Sporatic water well system problem

My home has a shallow well with a jet pump in the crawl space. 5 times in the past week the pump did not kick on while running the water. The water went to a trickle and then stopped. After about three minutes it kicked on again and water was fine for a day or so, then it would happen again. It seems as though it may be becoming more frequent now, but seems to happen when no one has been using the water for a while.

Tonight it happened while I was shaving, 3 minutes later water was fine. Filled the tub afterwards with no problem

When it happens, I can hear the hot water heater trying to bring in water, but sucking air instead, and usually air comes out of the faucet with the water when the pump kicks on again.

The pump is a 1/2HP Goulds. The pressure tank is very small, so the pump always cycled on and off frequently.

I made a call to a well company and was told the water table may be low and I need a new well at a cost of $2,700. to $3,500. (This area is flat, close to sea level, and has the highest water table in the state of Maryland)

A call to a local plumbing company brought a guy out who replaced the pressure switch to the tune of $250. It seemed fine for a day, but then it has been a sporatic problem anyway. At least so far! Then it happened again twice this evening. Another call to the plumber, who said it must be the thermal overload and I need to replace the pump and get a bigger pressure tank. More big bucks!

I'm lousy at plumbing and will have to pay somebody to fix this. I don't want to get ripped!

Can anyone assist with a more definate reason for this problem?

I'm not a pro, but it does sound like your shallow well is not producing water at the rate you sometimes request it. A small storage pressure tank doesn't help matters either with pump life. Sometimes just the simple situation where someone drills a well nearby, they do some road construction, or regrade some land, or change the ground cover a little in the area can change your water level, as well as the major factor of rainfall. A shallow well is affected more by recent rainfall than a deeper well, where it takes much longer to refill.

You've already been ripped off by the plumber that charged $250.00 to replace a switch. Man, if I could charge that much and get away with it, I'de be retired.

Ok, seriously I think you might find the pipe feeding the pressure switch is plugged up and is keeping the switch from turning the pump on when it should. The plumber should have checked this when he was changing the switch. If your water level was low and your getting some water, it would be steady, just not forceful. The fact that the water stops completely, then comes back on later is an indication the pump is not starting for whatever reason.

I agree that a small tank is bad for the motor, and a 1/2hp pump isn't the greatest thing for good pressure, but it's your money and you should be able to choose how you spend it.

bob...

thanks for bringing up a 6yr old thread, and if u are right then the service tech. should have seen it when he changed the switch.

Should.....

Anyhow sometimes rust flakes and other pieces of crud intermittently block the port on the pump. Of course the real answer would have been to witness the problem happening and be ready with electrical meters. I have seen this problem on Goulds cast iron pumps.

The problem is a leak in the suction line. Stop the leak and everything should work as before. Everything else has been a waste of time and money. I would also consider installing a Cycle Stop Valve or Pside-Kick www.cyclestopvalves.com. It will prevent your pump from cycling while extending the life of your system and give you constant pressure like city water pressure.