Well Pump Mystery

[robtherep]

Hello<br /><br />My well goes semi dry now and then in a dry summer. It’s about 60 feet deep and uses a single<br />hose to the well jet pump. Usually by this time of year the water comes back and we can stop turning our pump on and off as we need it and just leave it to do it automatically The water is usually back by now, and I suspect it is, however the pressure gets to about 26 pounds and just keeps running, providing water but not ever reaching more than 26 pounds therfor never turning off by itself. Could it be that running the pump semi dry caused something to wear out diminishing the pumps power and how can that be fixed or tested? I have pressurised the system. <br /><br />Thank you for any help

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Not a pump expert by any means....... I feel like your well is not recovering quick enough, already knew that though. It is also possible that you have a sand/silt accumilation in the pressure tank. My bad news is that you really need to get a deeper well. <br /><br />Someone on here is a well supplier or something of the sort. I am sure that he can help more than I have.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

What is your pressure switch set at and what did you 'pressurize' your system to?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

What size/type storage tank do you use? I have a pressurized bladder tank and a pressure switch. I have founf that the pressure switches go bad first.<br /><br />A 60' well? Is it in standard well casing? I don't know the situation or the area you live in but around here we dynamite slow wells. A single stick normally gets the flow up to par and clears the accumulated sediment. It is a common well practice. The other alternative is to go deeper or a new well.<br /><br />Bob

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Is it possible to have an air leak between the pump and well? If the pump is sucking a small amount of air, it will never reach its pressure and will run continuious. Never mind if it is a submersible pump, but if it is, a possible leak in your line would prevent it from pumping up to pressure.<br /><br />If it has a foot valve on the end of the line (inside the well), you could be loosing your prime. But however if that was the case, you wouldn't even get any pressure.<br /><br />Without seeing what you have, it would be hard to know what your problem really is.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

60 ft is not a very deep well. Polutants easily reach that depth. <br /><br />A well is expenive to drill, but it is the best solution to your problem.<br /><br />BTW the liner on my well is 50ft, just to keep crap from leaking into the well. Well is 180 ft total.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

You are sure you have no leaks? air or otherwise? You sure the bladder in your tank is still good? That would cause the pressure problem because you could not pressurize a metal without the bladder, the pressure would instantly drop.<br /><br />How old is the well pump? My brother bought a cheap one and it lasted only 3 years before it could not pressurize his system.<br /><br />I would replace the guage and pressure switch easy enough to do. <br /><br />If the well is running dry you can do a fracture (some companies use pressurized air to fracture the rock - or dynamite if someone is willing to do that)<br /><br />or dig deeper.<br /><br />My well is 225 - you are supposed to test the GPM after 24 hours of running the pump.<br /><br />My neighbors is over 400 because he had only 1 spot on his property to put the well.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

My parents well is 12' deep, hand dug, never gone dry in 20+ years

 

[ED21]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

My well is down 400'. Most around here are at least that deep. A friends is at 650'.<br />A well that is running dry will tend to suck up a lot of grit. I'm not sure how that might affect your system.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

POINTER94 is a rep for well pump manufacturer, hopefully he will be along to give his opinion.<br /><br />Maybe repost the question in a day or two if he doesn't stop in.

 

[MrBill]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Roboat...several factors may be affecting your problem. You don't mention all of the particulars for your well set up, but rule out a few few things first. No doubt you've let the water run for a while with the pump operating to rule out lack of water?? If so begin to check all the compenents that could cause the problem.<br /><br />Pressure switch - if you have access to it, pop the cover while the well pump is running and manually click it off, in the way that reaching shut-off pressure would automatically, does the pump shut off? Often the quarter inch pipe supplying water to the switch fills with corrosion and does not allow the switch to operate properly, system should over-prssurize though. Same goes for pressure gauge <br /><br />Pressure guage - make sure you're getting an accurate reading.<br /><br />Sounds like your system has a foot valve - if you pressure tested you've probably ruled this out. When your pump reaches 26 lbs, if you manually shut the pump off, does the system stay pressurized at 26, or is there loss when water is shut off...if pressure loss, the water is going somewhere - back into well, out through leaking pipe or valve, etc.<br /><br />Pressure tank - if bladder type, make sure it's pressurized correctly, it should be labeled and pressurized according to manufacturers spec.<br /><br />Finally, the pump - usually, if they're running they'll reach the spec that it was made for, but the impeller could be corroded and not allow the efficient operation you expect.<br /><br />Not doubt there is a lot to check, and it does not sound like you have access to looking in the well itself or even some of the hardware at the well head. You may need that...check all the above ground (inside stuff first).<br /><br />P.S. - don't listen to the crap about 60 foot well being subject to more contamination than 200 foot wells, after all, isn't some portion of a 200 foot deep well 60 feet below surface? It all has to do with the well construction..ie; dug, drilled, pounded, etc. and how the ground water is sealed off with casing. If ther's no casing then you're probably getting ground water, but still...percolation through 4 to 5 feet of soil is usually sufficient to cleanse septic effluent. That's why septic systems need only be 100 feet away from wells, that much distance is way safe enough.<br /><br />Good luck diaqgnosing your problem...keep us 'posted'

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

I think we all must be f******* in the wind here. I don't think that Roboat really wanted any answers.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Huh???<br />Could be he is enjoying the holiday somewhere other than here. He'll be back.

