[Okay, guys, I'm supposed to be "all in" on a work project that will feed me for the rest of this year, and maybe two more, but I can't resist commenting. :-]

UncleGoo, you're talkin' my language.

As you know, pressure tanks rely on a "spring" of air at the top. (Basic physics: liquids don't compress hardly at all; but gases compress readily.) Most older pressure tanks , including my current one and all the ones I grew up with, lose their air cushion over time. Turbulence dissolves (incorrect term) the air and pushes it out the pipe.

Solution: once a year, turn off the pump, drain the tank of all pressure (open the taps), close all taps, and use a compressor to pump in approx. 30 psi. Then turn on the pump, and open an outside tap (say on a tree) while all that crud you've stirred up on the bottom of the pressure tank blows out.

Now you have a smooth running system. The pressure holds a long time and drops off gradually. The pump runs only occasionally, for a longer period, extending its life greatly; frequent stops and starts kill motors quick. Also, you will pay less per gallon/litre; frequent motor starts draw rather a lot more electricity.

New pressure tanks have a bladder at the top, which mostly solves the loss-of-air-cushion issue.

I have a shallow well with a new foot valve, which means a small hand pump can be tapped in very easily. (There it is on the shelf, with fittings, ready to go. Imagine that ;-) The downside is that, in this drought year, the amount of dissolved salt/mineral in the water has increased noticeably. I'm looking at a reverse osmosis system to mitigate potential adverse health effects.

[Okay, that's enough fun. Keep on truckin', guys. It's back to the salt mines for me. Dougwa_ out.}