A homeowner in Port Severn called us about a well pump that kept kicking on — over and over, all day long — even though the pressure at the taps seemed fine. That's a call worth making. A pump that won't stop cycling is a pump on its way to dying, and the fix is usually not the pump itself. When we inspected the system, we found two linked faults: a pressure tank that had lost its air charge, and a check valve fouled with sediment. Here's how those two small parts take down a whole well system.
What a Pressure Tank Actually Does
The pressure tank is a buffer between the well pump and your taps. Inside it is a rubber bladder: water on one side, compressed air on the other. The compressed air pushes water out to the taps at steady pressure, so the pump only needs to run when the water level in the tank drops to a set point — then it refills the tank in one long, efficient cycle and rests.
When the bladder wears out or the tank loses its air charge, the tank becomes waterlogged. There's no air cushion left, so there's no buffer. Every small use of water — a glass filled, a toilet topping up — drops the pressure instantly, and the pump kicks on to rebuild it. On, off, on, off. That's short-cycling, and it's the sound of a system eating its own pump.
The Check Valve Problem
The check valve sits in the line from the well and does one job: it lets water up and stops it flowing back down. When sediment fouls the valve, it can't seat properly. Water drains back toward the well, pressure bleeds off, and the pump has to run again to rebuild what was lost — sometimes with nobody using any water at all. In Port Severn, the two faults were compounding each other: the waterlogged tank caused rapid cycling, and the leaking check valve meant pressure was escaping even between cycles.
Why Short-Cycling Kills Pumps
Well pumps are built for long, steady runs, not hundreds of starts a day. Every start surges current through the motor, and motors wear at start-up far more than they do while running — a pump that could last 15+ years dies early when it's short-cycling. The constant switching also arcs and damages the pressure switch and controls, your power bill climbs because the pump is always working, and one day the motor simply gives up — leaving the house with no water and no warning.
Signs Your Pressure Tank Is Failing
- The pump cycles every few seconds, or kicks on for the smallest use of water.
- Constant clicking from the pressure switch near the tank.
- Tap pressure that surges and drops instead of holding steady.
- The tank sounds dull all the way through when tapped. A healthy tank sounds hollow at the top and dull at the bottom; dull everywhere usually means waterlogged.
- The pump runs when no water is being used — a sign of back-drainage through a failing check valve.
What We Did in Port Severn
We removed the failed pressure tank and installed a new one with fresh fittings, then set the correct air charge so the bladder could do its job. We also serviced the check valve and cleared out the sediment that was stopping it from sealing. With both faults fixed, the system held steady pressure and went back to cycling normally — long runs, long rests. One note from that job: sediment in the check valve means sediment is coming up from the well. It's worth monitoring, and a sediment filter ahead of the tank helps protect the new equipment.
Don't Wait It Out
A pump that runs constantly will not fix itself. It only gets more expensive — the tank and check valve are straightforward service items, while a burned-out pump is a much bigger bill on top of them. If your pump is short-cycling, get it looked at while the cheap parts are still the problem.
Call Concepts Plumbing at (705) 715-1513 for a free estimate on well pump and pressure tank service in Barrie, Orillia, and Simcoe County. We're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
