Water pump cut in but won’t cut out

[Irishvale]

My water pump cut in and won’t cut out. The pressure is only getting up to 30 instead of 40. The only thing in the well is a foot valve which has been replaced. This season the pump periodically was cutting in and out when no water was running. No leaks have been found. I’ve also added pressure to the pressure tank but it doesn’t seem to last.

 

[Reach4]

So I presume you have a jet pump, with the jet at the pump.

Pressure achievable can drop because the water level fell, or that the jet is partially plugged, or there is a vacuum leak.

How big is the well casing? With 3 inches or more, you could use a submersible pump.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WorthFlorida]

.........This season the pump periodically was cutting in and out when no water was running.

........I’ve also added pressure to the pressure tank but it doesn’t seem to last.......

Either the pressure tank is leaking or the new foot valve is leaking. Did you drain the pressure tank, set the pressure then turn on the pump? Do this with the house feed turned off if there is a valve. If you lose pressure, it can be anywhere from the tank to the foot valve.
Failure to get to the set pressure does seem like the jet is clogged as Reach suggest without any obvious leak assuming it is a jet pump. Is there a pitless adapter?

 

[Valveman]

My guess is replacing the foot valve caused a suction leak somewhere.

 

[Irishvale]

So I presume you have a jet pump, with the jet at the pump.

Pressure achievable can drop because the water level fell, or that the jet is partially plugged, or there is a vacuum leak.

How big is the well casing? With 3 inches or more, you could use a submersible pump.

Yes we have a jet pump set up in a little pump house. Our well is a dug well about 20 feet deep. The water line (1 1/2 inch line) for the well runs underground and attaches to the well around 5 feet down. Could a vacuum occur where the line attaches with the foot valve?

 

[Irishvale]

My guess is replacing the foot valve caused a suction leak somewhere.

How would I find out if that is the case? Thank you.

 

[Reach4]

While pumping, slather each accessible joint with shaving foam. If the foam sucks in, you found a leak. Include the connection to the pump.

 

[Irishvale]

Yes we have a jet pump set up in a little pump house. Our well is a dug well about 20 feet deep. The water line (1 1/2 inch line) for the well runs underground and attaches to the well around 5 feet down. Could a vacuum occur where the line attaches with the foot valve?

Either the pressure tank is leaking or the new foot valve is leaking. Did you drain the pressure tank, set the pressure then turn on the pump? Do this with the house feed turned off if there is a valve. If you lose pressure, it can be anywhere from the tank to the foot valve.
Failure to get to the set pressure does seem like the jet is clogged as Reach suggest without any obvious leak assuming it is a jet pump. Is there a pitless adapter?

I’m not sure what a pitiless adapter is or where it would be located.

 

[Reach4]

A pitless adapter is a special connector that goes thru the well casing, and is fed by a pipe that is below the frost line. Then the pipe going down the well dangles from that.

Before pitless adapters, people would have a pit with a floor below the frost line. That held the piping and fed it down the well.