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Whether you have installed a new pressure tank or your old tank is losing air pressure, balancing it properly will prolong the pump life and give you a steady water pressure. All you need to balance your pressure tank is a tire gauge, an air compressor or a bike pump, and a lot of energy! If you need any assistance, Boulder/GNC Water Well is always here to help.

Steps to Follow Before Balancing Your Pressure Tank

• Shut down the power to your pumping system
• Turn on the faucet until the water stops. This ensures that there’s no water left in the tank
• Most tanks can be wiggled back and forth. Shaking it too hard can cause a break in your plumbing. As you shake the tank lightly, if it feels heavier than it should or you hear water sloshing inside it, please give us a call. Our certified technician will come to your home to evaluate the condition of your tank and repair it, if necessary
• You’re now ready to balance your tank

Instructions to Balance Your Pressure Tank

• Run water from a faucet and note the pressure at which the pump turns on and off
• Turn off the power to the pump. Turn the faucet on until the pressure gauge reads 0 and the water stops
• Check the air pressure in the tank with a tire gauge at the air valve located on the tank
• Adjust the air pressure in the tank with your compressor or bike pump to 2 psi less than the pump turn-on point. If you have a low-pressure cutoff switch, you may want to set it to 5 psi less than the cut-on point
• Turn the power to your pumping system back on
• Run water and watch the pressure gauge to see if the on / off cycle is smooth
• If the needle has any fast jumps, repeat the above steps

If the problem persists after repeating the above steps, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Have our technician come over to your home and assess the condition of your tank and repair it for you, if necessary. We provide 24/7 emergency services for your convenience!

Raise the Pressure of Your Pump

Both the pressure settings (30/50, 40/60 and so on) and the 20 psi factory preset range (on at 40, off at 60) can be altered. However, we recommend that you don’t change the preset range or raise the pressure over 65 psi on most switches.

The following instructions can be used to raise the pressure of a Square D Pumptrol Model FSG-2, an extremely common switch. 

• Run the water and write down the pump-on and pump-off pressure readings
• Turn off the power to the pump and lock it
• Run the water until the pressure gauge reads 0 and the flow stops
• Check the air pressure in the pressure tank with the tire gauge at the Schrader valve located at the top of the tank
• Raise the air pressure in the tank to 2 psi less than the pressure at which you wish the pump to start pumping (i.e., for a 40 psi switch-on pressure, the tank should have 38 psi)
• Remove the cover from the pressure switch
• With your voltmeter, check for power at the pressure switch (L1- L2, T1-T2) to verify that the power is off
• With your 5/16” hollow-stemmed nut driver, tighten (clockwise) the nut on the taller spring down. We use 1/4 turn for 1 psi as a rule of thumb; however, this varies greatly from switch to switch. Try not to raise the pressure more than 5 psi higher than your target pressure. Otherwise, damage to the bladder of the tank can occur 
• Replace the cover to the switch and turn on the power
• Watch the pressure gauge as the pump fills the pressure tank. If the pressure gets higher than 5 psi above the desired off point (20 psi above the desired turn-on point) shut off the power to the pump and loosen the tall spring until the contacts on the switch open. Then, replace the cover on the pressure switch and turn the power back on
• Run the water again and write down when the pump turns on and off