Intermittent Water Pump Cycling: 3 Possible Causes and Solutions
by Adrian Martin
Intermittent water pump cycling is a water tank problem, which is a situation where your pumps turn on or off at odd times or unexpectedly when you are not running water in your house. This problem can lead to wastage of water. In addition, the unexpected turning on and off can be disturbing and inconvenient. By understanding the possible causes of this problem, you can easily find ways to fix them. For this reason, here some of the common causes of your intermittent water pump cycling and possible solutions.
Running Toilets
Identifying running toilets can be very challenging. Leaky fill or flush valves are often the major causes of running toilets. To identify running toilets, you can first look for water ripples in your toilet bowl, which could be an indicator that the water is being drained slowly. Alternatively, you can wipe dry your toilet bowl and let it sit for a while. If after some time you feel some wetness above the water line, then you have a running toilet. Last, you can drop food colouring or septic dye into your toilet tank and check your toilet bowl later to see whether the colouring appears.
After realising that you have a running toilet, replace the leaky fill and flash valves. To determine whether running toilets were the cause of the intermittent pump cycling, turn off all your toilets at the supply valves and see whether the intermittent cycling stops. If it doesn't, try the options below.
Leaky/Faulty Check Valves
If the check valve of your water pump is leaking or failing, water from your pressure tank will flow backwards through the pump. If the backward flow continues, the pump can lose its prime, resulting in loss of water supply. Therefore, if you have a faulty or leaky check valve, have it repaired or replaced as soon as possible. This also applies to the foot valve at the bottom of your water pipes in your well.
Leaky Plumbing Fixtures
Leaky plumbing fixture such as shower, sinks, and tubs can result in intermittent water pump cycling because your water pump will have to counterbalance the amount of water lost through leaking. Leaking fixtures can easily be identified with dripping faucets or showerheads. In the case where the water is dripping into hidden places such as your ceiling or walls, you will eventually see stains. Call your plumber if you have leaky fixtures or more questions about water tank pumps.
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About Me
Welcome to my blog. My name is Daniel, and about ten years ago, I received a call that my grandmother was very ill. At that time, I didn't have a family yet, and my job wasn't something I loved. I dropped everything and went to the old family farm to help. Luckily, my grandma got better, but I stayed because my grandfather was starting to struggle to do many of the things he needed to do as a farmer. I slowly began to take the farm over, something I had always wanted to do, but I also helped my grandfather stay involved for as long as possible. Now, I want to help others by making a blog of the strategies and modifications we used. I hope you like this blog!