 

[robtherep]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

I can not believe how much help I received here. The same question stayed unanswered on 2 home forums. <br />Thanks a lot.

 

[robtherep]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Here’s some more info on the well. It all started 4 years ago. We had a very dry summer and some of the local wells went dry even though they hadn’t for years. I was told that it would take a few years to get the well back to normal. It would run dry now and then but never as bad as the first time. We would turn it on to get some water then turn the pump off because it would start sucking air. Sometimes there was only water in the middle of the night. The first few years we would have to get water from neighbours. This summer we went dry but had enough water if spread out usage time and turned pump off after using it or it would run all day. Normally at this time of year the water would be back. Most wells in this village (E. Ontario Canada) are just over 100' so 60' is just a bit shallow but has worked for many years till the dry spell. I have a new theory as to what’s happening. I think that the pump may have burned out a bit and lost some of it’s power when running dry. When I pour water in manually just before the pump it use to reach pressure now it won’t, so even with water it won’t go beyond 26 pounds. The pump is a ½ horse myers does anyone know if taking the part off that the hose goes into from the well will tell me anything. What to look for inside? Can these parts be replaced?<br />Thanks very much all

 

[Bondo]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

I have a new theory as to what’s happening. I think that the pump may have burned out a bit and lost some of it’s power when running dry. When I pour water in manually just before the pump it use to reach pressure now it won’t, so even with water it won’t go beyond 26 pounds.

I Think you're on the Right Track,......<br /><br />But,... I run a Submersible,+ Don't remember the workings of Your Pump......<br /><br />It might be a Good Time to spend the couple hundred dollars,+ Drop a Submersible Pump down the hole..........<br /><br />It's Always Easier to Push water,.. Than to Pull it............<br />And,... It leaves less "Stuff" topside that can Freeze..............

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

wait a minute. did you say hose that goes to the well. you mean you have a hose from the well to the pump or a hose from the pump. i'm a retired building contractor. what size is your well casing? does it have a drop pipe in it? if you are using a hose for pickup i suggest you replace with at least pvc sch 40. use for drop pipe with wellhead collar and run pvc all the way to the pump. at 60 feet your are losing the aquafer in high use periods like summer. if happened in Fla. about 20 years ago and a lot of people who depend on wells had to go deeper.

 

[robtherep]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Here’s some more info on the well. It all started 4 years ago. We had a very dry summer and some of the local wells went dry even though they hadn’t for years. I was told that it would take a few years to get the well back to normal. It would run dry now and then but never as bad as the first time. We would turn it on to get some water then turn the pump off because it would start sucking air. Sometimes there was only water in the middle of the night. The first few years we would have to get water from neighbours. This summer we went dry but had enough water if spread out usage time and turned pump off after using it or it would run all day. Normally at this time of year the water would be back. Most wells in this village (E. Ontario Canada) are just over 100' so 60' is just a bit shallow but has worked for many years till the dry spell. I have a new theory as to what’s happening. I think that the pump may have burned out a bit and lost some of it’s power when running dry. When I pour water in manually just before the pump it use to reach pressure now it won’t, so even with water it won’t go beyond 26 pounds. The pump is a ½ horse myers does anyone know if taking the part off that the hose goes into from the well will tell me anything. What to look for inside? Can these parts be replaced?<br />Thanks all very much

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

roboat, <br />Take off the line that goes from the pump to the well. NOTE: DO NOT LET IT FALL INTO THE WELL! Fill the line with water. If it does not fill and keeps leaking down, then your footvalve at the end of the line is bad. In order for it to pump, there cannot be any air trapped inside the line. When the water drains back down, it is causing your pump to cavitate.<br /><br />If your pump motor was burned up, you would have a smell, the breaker would be tripping, and you wouldn't be able to achieve the 26 psi that you claim to have. It is possible that a piece of teflon tape, root, or something has wrapped itself into the impeller. Usually Myers pumps are made with brass impellers. <br /><br />If your footvalve is bad, it is not that hard to change. You need to just pull out your line inside your casing, replace the footvalve, and replace it back into your casing. I would also change the sediment screen also. SOme footvalves is a screen/valve combination.<br /><br />SOmething I would try first prior to dropping your line back into the well. Get a string/small rope that is at least 100' long. Tie a weight on it and drop it down into your casing. This is to get an idea of the depth of your well. I would then see if you can add more on to your line to go deeper. May help in future dry out times.

 

[robtherep]

Re: Well Pump Mystery

Thanks mayfloat. I like the idea of extending the line. The problemb is that unlike other wells in the aria that have a well head I don't know if my well starts just below the frost line or at the level where the pipe goes through the bsement wall which is pretty deep down.