Residential Frequently Asked Questions
The answers to the following
questions are below.
1. What is the big tank in the basement?
2. My water pressure changes and I hear a lot of clicking by the
pressure tank, what's wrong?
3. How much air should be in the pressure tank and how big should
the tank be?
4. Where is the pump?
5. How big must the pump be?
6. How much does the pump need to run?
7. What is the green/gray box on the wall by the pressure tank with
wires going to it?
8. My pump does
not have a control box what's the difference?
9. Is there an advantage with using a 2 wire verses a 3 wire pump?
10. Will my pump burn up if it runs steady while I
am using a lot of
water?
11. Should my well be "shocked"?
1. What is the big tank in the basement?
It is a
pressure tank which supplies water pressure for small demands such as
flushing a toilet, washing hands
and drawing a
glass of water.
2. My water pressure changes and I hear a lot of clicking by the
pressure tank,
what's wrong?
The pump is
turning off/on rapidly and the contacts for the pressure switch are making
the clicking noise. The
most common
cause of the problem is a water logged pressure tank that is low on air.
3. How much air should be in the pressure tank and how big should
the tank
be?
For a pressure tank with an internal bladder, the air
pressure should be 2# below the pump turn-on pressure
setting.
(Ex. Pump runs from 40# to 60#. Inflate the bladder to 38#.) The
size of the tank is mainly determined
by the
discharge rate of the pump. If your pump delivers 12 gallons per minute which is most
common, then the
tank should
deliver 12 gallons of water while the pump is turned off. When there
is a demand for water, the
pressure will
drop from 60 to 40 lbs.
4. Where is the pump?
For most water systems, a submersible pump is inside
the well.
5. How big must the pump be?
Pump size is determined by the amount of water
required for the home, how far the water must be lifted in the well
and the
pressure desired when being used. The vast majority of well pumps are ½ horsepower with 12 gallons
per minute
(gpm) flow rate.
6. How much run time does the pump need?
When the pump
turns on, it should run for a full minute to fill the pressure tank.
See #3 above. This is
recommended
by the motor manufacturer for longest pump life.
7. What is the green/gray box on the wall by the
pressure tank with wires
going to it?
If it is not
a disconnect or fuse box, it is a control box. The control box contains
the start and run capacitors to
operate
the pump motor, known as a three wire pump.
8. My pump does not have a control box.
What is the difference?
The other
type of pump motor has a solid state start control built inside the motor.
This is known as a two wire
pump.
9. Is there an advantage with using a two
wire verses a three wire pump?
Both types of
pumps perform the same. The initial cost of installing a two wire pump
is less due to simpler wiring.
The
disadvantage is when the two wire pump needs to be serviced. The two
wire pump must be removed from the
well for any
internal electrical problem. A three wire pump is generally cheaper to
repair because the capacitors
are in the
control box and can be replaced without entering the well and replacing the
entire pump.
10. Will my pump burn up if it runs steady
while I am using a lot of water?
As long as the well can keep up, this is the
best way to run the pump. It is the frequent starting and stopping of
the
motor that will wear on the pump.
11. Should my well be "shocked"?
Once a year the well should be treated (shocked) to
control bacteria growth inside the well. The methods vary
with
the type of well so it is best to contact us.
Please contact us with any other questions.
|
