B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 26000
Situational Awareness; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Aircraft
Climbing through 11;000 FT 'cabin altitude warning' came on. Leveled the aircraft at 12;000 FT and started looking at the problem. Reset the bleed switches for the engines and could hear air back in the cabin; but pressurization would not come back to normal. Descended the jet back to 10;000 FT...ran the checklists and decided to return to [departure airport] because aircraft would not pressurize. [Advised ATC] of an overweight landing. Informed the cabin crew and passengers; normal approach and overweight landing. All items were written up in the logbook for [maintenance].Not sure why the jet didn't pressurize after restored airflow and could not continue in that condition.Be more aware of the pressurization earlier in the climb.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
B737-800 flight crew reported returning to departure airport when they were unable to control cabin pressurization.