Causes and Solutions For Low Well Water Pressure

Does your well produce very little water pressure? Do you find your well running out of water? Do you seem to have a very low flow rate through your plumbing? For some people, this will happen seasonally, and during the dry season they may have a lot less water. In other situations, the reduced output may come on suddenly and not necessarily because of seasonal weather. This can come as a total surprise to the homeowner as the pump’s water output pressure becomes less, or, perhaps none at all. Certain elements can occur to cause your well to either run out of water or induce an inadequate amount of water pressure. We’ll look into these potential causes and what can be done to solve these issues.

Well pump failure.

One possible cause of low well water pressure is well pump failure. Whether water stops flowing, or the pressure decreases without any seasonal explanation, a failing well pump could be the cause. If taken care of properly, well pumps on average last 15-years or more. If the loss of water output is unexpected, and if the pump is old, then this could be a very possible explanation into why there is less water output. If you believe it is possible your well pump is going bad then call your local pump repair technician and have them investigate whether or not your well pump is the cause of your low well water pressure issues.

Leaky or clogged piping.

Leaky or clogged piping is an another complication that often causes low water pressure in a home. This can be typically found in older home plumbing as sediment can build up and clog the water lines, or the old piping can crack and begin to leak. If you have an older house and the pressure is consistently low without random water pressure drops, then this is a possible cause of your low well water pressure. To know for sure that this is an issue, you will need to call your local plumbing repair company and have them inspect your water pipes for any clogs or leaks.

Another item to consider is a water appliance like a toilet can be stuck in the “on” position, and draining water constantly. This can create a low pressure condition that is easily fixable. Check all your toilets and other water appliances for possible leaking.

Pressure switch failure.

Pressure switch with cover removed.

Another possible cause of low well water pressure could be a pressure switch failure. The pressure switch is a component that measures the pressure of the house/pressure tank, and it switches the well pump on and off depending on the pressure. It is not uncommon for something like this to fail eventually and cause the well pump to run poorly, or not at all. There are a few different ways that this component can fail.

The pipe that comes from the pressure switch to the pipe near the pressure tank can become clogged with sediment. When this happens the pressure switch will not get an accurate water pressure reading. The switch will either not run the well pump, or it can continue to run it when it should be shut off, even when the pressure tank is already pressured at capacity.

A potential cause of pressure switch failure is corroded contacts. If the contacts in the pressure switch cannot get a good enough contact, then the well pump will not get enough power to run.

Pressure tank low pressure.

A possible cause of low pressure in your house can be that the pressure tank is not operating effectively. The first thing to check with is if the pressure tank has adequate air pressure in the air bladder. To do this, shut off the power to the well and open up a faucet to drain all the water out of the pressure tank. When all the water is drained, check the pressure in the air bladder by using an air pressure gauge on the air valve on the top of the tank. The well pressure tank should be set to 2 pounds per square inch (PSI) lower than the pressure switch’s cut-on pressure. Many pressure tanks come set for 30psi cut in, and 50psi cut off. If these are the on and off points for your pressure switch, then your pressure tank should have 28 PSI. If your pressure switch is set to 40/60 then you will want your pressure tank pressurized to 38 PSI, and so on. If the pressure has not been set correctly then adjust your pressure tank by adding or removing some of that pressurized air to get the right PSI for your system.

Malfunctioning or clogged water filters.

If you have a full filtration system or even a small sediment filter, it is always possible that they are either clogged or malfunctioning. This can be true especially if your well often pulls in a lot of sediment that needs to be filtered. If you believe that your filters may be clogged or working improperly, then flush them out and either clean or replace the filter cartridges.

Low yield well.

A low yield well is defined as a well that cannot produce enough water for the household demands. There are many conditions that can cause a well to become low producing. A low yield well happens when there is not enough water in the aquifer that can flow to the well fast enough for the demand. This can be due to the low water table, ground perforation plugging, mineral incrustation, biofouling, and other causes. When there is not enough water in the water table available to keep up with the demand, the well can begin to overpump itself, which can cause more issues and make the low well water problem even worse.

Solution: To solve this issue you first need to determine if your well is a low producing well. This is super easy to do. Either follow these steps in our article here about determining if you have a low producing well, or contact us, and we will help guide you through that process.

If you have a low yield well we have designed the best all-in-one solution to this dilemma. The Epp Well Solutions System will harvest the most water that is available 24 hours a day, all while working to ensure that the well will be free from over-pumping. Over-pumping is a frequent cause of premature well failure.

Our solution.

Here at Epp Well Solutions, we have spent many years developing our patented system to overcome the difficulty many homeowners and businesses have found themselves in with regards to a low yield well. The Epp Well Solution system has been designed to provide ample water while not requiring the user to monitor the system. It is the first of its kind patented smart tech system that provides a solution without an intrusive monitor.

This system is a smart storage tank solution for low-yielding wells. It is easy to install and completely automatic. Our well system harvest the water from your well and stores it up in the included 215-gallon water tank. A built-in 20 gallons per minute booster pump then brings constant pressure to the house. No more pressure drops! It also comes equipped with a touchscreen interface that shows the well and house water pressures, water level in the tank(s), water usage over time, and much more! This well water system is the best solution to water pressure issues related to a low-yielding well as it will keep your house or building pressurized with well harvested water while protecting your well from being overpumped.