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From the Field
They give you steady pressure, but they cost more and add electronics. Here is how they differ from a standard pump and tank.
Short answer: A constant pressure system uses an electronic controller to speed the pump up or down, so pressure stays steady instead of swinging between switch settings.
Most homes on a well have a pump, a pressure tank and a pressure switch. The pump fills the tank. When the pressure reaches the switch's upper setting, the switch shuts the pump off. As you use water, the pressure falls. When it reaches the lower setting, the switch turns the pump back on. The pressure you feel at the tap swings up and down between those two settings, and the tank is what keeps the pump from starting every time you open a faucet.
This setup is simple, cheap to fix and well understood. It also explains the things people complain about: pressure that dips as the tank drains, and a pump that starts and stops all day when the tank loses its air charge. If that second one sounds familiar, read well pump short cycling first, because a failed tank costs a lot less to fix than a new pump system.
A constant pressure system replaces the on and off switch with an electronic controller. Franklin Electric, a maker of these controllers, describes its SubDrive and MonoDrive products as variable frequency drives that keep water pressure steady as demand changes. Instead of running at full speed until the tank fills, the pump speeds up or slows down to match how much water you are using. A pressure sensor tells the controller what the pressure is, in place of a switch.
Franklin says the drives work with small pressure tanks or with an existing larger one. So the tank does not disappear. It just has a smaller job.
Want to know what your well needs?
Text Ryan a photo of your pump, tank and gauge. He is a licensed Master Plumber and answers his own phone.
It is worth a serious look if you have steady pressure complaints that a good tank and switch have not solved, a large home with high demand, irrigation off the well, or you are already replacing a pump and want to know every option. It is a much weaker case if your system works and the pressure is fine. Spending money to fix a problem you do not have is a bad trade.
For a mountain home, there is one more thing to weigh. Wells in this area can sit deep and far from the house, and a pump replaced in January is a harder job than one replaced in May. Planning a replacement around the weather, instead of waiting for a failure, is a good reason to ask about every option at once. For that choice, read well pump repair vs. replacement.
It will not fix a pump that runs constantly because of a leak, a dropping water level or a bad check valve. See pump running constantly. It will not fix pressure that is too high out of the box either, which is its own issue covered at water pressure too high. And if the pressure is low only after a new filter went in, the filter is the likely cause, not the pump. Weak pressure on its own is covered in low water pressure.
Ryan Chastain is a licensed Master Plumber in Ellijay. He installs well pumps and well bladder tanks, and he can look at your current setup and tell you what it needs. If you want to know whether a constant pressure system makes sense for your well, ask him when you call or text. He is not selling a brand, he gives a free estimate, and you know the price before any work starts.
"Job two: Ryan installed a new bladder tank for my well. He showed up promptly and finished quickly at a better than fair price."
Marty R., November 2024, Google review
Usually yes, but a smaller one. Franklin Electric says its drives work with small pressure tanks or with an existing larger tank.
Sometimes. Franklin sells conversion models for certain conventional single-phase pump systems, but the pump and motor have to be a match. Ask when you call.
It gives steadier pressure and extra protection features. It also costs more up front and relies on electronics. For a home where the pressure is already fine, a standard pump and tank is a sound choice.
It can, but check the tank first. A tank that has lost its air charge causes many of those swings, and fixing the tank is the lower cost step. See well pump short cycling.
Yes. Ryan installs well pumps and well bladder tanks. Ask about constant pressure options when you call or text, and he will look at your setup and give a free estimate.
Call or text Ryan. Free estimate, and you know the price before any work starts.