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Posted by RBM on October 14, 2009, 6:59 am
> This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
> bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
> smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let it
> sit for the night.
> The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> delivered to the pressure tank.
> I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> really is.
> It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pump
> (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
> nd has worked flawlessly for years.
Thanks all for the good input. I appreciate knowing something about
the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. I have a
couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
doesn't seem to be getting his calls. Possibly he has gone hunting
and did not leave an "out of office" message. It is a weekend place,
so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.
To clarify a few items:
1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. I
opened the box and cleaned the contacts. They seem to be working
fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.
2 - I did check the power at the well head. I did not have a voltage
meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
determine there was juice in the line. If somehow only 110/120 was
getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway up
the piping?
3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
treatment). I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen)
that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. Perhaps the bleach
then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?
4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
immediately shop for a new car ;-)
5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could have
gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
well failure. Sounds like the two events need to be researched
separately. As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bck
from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
integrated into the pressure tank?
6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: We
used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. According to our well
report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
of bleach. I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.
Thanks again
Does the pump have a control box, or is it a 2 wire pump? Is there anything
that would indicate if the pump is 120 or 240 volts? If you have galvanized
piping down the well, it's possible that it rotted and broke, but I still
don't see anything that you did that would have caused it to happen. There
may be a check valve before the pressure tank, and one or more down in the
well
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Posted by on October 14, 2009, 8:20 am
> > This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
> > bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> > amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> > into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
> > smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let it
> > sit for the night.
> > The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> > morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> > got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> > the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> > delivered to the pressure tank.
> > I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> > hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> > With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> > really is.
> > It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pump
> > (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> > from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> > without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
> > nd has worked flawlessly for years.
> Thanks all for the good input. =A0I appreciate knowing something about
> the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. =A0I have a
> couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
> doesn't seem to be getting his calls. =A0Possibly he has gone hunting
> and did not leave an "out of office" message. =A0It is a weekend place,
> so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.
> To clarify a few items:
> 1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. =A0I
> opened the box and cleaned the contacts. =A0They seem to be working
> fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.
> 2 - I did check the power at the well head. =A0I did not have a voltage
> meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
> determine there was juice in the line. =A0If somehow only 110/120 was
> getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway up
> the piping?
If i'ts a 240V pump, which it almost certainly is for this
application, there is no way it could be getting 120V. The pump runs
off two out of phase hot legs that give 240V and there is no neutral.
I'd go buy a VOM. You can get cheap basic ones for $15 at radio shack
or many tool places, home centers, Sears, etc. If it's a 2 wire plus
ground 240V pump and you have 240V at the wires going down the well,
then you know it's time to pull the pump.
> 3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
> treatment). =A0I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
> pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen)
> that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. =A0Perhaps the bleach
> then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?
Considering the symptoms and sequence of events, that would explain
things. However what the probability of that actually happening and
opening a hole sufficient to result in no water, I don't know, but
would think it would be low.
It's also possible the chlorine attacked the electrical system at some
point, ie, got into the motor, causing resistance in a connection,
etc.
> 4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
> anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
> immediately shop for a new car ;-)
> 5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could have
> gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
> well failure. =A0Sounds like the two events need to be researched
> separately. =A0As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bck
> from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
> and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
> integrated into the pressure tank?
Normally the check valve is located in the pump. That;s why I said
if the pressure went to 0 overnight without any water usage, it's a
strong indication that there is a leak in the well piping and such a
leak would totally explain what you are seeing and hearing.
> 6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: =A0We
> used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. =A0According to our well
> report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
> of bleach. =A0I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
> dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.
Doesn't seem like a lot of bleach. I strongly suspect that you're
going to find that whatever happened, it was destined to happen pretty
soon anyway. The bleach may have only accelerated it. It might
actually be a good thing, because if something is corroded, you may
have found it sooner, before the pipe breaks off from the pump, etc.
> Thanks again
> Does the pump have a control box, or is it a 2 wire pump? Is there anythi=
ng
> that would indicate if the pump is 120 or 240 volts? If you have galvaniz=
ed
> piping down the well, it's possible that it rotted and broke, but I still
> don't see anything that you did that would have caused it to happen. Ther=
e
> may be a check valve before the pressure tank, and one or more down in th=
e
> well- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
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Posted by gwandsh on October 14, 2009, 8:02 pm
On Oct 14, 5:20=A0am, trad...@optonline.net wrote:
.
> > > This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
> > > bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> > > amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> > > into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
> > > smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let i=
t
> > > sit for the night.
