Well pump cycling 10sec.

[mr.gene]

Hello, hopefully someone can give me some insight b4 I go throwing money at this. thanks in advance!
issues- pump comes one and off about every 10-12sec when I'm running water, but only when I'm running water.

I've changed the switch didn't help
made sure the pressure in the well tank is 38psi- i have a 40/60 switch
checked the value on the tank "no water coming out with I release pressure"
also did the knock test, upper 1/4 of the tank is hollow.

system is old and I just purchased this house, so I have no prier knowledge of this system.

should I just buy a new tank and hope it solves this issue, or is there something else "cheaper" i should try?

 

[Valveman]

Yours is the age old story. Even though the air pressure in the tank reads 38 PSI, the top 3/4 of the tank should sound hollow. You won't see any air come out the Schrader until the tank is 100% waterlogged, as air rises and the Schrader is at the very top. The tank will be heavy because the water on top of the diaphragm cannot get out anywhere but the Schrader. You will most likely have to drill a hole in the tank to drain it and make it light enough to haul away.

Cycling on and off every minute or so makes the diaphragm go up and down like bending a piece of wire until it breaks. The air in the top starts mixing with the water and slowly disappears. Now the pump is cycling every 10 seconds or so. Most people don't notice until the pump stops running, as cycling on/off destroys pumps as well as tanks, switches, check valves, and everything else. Cycling rapidly just destroys things even faster. It is all by design. Diaphragms in the tanks are designed to break after a certain number of cycles. Then the pump goes next. Counting the ones that last one day and the ones that last thirty years, the average life of a water system is about 7 years. It keeps the wheels of the pump industry greased.

There are things that are not only cheaper but much better. But you won't hear it from anyone in the pump industry. Actually they will try to sell you on the "new" variable speed technology or VFD's. Lol! It is the pump industries way of making it cost a lot more and last even less time. Most people think whatever the pump industry says is the latest and greatest technology is worth the added expense. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

https://cyclestopvalves.com/pages/pk1a-pside-kick