Signs your pressure tank needs attention
Short cycling is worth acting on the same week. Every one of those starts is wear on a pump that costs $1,600 to $3,800 to replace, so the sooner this is looked at the cheaper it stays.
- The pump cycling on and off every few seconds
- Pressure that surges then drops while a tap runs
- A tank that feels full and heavy all over
- Pressure that will not build to shutoff
- A pump that will not start until the switch is tapped
- Water hammer or banging when the pump starts
How we repair a pressure tank system
Three parts fail here, and only one of them means a new tank. Worth reading first: what short cycling does to a pump.
Checking the air charge
A bladder tank holds an air charge that does the actual work. Lose it and the pump starts every few seconds. Testing and recharging it is the cheapest possible answer to a short cycling pump, and sometimes it is the whole repair.
Pressure switch replacement
$250 to $450. A worn switch shows up as pressure that will not build, or a pump that needs the switch tapped to start. It mounts on the tank tee, which is why it lives on this page rather than under well pump repair.
Gauge, tee, and check valve
A dead gauge hides every other fault on this list, and a failed check valve lets pressure bleed back so the pump starts for nothing. Both are small parts that make everything else diagnosable.
When the bladder has gone
Then the tank is finished, because a ruptured bladder is not repairable. A replacement is $600 to $1,500 and quite often the tank is what actually failed rather than the pump. See pressure tank installation and replacement.
Why the Shore calls us for pressure tank repair
From large commercial projects to a dripping faucet, the work gets the same treatment: diagnosed correctly, repaired carefully, guaranteed in writing.
Stocked for the Shore
There is no supply house around the corner out here, so we carry more inventory in the shop and on the trucks than most companies our size carry anywhere.
Who actually shows up
A Shoresteady Plumbing technician who has been background checked and drug tested. We provide clear estimates before work begins.
No surprise on the invoice
You approve a written estimate before work begins. If the job needs something we did not see, we stop and talk to you first. Financing through Acorn Finance is available.
Guaranteed in writing
2-year workmanship
Our guarantee on the labor, on every job we do.
Manufacturer warranty
Passed through to you in full on everything we install.
100% satisfaction
If it is not right, we come back and make it right.
Questions We Get Asked About Pressure Tank Repair
What people ask when the pump will not settle down.
Why does my well pump turn on and off every few seconds?
That is short cycling, and it is almost always the pressure tank rather than the pump. The tank has lost its air charge or the bladder has failed, so there is nothing to hold pressure between pump starts.
Is short cycling actually urgent?
Yes, more than most plumbing faults. Every start is wear on a motor that costs $1,600 to $3,800 to replace. A tank problem caught this week is cheap. The same problem in six months has often taken the pump with it.
How much does a pressure tank repair cost?
A pressure switch is $250 to $450 and a control box or capacitor $300 to $600. Diagnosis and a well test is $150 to $350. If the tank itself has failed, replacement is $600 to $1,500. Full ranges are in our well pump cost guide.
Can a pressure tank be recharged rather than replaced?
Often, yes, and that is the first thing we check. If the bladder is intact and the tank has simply lost air, recharging it properly can be the whole repair. If the bladder has ruptured, no amount of air will hold.
How do I know if it is the tank or the pump?
Short cycling points at the tank. No water at all points at the pump, the switch or the control box. We test rather than guess, and the diagnosis is what tells you which of the two you are paying for.
Pump or tank, pick the one you need
- Well pump repair: No water, sputtering, breaker tripping
- Well pump installation: Submersible and jet pump replacement
- Pressure tank repair: Short cycling, switches, and air charge
- Pressure tank installation: Sized right so the pump lasts
Explore related services
- Everything we install, repair, replace, and maintain
- Well pump and pressure tank installation, repair, and replacement
- Short Cycling: The Cheap Fault That Kills Well Pumps
- Well pump repair on the Eastern Shore
- Pressure tank installation and replacement on the Shore
- What the Shore says about us
- One membership. Every plumbing system in your house, looked after
- Plumbers who actually live on the Eastern Shore
- How Much Does Well Pump Replacement Cost on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
- Well pump installation and replacement on the Shore
Ready for a steady hand?
Book with our team, or call us seven days a week from 8am to 9pm.
Call (757) 824-9862