> > > The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> > > morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> > > got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> > > the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> > > delivered to the pressure tank.
> > > I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> > > hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> > > With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> > > really is.
> > > It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pum=
p
> > > (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> > > from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> > > without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
> > > nd has worked flawlessly for years.
> > Thanks all for the good input. =A0I appreciate knowing something about
> > the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. =A0I have a
> > couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
> > doesn't seem to be getting his calls. =A0Possibly he has gone hunting
> > and did not leave an "out of office" message. =A0It is a weekend place,
> > so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.
> > To clarify a few items:
> > 1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. =A0=
I
> > opened the box and cleaned the contacts. =A0They seem to be working
> > fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.
> > 2 - I did check the power at the well head. =A0I did not have a voltage
> > meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
> > determine there was juice in the line. =A0If somehow only 110/120 was
> > getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway up
> > the piping?
> If i'ts a 240V pump, which it almost certainly is for this
> application, there is no way it could be getting 120V. =A0The pump runs
> off two out of phase hot legs that give 240V and there is no neutral.
> I'd go buy a VOM. =A0You can get cheap basic ones for $15 at radio shack
> or many tool places, home centers, Sears, etc. =A0If it's a 2 wire plus
> ground 240V pump and you have 240V at the wires going down the well,
> then you know it's time to pull the pump.
> > 3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
> > treatment). =A0I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
> > pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen)
> > that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. =A0Perhaps the bleach
> > then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?
> Considering the symptoms and sequence of events, that would explain
> things. =A0 However what the probability of that actually happening and
> opening a hole sufficient to result in no water, I don't know, but
> would think it would be low.
> It's also possible the chlorine attacked the electrical system at some
> point, ie, got into the motor, causing resistance in a connection,
> etc.
> > 4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
> > anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
> > immediately shop for a new car ;-)
> > 5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could have
> > gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
> > well failure. =A0Sounds like the two events need to be researched
> > separately. =A0As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bc=
k
> > from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
> > and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
> > integrated into the pressure tank?
> Normally the check valve is located in the pump. =A0 =A0That;s why I said
> if the pressure went to 0 overnight without any water usage, it's a
> strong indication that there is a leak in the well piping and such a
> leak would totally explain what you are seeing and hearing.
> > 6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: =A0W=
e
> > used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. =A0According to our wel=
l
> > report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
> > of bleach. =A0I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
> > dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.
> Doesn't seem like a lot of bleach. =A0 I strongly suspect that you're
> going to find that whatever happened, it was destined to happen pretty
> soon anyway. =A0 The bleach may have only accelerated it. =A0 It might
> actually be a good thing, because if something is corroded, you may
> have found it sooner, before the pipe breaks off from the pump, etc.
> > Thanks again
> > Does the pump have a control box, or is it a 2 wire pump? Is there anyt=
hing
> > that would indicate if the pump is 120 or 240 volts? If you have galvan=
ized
> > piping down the well, it's possible that it rotted and broke, but I sti=
ll
> > don't see anything that you did that would have caused it to happen. Th=
ere
> > may be a check valve before the pressure tank, and one or more down in =
the
> > well- Hide quoted text -
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
Again, grateful for all the good info. I reached the contractor
today, and he described a few other possible scenarios. He touched on
many items already mentioned here. His additions (from memory - not
the best record)
- the "starter condenser" might be working but the "run condenser" is
shot. Hope that terminology is accurate.
- the recirculating of the water back down the well pipe might have
dislodged accumulated oxidation on the casing, and the pump inlet
screen could be fouled.
There were a few other items to track as well. We are arranging to
meet there as soon as I can spare a day from work, and he will start
to diagnose. Will post back to the group once we find the problem,
just for interest's sake.
|
|
Posted by RBM on October 15, 2009, 7:09 am
On Oct 14, 5:20 am, trad...@optonline.net wrote:
> > > This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
> > > bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> > > amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> > > into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
> > > smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let it
> > > sit for the night.
> > > The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> > > morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> > > got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> > > the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> > > delivered to the pressure tank.
> > > I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> > > hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> > > With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> > > really is.
> > > It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pump
> > > (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> > > from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> > > without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
> > > nd has worked flawlessly for years.
> > Thanks all for the good input. I appreciate knowing something about
> > the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. I have a
> > couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
> > doesn't seem to be getting his calls. Possibly he has gone hunting
> > and did not leave an "out of office" message. It is a weekend place,
> > so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.
> > To clarify a few items:
> > 1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. I
> > opened the box and cleaned the contacts. They seem to be working
> > fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.
