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Author:
chixman64 (WI)
I have a 33 gal pressure tank with a 40-60 switch. I have noticed that it takes 7 minutes from the time of cut-in to fill the tank back up to 60 psi cut-of, when no water is being used. The problem I seem to be having is when there is a lot of water being used, say doing laundry, the pressure drops down to about 25 psi. Once the water shuts off, it jumps back to 40 psi immediately and the 7 minutes to 60 psi. I have checked to air pressure, in the tank, and it is 38 psi empty. 2 below the cut-in. What would cause the drop in psi to 25 and the long time to refill?
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Author:
m & m (MD)
The drawdown (in gallons) on your tank at 40-60 is approximately 9 gallons. Divide that by run time and your pump/well is producing only a little over one gpm- not much, which explains the drop in pressure during heavier use such as laundry, etc.
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Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
I would test the flow rate at the wellhead (7 GPM or better is good), and work back from there. Do you have a whole house filter or sediment trap before the tank/switch? The house where I live had an "air injector" which is a venturi device before the house check valve that would clog up with debris. Turns out the debris was little pieces of the 10 year old pump impeller failing.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
7 minutes to top off a 33 gallon tank is not good. The pump can't keep up with demand.
Could be a worn pump, leak in the drop pipe, or serious restriction in the piping.
I'd check the amperage draw of the pump, maybe air test the drop pipe pump side of any check valves.
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Author:
chixman64 (WI)
I do have a potassium carbonate unit (acid neutralizer) prior to the switch. I pulled the injector tube off and changed the "duck bill". How do I check the gpm at the well head? Also, this may seem dumb but, the whole pressure tank sounds hollow? With about supposed 9 gallons of water in it you would like that I could hear a difference in tapping on the outside. There feels like there is not weight to the tank at all?
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
The fullest the tank will ever be is one third water (unless it becomes waterlogged), the rest is air.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
By top off, I mean raising the pressure from 40 PSI to 60 PSI.
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