Why Does My Well Water Pressure Keep Dropping?

When your Santa Fe home well water pressure drops, your sinks do not rinse out after you brush your teeth or shave or wash your dishes to name just a few. These are just a few of the frustrations you’ll experience when your water pressure is too low. While dealing with low water pressure is the number one complaint we hear from homeowners on private wells, do you know what’s really causing it?

Well systems are much simpler than municipal water systems, but there can still be many frustrations when it comes to diagnosing pressure problems. Troubleshooting low water pressure on a private well is tricky because there can be multiple causes.

Being unsure which cause is affecting your home can cost you time and money fixing the wrong thing. Lucky for you, at Boylan Water Well Services and Supply, we service well systems day in and day out throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Diagnosing Low Water Pressure

In our careers servicing hundreds of homes, we have found that nearly every low water pressure problem can be traced back to one of a few system-level issues. Boylan will routinely test these problems when you call us for low water pressure.

Below we cover the most often found causes of low well pressure and how to fix them properly.

Weak Pump/Underpowered Pump

The pump on your well moves water from inside the ground into your home and up through the pipes to create pressure. The older a pump gets, the weaker it becomes at pushing water. Additionally, the original installed pump may not have had enough power to keep up with your home’s demand.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Your pump greatly affects your home’s flow rate. Your pressure also dips when more than one person uses water simultaneously, such as showers, laundry, or sprinklers.”

Signs that point to a weak pressure pump:

• Weak Pressure when taking multiple showers, using multiple sinks, or using multiple irrigation valves at once.
• Long wait times to feel water pressure after showering or running the washer.
• Pressure seems to get worse as the years go by.

How to fix low water pressure caused by your well pump:

We DO NOT recommend checking your pump’s performance as an DIY activity. Replacing or verifying that you have the correct size pump requires professional knowledge of your system. Factors such as well depth, well diameter, water demand schedules, and current pump capacity all need to be considered.

Check out our Well Pump services here

Faulty Pressure Switch

The pressure switch on your system is what tells your well pump when to turn off and when to turn on. Pressure switches can become faulty, misadjusted, or full of dirt that causes the pressure to drop too low before your pump kicks back on. Or it can make your pressure flutter.

When maintaining consistent water pressure with a private well, it all starts with the control switch.

Signs your pressure switch is causing low water pressure:

• Your pressure seems to jump up and down.
• Your pump turns ON and OFF quickly (short cycles)
• It takes a few seconds for water to come out of your faucets when you turn them on.

How to correct water pressure issues caused by your pressure switch:

Your pressure switch can be tested, cleaned, recalibrated or replaced by a professional. Proper adjustment can make pressure more consistent.

Check out our Pressure Switch services here.

Waterlogged Pressure Tank/Improperly Sized Pressure Tank

A water pressure tank on a private well uses an air bladder inside the tank to store water. Between pump cycles, this bladder creates near instant water pressure.

Eventually these air bladders will go bad. If your pressure tank has lost its ability to store air, gravity causes the pressure inside your tank to drop as soon as you use water.

If your pressure tank is too small to support your home during peak water usage times, then problems can occur.

Waterlogged pressure tanks cause some of the most common cases of low well pressure that we see.

Signs your pressure tank could cause low water pressure:

• Pressure fluttering.
• Frequent cycling of your well pump.
• Pressure that feels like it comes in bursts.

How to fix low water pressure caused by your pressure tank:

• Verify that the pressure inside your pressure tank matches the manufacturer’s recommendations. You can use a tire gauge to do this (usually located on the side of the tank). Waterlogged bladder. Replace the tank if it has no external bladder. A built-in bladder will need to have your pressure tank replaced.
• Verify that your tank is properly sized to support your home.

Dirty Sediment Filter or Dirty Whole House Filter (extremely common)

The easiest solution is always the one people overlook. Wait…did you change your filters lately?

Filters that haven’t changed in years become very clogged. Believe it or not, sediment and iron filters are two of the biggest offenders when diagnosing low water pressure for our well customers.

Sand, silt, tiny bits of iron, and other forms of sediment are naturally found in groundwater. Filters keep these particles from entering your plumbing system by trapping them. Over time these trapped particles clog the filter.

It doesn’t take many miles of clogged media inside your filters to seriously decrease the water pressure coming into your home.

We cannot stress enough how often low water pressure is caused by dirty filters.

Signs your water filter are causing low pressure problems:

• Pressure has decreased over several months.
• Pressure seems to get better when you replace your filter but then slowly gets worse again.
• Better water pressure at some sinks or fixtures vs others.

How to fix low water pressure caused by dirty filters:

• Replace your filters. If your pressure troubles continue, double check the micron rating on your new filters match what your home demands. Also make sure your filters are sized correctly to allow for proper water flow through them. Set up a maintenance schedule so this doesn’t happen again.

