Hello, I have used this forum as a resource for quite some time but never posted before, everything I needed to know I have always found by searching here. I am having an issue with my well that I can't figure out so I hope that those more knowledgeable than myself might have some ideas.
When I turn on the water in my home or at any spigot on my property, water flow is normal for 10 seconds or so, and then drops quickly to zero. After 40+ seconds or so, the pump kicks on and pressure returns to normal for the duration of use.
If I go to my well and check my pressure gauge while waiting for the pump to kick in, the gauge is dropping very slowly to the kick in point of 40 psi. At the the kick in point, the pressure switch activates as it should and builds pressure back up to normal levels. It is a 40/60 switch.
I thought that sediment might have blocked both the pressure switch and the gauge, so I installed a new pressure switch but no change. There was a lot of extremely fine, finer than talk, red sediment in the branch of pipe that runs to the pressure gauge and pressure switch, I think clay of some sort. It's so fine I can't even feel it in my fingers but it is there when the water dries up. I removed this section and cleaned everything out when I replaced the pressure switch. I also checked the pressure in the pressure tank while everything was apart and it was fine. I attached a pic of some of the sediment, it looks like rust but it's not, I have no steel piping left in my system. It didn't seem to be blocking the pressure switch or the gauge since everything functioned the same after replacement and cleaning.
I have a shallow well, about 36 feet to the bottom, 9 feet or so down to the top of the water column, and a 1 hp jet pump with a cycle stop valve installed, as can be seen in the pic below. I installed this pump/pressure tank and cycle stop valve and re-plumbed everything from the pump to the house about 5 years ago and it has been working great until this last week.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
When I turn on the water in my home or at any spigot on my property, water flow is normal for 10 seconds or so, and then drops quickly to zero. After 40+ seconds or so, the pump kicks on and pressure returns to normal for the duration of use.
If I go to my well and check my pressure gauge while waiting for the pump to kick in, the gauge is dropping very slowly to the kick in point of 40 psi. At the the kick in point, the pressure switch activates as it should and builds pressure back up to normal levels. It is a 40/60 switch.
I thought that sediment might have blocked both the pressure switch and the gauge, so I installed a new pressure switch but no change. There was a lot of extremely fine, finer than talk, red sediment in the branch of pipe that runs to the pressure gauge and pressure switch, I think clay of some sort. It's so fine I can't even feel it in my fingers but it is there when the water dries up. I removed this section and cleaned everything out when I replaced the pressure switch. I also checked the pressure in the pressure tank while everything was apart and it was fine. I attached a pic of some of the sediment, it looks like rust but it's not, I have no steel piping left in my system. It didn't seem to be blocking the pressure switch or the gauge since everything functioned the same after replacement and cleaning.
I have a shallow well, about 36 feet to the bottom, 9 feet or so down to the top of the water column, and a 1 hp jet pump with a cycle stop valve installed, as can be seen in the pic below. I installed this pump/pressure tank and cycle stop valve and re-plumbed everything from the pump to the house about 5 years ago and it has been working great until this last week.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
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