> > 2 - I did check the power at the well head. I did not have a voltage
> > meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
> > determine there was juice in the line. If somehow only 110/120 was
> > getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway up
> > the piping?
> If i'ts a 240V pump, which it almost certainly is for this
> application, there is no way it could be getting 120V. The pump runs
> off two out of phase hot legs that give 240V and there is no neutral.
> I'd go buy a VOM. You can get cheap basic ones for $15 at radio shack
> or many tool places, home centers, Sears, etc. If it's a 2 wire plus
> ground 240V pump and you have 240V at the wires going down the well,
> then you know it's time to pull the pump.
> > 3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
> > treatment). I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
> > pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen)
> > that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. Perhaps the bleach
> > then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?
> Considering the symptoms and sequence of events, that would explain
> things. However what the probability of that actually happening and
> opening a hole sufficient to result in no water, I don't know, but
> would think it would be low.
> It's also possible the chlorine attacked the electrical system at some
> point, ie, got into the motor, causing resistance in a connection,
> etc.
> > 4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
> > anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
> > immediately shop for a new car ;-)
> > 5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could have
> > gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
> > well failure. Sounds like the two events need to be researched
> > separately. As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bck
> > from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
> > and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
> > integrated into the pressure tank?
> Normally the check valve is located in the pump. That;s why I said
> if the pressure went to 0 overnight without any water usage, it's a
> strong indication that there is a leak in the well piping and such a
> leak would totally explain what you are seeing and hearing.
> > 6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: We
> > used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. According to our well
> > report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
> > of bleach. I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
> > dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.
> Doesn't seem like a lot of bleach. I strongly suspect that you're
> going to find that whatever happened, it was destined to happen pretty
> soon anyway. The bleach may have only accelerated it. It might
> actually be a good thing, because if something is corroded, you may
> have found it sooner, before the pipe breaks off from the pump, etc.
> > Thanks again
> > Does the pump have a control box, or is it a 2 wire pump? Is there
> > anything
> > that would indicate if the pump is 120 or 240 volts? If you have
> > galvanized
> > piping down the well, it's possible that it rotted and broke, but I
> > still
> > don't see anything that you did that would have caused it to happen.
> > There
> > may be a check valve before the pressure tank, and one or more down in
> > the
> > well- Hide quoted text -
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
Again, grateful for all the good info. I reached the contractor
today, and he described a few other possible scenarios. He touched on
many items already mentioned here. His additions (from memory - not
the best record)
- the "starter condenser" might be working but the "run condenser" is
shot. Hope that terminology is accurate.
If you have a control box, this stuff can be diagnosed right there. If you
don't, it's built into the pump, and it needs to be pulled
- the recirculating of the water back down the well pipe might have
dislodged accumulated oxidation on the casing, and the pump inlet
screen could be fouled.
There were a few other items to track as well. We are arranging to
meet there as soon as I can spare a day from work, and he will start
to diagnose. Will post back to the group once we find the problem,
just for interest's sake.
|
|
Posted by gwandsh on November 2, 2009, 8:35 pm
> On Oct 14, 5:20 am, trad...@optonline.net wrote:
...
> > > > This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
> > > > bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> > > > amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> > > > into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we coul=
d
> > > > smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let=
it
> > > > sit for the night.
> > > > The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> > > > morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> > > > got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> > > > the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> > > > delivered to the pressure tank.
> > > > I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> > > > hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> > > > With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> > > > really is.
> > > > It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well p=
ump
> > > > (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> > > > from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> > > > without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep=
,a
> > > > nd has worked flawlessly for years.
> > > Thanks all for the good input. I appreciate knowing something about
> > > the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. I have a
> > > couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
> > > doesn't seem to be getting his calls. Possibly he has gone hunting
> > > and did not leave an "out of office" message. It is a weekend place,
> > > so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.
> > > To clarify a few items:
> > > 1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. I
> > > opened the box and cleaned the contacts. They seem to be working
> > > fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.
> > > 2 - I did check the power at the well head. I did not have a voltage
> > > meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
> > > determine there was juice in the line. If somehow only 110/120 was
> > > getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway u=
p
> > > the piping?
> > If i'ts a 240V pump, which it almost certainly is for this
> > application, there is no way it could be getting 120V. The pump runs
> > off two out of phase hot legs that give 240V and there is no neutral.
> > I'd go buy a VOM. You can get cheap basic ones for $15 at radio shack
> > or many tool places, home centers, Sears, etc. If it's a 2 wire plus
> > ground 240V pump and you have 240V at the wires going down the well,
> > then you know it's time to pull the pump.
