Plumbing question - driving me nuts

[Kung]

I've tried a bunch of different stuff and no matter what, I keep getting the same thing happening. I'll try to describe it.

I would say that about 75% of the time our water pressure in our house is constant. But for some reason, the rest of the time (mainly in the kitchen) occasionally our water pressure will 'cycle.' What I mean is that the water coming out of the kitchen faucet will drop in pressure noticeably (I'd say about 10 psi or so) for a few seconds. It will then immediately *clonk* raise back up to normal pressure. That cycle will repeat several times.

The other faucets do experience either a loss of water pressure (though not as drastic as the kitchen faucet) and occasionally some air purging from the line, about the same percentage of the time.

FYI, the control relay box is only a year old, and we did recently have our bladder tank replaced. It reduced the severity of the problem (previously it would drop so bad that you would get little to NO water out for a few seconds) but did not eliminate it.

Any ideas? I'm pulling my hair out over this one. LOL

[Bearfootfarm]

Is your pump above ground?

It could be losing prime, which would cause a drop until it reprimes itself.

I have a well that does that if it's not used every day, but I havent tried to fix it since I only use it to water sheep

[foxtrapper]

Ah, you wash dishes in my house. I get the same thing, right down to the same "clonk". I really can't explain it either.

I have been able to reduce it by increasing my well pump pressure. Originally it was something like 25-30, and I raised it to something like 35-45. That has helped.

But the mysterious way the kitchen spigot tapers off, then goes "clonk" and flows hard again, I've no explanation. It did it with the old spigot, it does it with the new spigot.

The only thing I keep looking at and wondering about is if it's got anything to do with the sprayer. If I use that it cuts the water off to the spigot in a very similar manner. I've wondered if the components that cut the spigot off when I use the sprayer are slightly shuttling, and throttling the kitchen spigot, then resetting with a "clonk".

[Harry Chickpea]

foxtrapper has it right on all counts. We have a whole house filter after the pump to stop the sediments from getting into the line. When that filter needs to be changed, we get the same thing, and sometimes a stutter when using the sprayer. The pressure coming to your sink may be lower due to a build-up of lime or crud in the line, making that the first place to be affected.

Increasing the pressure is the easy fix, the next is to set the pressure to kick in at about 50 psi and use a constant pressure valve after the pump, set at 45 psi. You won't notice any change in pressure at all if you do this. Obviously, if there is lime build-up, at some point you'll have to address that.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

some of the cartrige type faucets also have a preasure mecanism in them "scald proof" if the preasure to the cold drops but the hot preasure is still there it is supposed to reduce the volume of hot, this probably takes it below th preasure threshhold and the spring actuated balves are what maked the clink more noticable but like they all said , lime in the pipe is very posssable and what makes this noticable
also is your kithen sink on a small line or on a long run

[agmantoo]

I disagree with the above information identifying the problem. Your problem is the new bladder tank setting. You must have the air pressure in the tank at a minimum of 2 lbs LESS than the cut in pressure of the pressure switch. Watch the pressure gauge and determine at what pressure the pump turns on. Then turn the power off and bleed all the water from the system to where there is no pressure. Using the schrader valve on top of the bladder tank set the pressure to not less than 2 lbs below where the pump pressure switch cut on. Now restart the system. Let me know the results.

[sebastes]

sounds like you have air getting into the system and you are experiencing the effects of water hammer. I'd look for a source for that air like the pump cavitating due to reduced well output.

good luck!

[Micahn]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

I disagree with the above information identifying the problem. Your problem is the new bladder tank setting. You must have the air pressure in the tank at a minimum of 2 lbs LESS than the cut in pressure of the pressure switch. Watch the pressure gauge and determine at what pressure the pump turns on. Then turn the power off and bleed all the water from the system to where there is no pressure. Using the schrader valve on top of the bladder tank set the pressure to not less than 2 lbs below where the pump pressure switch cut on. Now restart the system. Let me know the results.

As a Retired Plumber I have to agree. A new tank does not come pre charged to the right pressure.

[seagullplayer]

I agree it sound to me like your bladder pressure is not right.

[Kung]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

Is your pump above ground?

It could be losing prime, which would cause a drop until it reprimes itself.

I have a well that does that if it's not used every day, but I havent tried to fix it since I only use it to water sheep

I'll have to check, but I doubt it; my well is like 280 feet deep.

[Kung]

Originally Posted by Micahn

As a Retired Plumber I have to agree. A new tank does not come pre charged to the right pressure.

Ok, I would agree with this...

...except it did the same thing with the old bladder tank. Is this normal?

This being said, what you say does make sense; I will try the above listed and let you know what I find.

[mtnbluet881]

Could both the old and the new bladder tanks be set to the wrong pressure?


Cathy

[agmantoo]

One other posibility but less likely is that the pressure switch has trash in the small hole that is inside the threaded mounting fitting. You have to take the pressure switch off and look inside the mounting fitting for a small hole about the size of a match stick. If this hole gets clogged it will delay the switch from kicking on when it should and the pressure will drop until the pressure switch finally decides to kick on. A new pressure switch is around $15 for a Square D brand.

[Beeman]

I'd go with the bladder tank pressure setting, be sure to bleed all pressure off before checking with a good gauge. A good gauge brings up another question, is the gauge on your system good or accurate? I have seen gauges that aren't correct fool people into thinking it's something else, try a known good gauge.

[seagullplayer]

Originally Posted by Kung

Ok, I would agree with this...

...except it did the same thing with the old bladder tank. Is this normal?

This being said, what you say does make sense; I will try the above listed and let you know what I find.

Old one was bad, new one is set wrong. Or no air was ever put in it...

Good luck.

Seems like I only have to work on my water two days out of the year, the hottest and the coldest.