If you have owned your house for a number of years, then you may have crossed paths with a water pressure problem. Whether the water pressure issues are intermittent, irregular flow or complete pressure loss, the problems occur at the most inconvenient times. There are various kinds of water pressure problems that are experienced by homeowners. Some might experience pressure problems in spurts whereas some might experience constant low water pressure. Whatever the water pressure problem, it is very important to get it checked by an expert in plumbing services so that you enjoy constant even water pressure in your home. One of the worst problems that you can face is the failure of the well pump pressure switch.
What is a Well Pump Pressure Switch?
This is a switch that gives signals to the well pump to start or to stop pumping. It functions based on the pressure in your homes water system. These pressure switches will have two pressure settings: cut-off and cut-on. The pressure settings are numbers that are seen on the pressure switch it. They will be seen as 40-60, 30-50 or 20-40 psi. The lower number is when the pressure switch starts to kick in and fill up the pressure tank. Once the reading goes to the highest number the pump will stop. The lower and the higher pressure settings can be adjusted depending on your water supply needs and requirements. The pressure switch can be found in the basement of your house, garage or pool area.
How Does a Pressure Switch Fail?
The pressure switch has springs to set the pressure and also has the electric wiring to give the signal to the pump to switch on and off. The most common problems seen in the pressure switch are corroding on the wire ports or loosening of the springs after extensive use. If the contacts are rusted and detached completely, then the pressure switch will not function at all. There are times when the pressure switch might need a replacement due to wear and tear.
When Do You Need to Call the Experts?
The following are some of the problems that could indicate that the pressure switch is severely malfunctioning or has failed.
- The pump is working, but the water pressure is very low.
- The pump keeps on cycling.
- There is no water coming out of the taps or shower and the pump does not turn at all.
These symptoms may or may not be due to pressure switch issues. If you experience any of these issues, it is better to seek the help of certified and professional well pump pressure switch experts to take a look at the pump system. Calling A Better Plumber early whenever you experience problems in water pressure is very important so that the problems can be addressed as quickly as possible. This way you might not have to get the get the entire switch replaced and it might only need some cleaning or tightening.