Pside-Kick Pressure Tank Kit – Cycle Stop Valves, Inc

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