shallow well losing prime

[woodcarver]

I dug a sand point well about 20'. we dug with a post hole digger. the kind you twist. we had pipe sections that where added as we dug. I live on sand so the digging was quite easy. all the well pipe was put together with pipe dope and teflon tape then placed down the hole. we used a drive cap and ponded the sand point about 2'-3' which gave us about 6' of water in the pipe. I have a check valve placed horizontal before the pump with a union between the check valve and the pump. I have excellent water pressure. but unless I leave the spigot running a small stream of water to keep the pump cycling fairly often, I lose my prime. I have a 20 gal. pressure tank attached just off the pump. I don't mind so much having to let the pump cycle to keep prime but it's getting cold and the water running off the spigot is gonna freeze. so I could use some advice
where my prime problem is coming from.

Thanks for any help.

[Mike Swearingen]

If you have a leak in the check valve or in any pipe joint after it, it will lose prime. I think that you're going to have to pull it all back out and re-tape/dope and re-tighten everything up.
Mike