7 Signs Your Well Pressure Tank Is Failing (And What To Do)

1. Your Pump Kicks On Every Time You Open a Faucet

This is the most obvious sign of a waterlogged pressure tank and the most damaging to your pump. In a healthy system, you should be able to run water for 30–60 seconds before the pump engages. If the pump fires the instant you turn on a tap — or cycles on and off every few seconds — the bladder has failed and the tank holds almost no usable water.

What's happening: Without air in the tank, every drop of water drawn from the line causes an immediate pressure drop, triggering the pump switch. The pump short-cycles continuously.

2. Pressure Fluctuates Wildly — Spikes, Then Drops

If your shower pressure surges and then collapses in a repeating pattern — often called "pressure pulsing" — your tank's air cushion is gone. Instead of a smooth release of stored pressure, you're getting raw pump pressure directly, which surges every time the pump cycles on.

This pulsing is hard on pipes, fittings, water heaters, and appliances. Dishwashers and washing machines are particularly sensitive and can fail prematurely from repeated pressure shocks.

3. The Pump Runs Constantly (or for Very Long Periods)

A pump that never shuts off usually means one of two things: either there's a leak in the system (including underground pipe leaks you can't see), or the well's water output (yield) has dropped below the pump's demand.

But a bad pressure tank can also cause this — specifically if the bladder has failed and water is flooding the air side of the tank. The tank loses its ability to hold pressure, and the pump runs continuously trying to maintain a pressure level it can never hold.

4. Air Sputtering or Spitting From Your Faucets

If air bubbles or spurts of air come out of your faucets — especially after the pump has been running — it can mean the tank's bladder has ruptured and air from the tank is being pushed into the water supply. This is more common in older tanks with steel-only construction.

Occasional air in a new installation is normal as the system purges. But persistent, repeating air in the water supply from a system that's been running for months or years is a red flag.

5. Water Dripping From the Pressure Relief Valve

The pressure relief valve (PRV) on your tank is a safety device designed to open if pressure exceeds a safe threshold — typically 75–100 PSI. If water is dripping or spraying from the PRV, pressure in your system is too high.

This can happen when the pressure switch fails to shut the pump off at cut-out, or when the tank's bladder fails and the pump keeps building pressure. Do not ignore a dripping PRV — it exists to prevent catastrophic tank failure.

6. Visible Rust, Corrosion, or Damp Spots on the Tank

Steel pressure tanks corrode from the inside out. A rusty exterior is often a late-stage indicator of interior corrosion that has already compromised the tank's integrity. Rust-colored water, metallic taste, or visible external rust near welds and fittings are warning signs worth acting on before a catastrophic rupture.

Modern bladder tanks (like Well-X-Trol or Amtrol WX series) are much more corrosion-resistant because the water never contacts the steel shell — the bladder contains it. But they still fail eventually, and external rust is always worth investigating.

7. The Tank Feels Completely Full of Water (No Air Pocket)

This is the definitive test. When the pump is off and system pressure is released, knock on your pressure tank. A healthy tank should sound hollow in the upper portion and solid in the lower portion — you can often hear the boundary between air and water. A waterlogged tank sounds completely solid throughout.