| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
So, I know basics and have plumbed / installed bathrooms, garden hose fittings, water heaters, PEX, copper, PVC, solder, shark-bite...I know enough to get into trouble. Went downstairs this morning and stepped in a puddle. Turns out a solder joint grew a pinhole (1987 house) and had been pissing water at least overnight, judging by the amount of water. I'm on a well. Turned off the pump, turned off the water heater, went to work. Came home, cut out the bad section and installed new piping (3/4" copper). Turned on the pump and refilled the tank. Ran all faucets and fixtures to clear air out of the lines. Now, for the first time, I can hear water sloshing inside the well tank when the pump kicks on and off. Pressures are right - 40/60 switch, gauge is working fine, but I've never heard running water inside the tank before. I never touched the air valve in this process, but I'm wondering if somehow I lost air pressure in the tank? I read that 38psi is right on an empty tank, before adding any water. I have shutoff valves at both sides of the tank, as well as a drain valve, and I plan to do the air-PSI check on Sunday. In the meantime - there are no pressure spikes on the gauge when the pump kicks on or off, but do I run any risk of damage to my pipes by not airing up the bladder till Sunday? I've got a nuts-crazy schedule this weekend with work and shows...and frankly, I'm tired. I just don't want to mess with it. It'll be one shower a day, maybe 4 or 5 flushes, and some light sink work for dishes and stuff. | ||
| Etennuly |
No. It cannot really do any harm but for not functioning as it should. If the bladder leaked and needs replaced the pump will short cycle on and off frequently. So if you can do so turn the pump off and leave it off until you get back. Do you have a pressure gage to read? Is it holding pressure? Is it kicking on and off? When you run water does it come on right away? It seems the bladders are good for about ten to fifteen years, or until they get disturbed. My original one made fifteen years. Power went off overnight so no pump, power came back on and pump would go to its 60 psi, but just turning on a spigot for a second had the pump kicking on. Negative pressure overnight likely inverted the bladder too much for old rubber. New tank and it has been happy again. Oh......I'm not a plumber, but I stayed at a Holiday inn express more than once, and I've been told I have nice plumbers crack.....what ever that is.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've done repairs to the plumbing system here before - replaced / relocated the water heater, etc. Never had this sort of noise before. I checked/timed it today since there's a utility sink next to the tank. Full-on utility sink faucet, the pressure would drop gradually and kick on the pump. It would run for 15 sec or so then the pressure switch would turn it off at 60psi. Left the sink running on full and it took about 50-60 seconds to trigger the pump again. So it isn't fast-cycling or running the whole time a faucet is open...it's just making a gurgling noise in the tank. I finished last nights repairs, pressurized the system, bled air from every fixture, let the pump hit its normal pressure and then shut off. Turned off the breaker. Zero pressure drop for about 2 hours (I turned the pump back on when I used the jon). I also hung paper towels over my repair section and zero moisture there (I love shark-bites!). Leaving for work today, I let it equalize and shut off the pump and the water heater (just in case). Took a photo of the gauge at the tank inlet - 52psi. I get home around 3am today...I'll check it then and fire everything up while I sleep 3 hours, so I have hot water for tomorrow morning's shower. | ||
| Etennuly |
Sounds to me like you have testing under control. The only other thing I have thought of is to take out the air Schrader valve to see if condensation got in the air side of the bladder. I have not done this test. |
