Muddy well water, started to get slightly clearer

[Philip Berardi]

This forum has been a huge help for me as I work through a complete remodel. I am looking to see if anyone could provide insight or guidance on an issue I am having with my well. Specs on well below -

• 150' Deep (I think.. measured with string and washer. No driller information on well cap.)
• 77' of water (string was wet 77' from the washer up. )
• Well cap extends about 1' above grade.
• Not sure of the age of the pump in the well. (House built in 1985)
• Pressure tank has 40PSI in it also probably original(1985)
• Just had the water tested and it came back virtually perfect. Had a full test from PSU Extension office.

I live in Reading, PA. In the last few days we have had on off rain most of which has been light rain. On Friday I was pressure-washing my deck for about 30 minutes. The pressure-washer started to sputter so I went and checked to see if we had water in the kitchen. Checked the sink - nothing. Went down to check the filters and they were packed solid with chocolate milk water. I took the filters out and ran it a bit...still good pressure but water didn't clear up. I have never gotten mud before and I've lived here for about 4 years.

Yesterday I tried to run the well at roughly 1GPM to see if I could get it to clear up. The water this morning is a little better but still looks like watered down lemonade.

The pump has always had an issue where if you run water for a bit the well pump will randomly have issues building pressure to the cut off setting. If you turn the pump off for 5 minutes or so it will build right up to the cut off no problem. It has always had this issue. Normal inside water actives does not cause this issue. If. you try and run water when its sputtering you will not get any air/mud/loss of pressure.

My initial thought was the well pump is going bad and causing turbulence during those prolonged periods where it wont kick off which is kicking up mud/silt? It does not explain the random mud that I saw Friday and have never seen in the past. For what its worth I have pressure washed for x2 as long in the past and never had issues other than the well not kicking off at the 50PSI cut off.

 

[Valveman]

I would be worried that you have a hole in the pipe down the well. That will really stir things up quickly. If you have a check valve above ground or at the tank, remove or gut it. If the pressure falls when no one is using water, there is a hole in the drop pipe. For muddy water to come on so suddenly it is usually something like a hole in the pipe.