Mineral or Scale Buildup Inside Plumbing

There’s no getting around the fact that the more water you take from your well, the more minerals and sediment enter your plumbing. Over time these minerals naturally clog up your pipes and fixtures. The buildup from these minerals effectively makes your pipes smaller.

Smaller pipes = less water.

Low well water pressure can be caused by a buildup of iron, manganese, and other “hardness” minerals. These minerals do more than stain fixtures and leave rust in your laundry. They also leave behind sediment which causes your water pressure to drop.

How come? Scale buildup in plumbing causes water pressure loss.

Signs build up in your pipes are causing low water pressure:

• Pressure has gotten worse over an extended period.
• Better water pressure when using certain fixtures vs others.
• Visible stains or discoloration of water.

How to correct water pressure loss caused by buildup in your pipes:

Get your water professionally tested. There are plenty of treatment options to stop it from getting worse. You may also need to have your entire system evaluated to decide if you need Iron Removal Filtration or Water Softening.

Low Well Yield or Seasonal Drought

Believe it or not, sometimes the problem is just your home’s well.

Home water wells “draw down” as water is used from them and “recover” when no water is being used. If your well does not have enough water to meet your homes demand, or cannot recover quickly enough after use, your pressure will drop.

Ground water levels fluctuate seasonally. Spring and Winter tend to have higher water levels than Summer and Fall. In some cases, this can cause low water pressure for homes drawing water from the ground.

“Above-average groundwater levels occurred in much of the western United States, while below-average conditions were prevalent in the south-central and east-central United States.” -USGS (United States Geological Survey)

Signs that your well is causing low water pressure:

• It doesn’t take much water use for your pressure to dip. (small showers, washing a load of clothes)
• Low pressure issues seem to only occur during the summer months.
• Your water pressure comes back to normal after going unused for a few days.

How to improve water pressure if your well is the cause:

Have a professional come out and check your wells recovery rate. Once we determine how much water your residential water well can produce during peak usage times, we can begin to recommend solutions. Contact Boylan Water Well Services for a well inspection.

Partially Closed Valve(s)

Yep, we’ve actually seen this more times than we’d like to admit. Someone (nice plumber huh?) turned a valve too far and it cut the water pressure for your whole house.

Inside your home you have multiple valves. You have a main shutoff valve leading into your house. Then you have bypass valves on certain fixtures. You even have isolation valves on your pressure tank and water treatment equipment.

Home Inspectors always tell their clients that low water pressure is commonly due to closed valves.

Signs that you (or someone who flipped a valve) is to blame for low pressure:

• Your pressure was great until you had work done on either your home’s plumbing or well system.
• Reduced pressure only happens when your shower is running OR when you run the washing machine.

How to fix low water pressure caused by your clumsily thumbs:

Make sure all valves are turned ALL THE WAY OPEN. This includes valves near your pressure tank and near your water treatment equipment, isolation valves on fixtures, and your main shutoff valve.

Stop Attempting to Determine You Well Pressure Issue. Call Boylan Water Well Services!

Listen, unless you’re a plumber or know a lot about water wells. You can easily be led down the wrong troubleshooting path. Blaming low well pressure on your pressure pump can cost you hundreds. That money could be going towards a new spa tub you can relax in while we diagnose your pressure problems!

Boylan Water Well Services specializes in detailed water well system checkups. We service hundreds of customers with low-water pressure problems every year and are extremely good at what we do. Just give us a call or Schedule Service online.

Boylan Can Help You!

Call us today: 505-438-3416

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my well pressure drop suddenly?

If your well water pressure drops out of nowhere-slowly increasing pressure problems are caused by partially closed valves, dirty filters, or bad pressure switches.

Will a water filter cause low pressure?

Yes. Filters are designed to trap sediment. Leaving you with very little room for water to pass through. Sediment filters and Iron filters are typically the leading contributors to low pressure.

Do I need to replace my pump if my pressure is low?

Not necessarily. While some pressure issues are caused by old, worn-out pumps. Many times, low pressure can be caused by your pressure tank, valves on your system being closed, or filters that need to be replaced.

Will low pressure damage my well?

In the long run, yes. Running your pump in short cycles can seriously damage your pump. Also, running your irrigation system with low pressure can bust sprinkler heads.

How often should I check my well pressure?

Anytime you notice a change in water pressure. If your water pressure is low, we recommend you have your system checked. Annual maintenance is also recommended.

How do I increase water pressure on my private well?

Give Boylan Water Well Services & Supply a call! We’ll evaluate your home’s water system and let you know if there are any problems we can fix to give you better water pressure. Schedule Service Today!