My well pressure tank (Well X Trol) kicks on, goes up to 65 PSI, then immediately starts dropping, and after about 7 minutes, hits 35 PSI and kicks back on again, pushing it back up to 65 PSI… and repeats.
There is no major leak in my house that I'm aware of, nothing was using water, no one had flushed the toilet recently…etc etc.
My GUESS is that it must be pushing the water back down into the well. I don't know how else it could lose that much pressure that fast.
I went outside and sat by the well, and after a few minutes, I heard a gurgling/bubbling/spurting sound. It was faint, but it sounded like air, not just flowing water.
Thoughts on what this could be, how that could be tested, and how it can be resolved if confirmed?
Best Answer
You should be able to CHECK that there's no leak on the house side by simply shutting off the valve (that should be there, but might not be if your plumber was clueless, I suppose) between the pressure tank and the rest of the house.
If you do that and the behavior continues, yes, you have a problem on the well side - check valve not working, cracked pipe, something not as it should be, and you will need to check that. Depending on what type of pump you have and your well setup and personal mindset, that might be "call a well company" or it might not. If you are not comfortable opening the well and hauling pipes (with or without a pump attached, depending on your setup) up out of it, call the pros.
If the behavior stops, you need to check the house side - water softeners are my "hidden leak of choice" because I used to have one that liked to stick open and run the well like crazy, but they are not the only possible choice.