> > > 3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
> > > treatment). I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
> > > pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen=
)
> > > that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. Perhaps the bleach
> > > then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?
> > Considering the symptoms and sequence of events, that would explain
> > things. However what the probability of that actually happening and
> > opening a hole sufficient to result in no water, I don't know, but
> > would think it would be low.
> > It's also possible the chlorine attacked the electrical system at some
> > point, ie, got into the motor, causing resistance in a connection,
> > etc.
> > > 4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
> > > anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
> > > immediately shop for a new car ;-)
> > > 5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could hav=
e
> > > gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
> > > well failure. Sounds like the two events need to be researched
> > > separately. As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bck
> > > from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
> > > and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
> > > integrated into the pressure tank?
> > Normally the check valve is located in the pump. That;s why I said
> > if the pressure went to 0 overnight without any water usage, it's a
> > strong indication that there is a leak in the well piping and such a
> > leak would totally explain what you are seeing and hearing.
> > > 6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: We
> > > used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. According to our well
> > > report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
> > > of bleach. I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
> > > dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.
> > Doesn't seem like a lot of bleach. I strongly suspect that you're
> > going to find that whatever happened, it was destined to happen pretty
> > soon anyway. The bleach may have only accelerated it. It might
> > actually be a good thing, because if something is corroded, you may
> > have found it sooner, before the pipe breaks off from the pump, etc.
> > > Thanks again
> > > Does the pump have a control box, or is it a 2 wire pump? Is there
> > > anything
> > > that would indicate if the pump is 120 or 240 volts? If you have
> > > galvanized
> > > piping down the well, it's possible that it rotted and broke, but I
> > > still
> > > don't see anything that you did that would have caused it to happen.
> > > There
> > > may be a check valve before the pressure tank, and one or more down i=
n
> > > the
> > > well- Hide quoted text -
> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> > - Show quoted text -
> Again, grateful for all the good info. =A0I reached the contractor
> today, and he described a few other possible scenarios. =A0He touched on
> many items already mentioned here. =A0His additions (from memory - not
> the best record)
> - the "starter condenser" might be working but the "run condenser" is
> shot. Hope that terminology is accurate.
> If you have a control box, this stuff can be diagnosed right there. If yo=
u
> don't, it's built into the pump, and it needs to be pulled
> - the recirculating of the water back down the well pipe might have
> dislodged accumulated oxidation on the casing, and the pump inlet
> screen could be fouled.
> There were a few other items to track as well. =A0We are arranging to
> meet there as soon as I can spare a day from work, and he will start
> to diagnose. =A0Will post back to the group once we find the problem,
> just for interest's sake.- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
Well, after a diagnostic visit and some work, we are back up and
running. It appears that the pump was toast, and the frequent cycling
of it as we ran the water out durignthe "shock" caused it to finally
give up the ghost. Our local well guy got us a good 2 HP replacement
pump, had it installed in three hours, and we have taps that work
again. It's embarrassing how quickly hauling water from a creek gets
*really* old fast.
Our best guess is that the prior pump was in the well since the
mid-90's. It was a 5 HP, which our guy says may have been
detrimental, since it would cycle on/off faster to service our
pressure tank. Regardless, it seems it was on borrowed time.
As for the dropping of the pressure in the system, our guy was not
quite sure how to ID that one. He mentioned that there might be a
tiny leak in the pipe from the well to house, but we've never seen
evidence of anything like that. This weekend, with the new pump
installed, I spent several hours working in the "basement" beside the
pressure tank. I tracked the pressure when I started, and with no
water running anywhere, it was still static at the same pressure after
almost 3 hours. So I'm thinking a slow leak would have altered the
pressure in that time span (if it had lost ALL pressure overnight as
we noted).
So, observations with the new pump in place:
Almost undetectable operation. The 5 HP caused a pretty audible hum
when charging the tank.
Very loud click in the pressure switch. The prior unit clicked
audibly, this one really snaps. (Switch unchanged, I attribute this to
the new control box).
Takes under 2 minutes to fill the pressure tank. Takes 4 minutes when
an outdoor hose it running full bore.
Opening a tap causes water to come out. Eureka!
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Page 5 of 5 << first < 1 2 3
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> bacteria issues. Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
> amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
> into the well head. Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
> smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let it
> sit for the night.
> The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
> morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. However, when I
> got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. When I turn on
> the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
> delivered to the pressure tank.
> I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. I can
> hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
> With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
> really is.
> It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pump
> (or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
> from being delivered. Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
> without special equipment? I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
> nd has worked flawlessly for years.