• The proper amount of air in a bladder tank insures good water pressure in the home.faucet image by Laura Dynan from Fotolia.com
  
  

High Pressure

• Home well systems are often plagued by low water pressure. Limit switches on bladder style pressure tanks are often factory set to switch on at 20 to 40 pounds per square inch (PSI) and shut off at 40 to 60 PSI. If this setting doesn't give you the water pressure you need, adjust the pressure switch on the bladder tank to a cut in/cut out at 20 PSI higher.
  
  

Leave it Alone

• Pressure switches are factory set because those settings are usually adequate. At higher pressures the pump's motor will turn on more often and have to work harder to pump the water to the higher pressure. The higher the cut-in, cut-out settings on the pressure switch, the greater amount of energy required as well as additional wear and tear on the well's pump motor.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Increasing the PSI in a bladder tank can give a house more water pressure but expect an increase in electricity use and decrease in the life of the well pump. There are other options available to increase water pressure to specific appliances if needed.