For many, owning a home is an inevitable part of growing up and living out their dreams. They picture a picket fence and a red door with a tire swing out in front.
One thing they don’t usually factor into that vision is the bills and headaches that tend to come with the upkeep of a home. For those who have a well system as their water supply, this is no different.
One issue that homeowners face is low pressure. On average, households should be producing about 5 GPM, or gallons per minute. If your well system is producing less than that, then you will find that you have flow issues.
Some of the most common reasons for this are:
- Insufficient Pump: This can include pump failure, short cycling, a pump that is too small for the depth of the well, leaks, clogs, etc.
- Tank Connection Problems
- Tank Sweat (occurs during the warmer more humid months)
- Waterlogged Tank
- Plugged Aerators
- Sediment Filter is Clogged
- Air in Lines or Broken Pipes
The causes listed are the most common issues. However, that doesn’t mean they are the only things that can cause flow problems in your home.
First you will want to check the pressure gauge. This can be found between the pressure tank and the pump. The pressure gauge will keep track of the pounds per square inch within the tank.
The average reading for a household should read between 40-60 psi. If the number is lower than this, then it is safe to assume there is either a problem with the pump, tank, or broken pipe underground connecting the well system.
These problems can all be easily fixed. In order to make sure all part of your well system are in order and working as efficiently as they should be, give Northeast Water Wells a call today!
My sister is looking into a new water pump system. It might help her to have a few insights into how she should look for this. I will let her know that she should constantly check the pressure gauge for accurate updates.
My wife recently mentioned that the water pressure is getting low in our house. I’m not sure what the problem would be with our pressure tank. Thank you for listing the potential problems and giving the advice to check the pressure on the actual tank.
I am glad that you talked about how a failed or short cycling water pump may be causing the low water pressure that you are experiencing. My mother called me the other day to tell me about the almost non-existent water pressure in her well. She uses the water from it to cater to her garden so getting it up and running again is really important. I will be sure to advise her to call her technician to see if her pumps are working the way as they should be.
Thanks for the information about what the pressure of a well should be, I didn’t know that it should be about 5 gallons per minute. I have a sister that has been having problems with her house’s well having problems, so much to the point that their family was thinking about starting over and drilling a new well entirely. I’ll send this link to her and see if she can troubleshoot any further, but I will also recommend that she consults a professional about how to go about fixing or replacing her well.
I’ve checked the pressure gauge of my pump, and it seems to be working. I believe there’s something wrong with my pump because it’s not drawing water into the house. As you’ve mentioned it could be too small for the well, so I might hire a service to get me a new one.