The water pressure in my neighborhood is dismal, and county code requires a pressure pump if the pressure at the tap is below a certain level. So the builder (we bought new 8 years ago) installed a pressure pump.
This gizmo looks like a gas grill tank with a motor attached. It works by pumping the tank full of air up to a certain pressure, and holds a buffer of water. The pressure forces the water into the household water main at a higher pressure than it comes in.
When we first moved in, the typical behavior was, when you turned on the water somewhere in the house, to pump for several seconds, then stop. Then when enough water had come out to lower the pressure to the low threshold it pumped again.
Now it cycles much more frequently. It pumps for less than a second, then a second later pumps again. This can’t be good for its life, and the water kind of pulses instead of providing steady pressure.
There is a valve on top like a tire valve, and a chart showing for various ranges of pressure, what pressure to pump the tank. For example for pump turn-on at 20 psi and off at 40, you precharge the tank to 18 psi. You can basically add an equal number to all three numbers to generate the whole chart. It goes up in steps of 10 psi.
I read where 50 psi is a pretty good level for household water pressure. I read the pressure at 18, so I pumped it up to 38 to get into the 40-60 psi range. It says to check once a year but this is the first time I’ve ever checked.
It didn’t help. For a while it didn’t run at all. Then it went back to short-cycling.
Anybody know anything about these?