Hi all. New here. I've spent the last 4 days reading about wells on here since mine has developed a problem that I can't figure out, but here's hoping someone might be able to offer some help. No one in my area services residential wells. I could only find one company that will install me a new one for $4,500.00 or drill and install new casing next to the old drop pipe for $1,600 cash and leave, but they won't even come out and look at it. This tells me that even if they install me a well, they can't service it right? What good is that?
I started renting this place in 2010 and bought it 2 years later. It's always had the well and was running a Wayne 1/2 hp pump and what I believe to be a 6 gallon tank. It has been trouble free until about 8 days ago when it all went sideways. First of all, I know nothing about them other than what I've learned in the last 8 days. I think what I have is a driven well since we dug down in about 2 feet of pea gravel and could not find a casing, just more steel pipe.
It all started one day with the toilet pulsating while filling when I first noticed a problem. Started seeing gray colored sediment in the toilet tank. Thought it was the fill valve, so replaced everything in the tank, no change. Then went to take a shower later that day and noticed the shower pulsating, after shower checked sinks, doing the same. Then I went out to the well house and noticed the pump was running continuously and hot, so I shut it down. My dad came over the next day to look at it and did get the pressure back up (said the tank was too low). Okay. The next morning, ran out of water and pump running continuously. Shut it down again. After this song and dance for 3 days, I noticed the pump was leaking between the head and the motor right after it shuts off that we didn't notice before.
We decided to replace it all since the little tank was real rusty and my dad broke the PVC fitting to the house trying to loosen the steel fittings. Everything was replaced except the check valve all the way to the house connection. We still could not get it right, just kept losing prime. Finally after 3 more days, my dad says well, let's look at the check valve. Took that off and it was absolute junk, no spring at all. Ahaha! There's the problem! Or, so we thought.
I now have water, but sometimes, when the pump turns on it takes it a long time to build pressure. It's set at 40/60 with 38 psi in the tank. Sometimes, it will drop to 40, kick on and shut off at 60. Sometimes, when it drops to 40, it turns on, then drops to around 30-35 and hovers there for a very long time until I finally shut the pump off again. After about an hour, I can turn it back on and it will usually build back up pressure and shut off at 60. Was originally 30/50 with 28 psi in tank, but it kept dropping too low almost 5-10psi while running, so I increased it to 40/60 as a test. Now, it won't drop dangerously low, but it gets stuck on 30-35 and just runs constant a lot. This is with no faucets running. I don't have any pressure drop when it pressures up. I've tested with the valve open or closed and when it's built up, there is no drop unless I open a faucet. So, I'm pretty sure there are no leaks. No more sediment in toilet tank, but water has been cloudy for days. If you put water in a glass and let it sit it clears up, but it appears cloudy. Running out of water is common.
House is 700 sq. ft. Has bath sink, toilet, shower, washer and kitchen sink with 30 gal water heater. Also, have garden spigot on back of well house. Brand New Little Giant LG-SWJ Series pump with pressure gauge on front of pump and 20 gallon pressure tank, all new piping and filter. Original set up did not have a filter or a valve. We added the filter and a valve so you could shut off the house.
Pictures of setup for reference:
Don't know what else to check. Everything from the drop pipe elbow to the house connection is new.
Things I don't know: depth of drop pipe, whether or not there is a casing/foot valve. I'm thinking not since it has a horizontal check valve. Previous owner didn't know, just said it was a "shallow well."
Thinking about signing up for county water since I'm working on this thing daily and it has become unreliable. Appreciate any help!
I started renting this place in 2010 and bought it 2 years later. It's always had the well and was running a Wayne 1/2 hp pump and what I believe to be a 6 gallon tank. It has been trouble free until about 8 days ago when it all went sideways. First of all, I know nothing about them other than what I've learned in the last 8 days. I think what I have is a driven well since we dug down in about 2 feet of pea gravel and could not find a casing, just more steel pipe.
It all started one day with the toilet pulsating while filling when I first noticed a problem. Started seeing gray colored sediment in the toilet tank. Thought it was the fill valve, so replaced everything in the tank, no change. Then went to take a shower later that day and noticed the shower pulsating, after shower checked sinks, doing the same. Then I went out to the well house and noticed the pump was running continuously and hot, so I shut it down. My dad came over the next day to look at it and did get the pressure back up (said the tank was too low). Okay. The next morning, ran out of water and pump running continuously. Shut it down again. After this song and dance for 3 days, I noticed the pump was leaking between the head and the motor right after it shuts off that we didn't notice before.
We decided to replace it all since the little tank was real rusty and my dad broke the PVC fitting to the house trying to loosen the steel fittings. Everything was replaced except the check valve all the way to the house connection. We still could not get it right, just kept losing prime. Finally after 3 more days, my dad says well, let's look at the check valve. Took that off and it was absolute junk, no spring at all. Ahaha! There's the problem! Or, so we thought.
I now have water, but sometimes, when the pump turns on it takes it a long time to build pressure. It's set at 40/60 with 38 psi in the tank. Sometimes, it will drop to 40, kick on and shut off at 60. Sometimes, when it drops to 40, it turns on, then drops to around 30-35 and hovers there for a very long time until I finally shut the pump off again. After about an hour, I can turn it back on and it will usually build back up pressure and shut off at 60. Was originally 30/50 with 28 psi in tank, but it kept dropping too low almost 5-10psi while running, so I increased it to 40/60 as a test. Now, it won't drop dangerously low, but it gets stuck on 30-35 and just runs constant a lot. This is with no faucets running. I don't have any pressure drop when it pressures up. I've tested with the valve open or closed and when it's built up, there is no drop unless I open a faucet. So, I'm pretty sure there are no leaks. No more sediment in toilet tank, but water has been cloudy for days. If you put water in a glass and let it sit it clears up, but it appears cloudy. Running out of water is common.
House is 700 sq. ft. Has bath sink, toilet, shower, washer and kitchen sink with 30 gal water heater. Also, have garden spigot on back of well house. Brand New Little Giant LG-SWJ Series pump with pressure gauge on front of pump and 20 gallon pressure tank, all new piping and filter. Original set up did not have a filter or a valve. We added the filter and a valve so you could shut off the house.
Pictures of setup for reference:
Don't know what else to check. Everything from the drop pipe elbow to the house connection is new.
Things I don't know: depth of drop pipe, whether or not there is a casing/foot valve. I'm thinking not since it has a horizontal check valve. Previous owner didn't know, just said it was a "shallow well."
Thinking about signing up for county water since I'm working on this thing daily and it has become unreliable. Appreciate any help!
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