Water Pressure Tank cycle on / off / on / off

meanwhile · #1 03/06/10, 01:27 PM

I know I have seen this answered somewhere before but I cannot find it. If my pressure tank keeps going on / off / stop / on / off/ stop for a while.........doesn't that mean I have a leak some place? And probably a slow leak? Maybe a toilet? Or....what else could it be?

DJ in WA · #2 03/06/10, 02:12 PM

If the cycling stops for a while, I wouldn't think leak, unless somehow the leak stops like the plug in a toilet tank working sometimes, but not others.

Frequent on and off can also mean the bladder in the pressure tank has a hole in it, so water has gotten into the upper air chamber. Then the pressure tank will lose it's capacity and will turn off and on frequently. Or you could have lost air in the top part - could try adding some air.

If I'm wrong, others can straighten me out.

Alice In TX/MO · #3 03/06/10, 03:20 PM

1. Leak

2. Pressure tank issues

3. Bad switch

Micahn · #4 03/06/10, 04:44 PM

First off I would say it is your bladder tank went bad.
When you say on/off/on/off you mean it just starts for a sec and goes right off then back on and so on ?
See here is the thing, Water does not compress like air. Without air in the system the pressure switch turns off as soon as the pump fills the system up with water. With air in the system like in a bladder tank acts like a cushion the pump compresses the air and that is why the system will hold pressure longer.

Here is a fast test to see if this is the problem.
1. on top of your tank you should have a air valve, Press it and see if water or air comes out.
2. Turn your pump off and drain the water from the system. If it stops draining real fast it is the pressure tank aka bladder tank.

As a temp fix you could pump some air into the bladder tank. It will help for a while but the water will adsorb the air over time.

Back before bladder tanks every system has a air valve that added a little air to the system every time the pump ran. But even with them it helped to drain the system down from time to time to let more air in.

#5 03/06/10, 04:55 PM

If it cycles on then kicks off & stays off for awhile then kicks back on & keeps repeating this cycle & you aren't running any water , then you have a leak somewhere . A flapper ball not seating properly in a toilet tank could cause this problem & if the fill valve in the toilet tank isn't shutting completely it could be letting water go down the overflow pipe in the toilet tank . You could also have a leak anywhere in your plumbing system . How long does the pump stay off before kicking back on ? If you have a pressure gauge at the pressure tank watch the gauge when the pump kicks off . If the gauge starts dropping as soon as the pump kicks off you definitely have a leak . Do you have a submersible pump ( down in the well ) or an above ground pump ?

meanwhile · #6 03/06/10, 08:54 PM

WV Hillbilly -
the pump is down in the Cistern, below the water. The pressure tank is turning on, in no set pattern, willy nilly. It seems to turn on, then run for just a few seconds........then turn off.

I think there is a toilet slow leak......we are experimenting tonight by turning off the water to one toilet. Thank you.

rambler · #7 03/07/10, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meanwhile

WV Hillbilly -
the pump is down in the Cistern, below the water. The pressure tank is turning on, in no set pattern, willy nilly. It seems to turn on, then run for just a few seconds........then turn off.

I think there is a toilet slow leak......we are experimenting tonight by turning off the water to one toilet. Thank you.

I think you have _both_ problems. If the pump is doing this while you are not using any water, yes you have a leak, likely a toilet.

If your pump is turning on for just a few seconds and turning off, you need to add air to your 'simple' pressure tank, or see if the bladder is shot in your bladder-type pressure tank.

Do not ignore the pressure tank issue, it will wear out your pump much faster with all the start/stop it has to do.

--->Paul

#8 03/07/10, 12:21 PM

It does seem like you might have two problems . Even if your pressure tank is waterlogged ( not enough air in it ) the pump should not come back on after kicking off until you run water . Also I'm not sure what you mean when you say it runs a few seconds . A properly adjusted pressure switch normally has a 20# difference between the cut on & cut off settings . For example on at 20#'s off at 40#'s . It should take more than a few seconds for the pump to recover a 20# loss . My pump takes about a minuet ( 60 seconds ) to recover that 20# loss . If you want to make sure the pressure switch is adjusted correctly , the pressure tank is working properly & has the correct amount of air in it , ect . keep posting & we'll help you out .

Nevada · #9 03/07/10, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ in WA

Frequent on and off can also mean the bladder in the pressure tank has a hole in it, so water has gotten into the upper air chamber.

I'm guessing that's it.

meanwhile · #10 03/07/10, 02:50 PM

Well - now it has stopped!? Not broken stopped....but it stopped running all the time. We heard it yesterday afternoon but we were working on marking breakers and so that one got turned off at some point.......and last night we did shut off one toilet line......but today, even when the toilet was opened back up......it all works like it is supposed to work.

So? Maybe it just had a hiccup or we had a ghost.........I have to get a Plumber anyway (see other thread for the whole mess)........so I am going to have him/they check all the Pressure Tanks when they come out. Five tanks in all.......wonder how much that will cost...........

snowshoehair · #11 03/07/10, 07:44 PM

A piece of grit caught in the check valve?