Time to install a well tank if your well tank isn’t well

A water well tank may not be sexy but it sure isn't sexy when the water well tank fails.

There are a couple of tell-tale signs that you need a new well tank. One such sign of a faulty water tank is a fluctuation of water pressure at a faucet in the house. You lift the handle on a faucet and, instead of that steady stream of water you’re used to, the pressure seems to ebb and flow.

Another sign of a faulty well tank is when you hear a clicking sound coming from downstairs, in the crawlspace or in the basement – wherever the well tank is located. That clicking sound comes from the pressure switch. The pressure switch regulates the pressure inside the water tank.

When the pressure begins to fall inside the water tank, such as when you turn on the water upstairs, the switch recognizes the drop in water pressure inside the water tank and turns on the well pump. When pressure comes back up inside the well tank, the pressure switch shuts the well pump off.

A well tank usually goes bad because its bladder has a rip. This often happens because the air charge is not regulated to the pressure switch setting for the well tank. With the proper air charge, the rubber bladder flexes as it was intended. But, when the air charge is wrong, the bladder stretches beyond its normal range. That, and frequent changes of pressure inside the well tank, will often lead to well pump failure.

Once the bladder is torn, there is no way to maintain the correct pressure inside the water tank. The pressure switch is constantly turning on and off. In the process, the well pump motor gets hotter and hotter until it, too, fails. In the meantime, you’re noticing there’s a problem with your water pressure because your well tank is out of whack.

Sometimes, the solution is to add an air charge to the water tank. If the bladder is torn, however, the well tank will require replacement. Hopefully, you’ll resolve the issue with your tank before the well pump, pressure switch or well bladder go bad.

A qualified well technician will either add air to the tank or, if needed, install a new well tank. Then, the well technician will ensure that it’s operating properly so that the well system is efficient and so that the well tank bladder will last longer. That means, they’ll adjust the system so that it operates at the correct pressure. A properly adjusted well tank will optimize draw capacity and pressure at the faucet.