08/27/2026
Is your well pump clicking on and off every few seconds? That’s short cycling, and it’s quietly destroying your pump.
Quick primer on how your system works. The well pump fills a pressure tank. Inside that tank is a rubber bladder with a cushion of air behind it. The air is what holds pressure steady between pump runs. A pressure switch watches the pressure and tells the pump when to kick on (usually 30 or 40 psi) and when to shut off (50 or 60 psi).
When that air cushion is gone, the tank fills solid with water. There’s no cushion left, so pressure spikes the instant the pump starts and drops the instant you open a faucet. The pump ends up starting and stopping over and over. That’s a waterlogged tank, and it’s the number one cause I see.
The 10-second check anyone can do: knock on the side of your pressure tank, top to bottom. The top should sound hollow. The bottom should sound solid. If the whole thing sounds solid and dead, your tank has lost its air charge.
Other common culprits:
• Clogged pressure switch tube (iron and scale plug that little pipe)
• Failing switch or a bad contact
• A leak somewhere in the system or a bad check valve
• A tank that was undersized for the house from day one
Here’s why it matters. Pump motors don’t wear out from running. They wear out from starting. Every start dumps heat into the motor. A pump that should last 15 years can burn up in two if it’s cycling like that. Your pump should run at least a minute every time it comes on.
One safety note: there’s line voltage inside that pressure switch, often 240V. Don’t take the cover off with the power on unless you are properly trained.
