Well head is leaking pressure

[Stackz]

ok.

so here's the last thread:
https://terrylove.com/forums/index....t-pump-cycling-on-a-shallow-well.94140/page-3

going to list on friday and I "think" I can rig it up to hold pressure but anyway...

I just figured it would cycle the pump because I was still only using a 1 gallon tank. then I sat and watched it after I got all of the sprinklers setup and running (CSV works beautifully btw). anyway. I looked around and then noticed wet at the well head. sure enough, I can hear it "simmering" or leaking air. messed around with it and its actually the head itself as it clamps onto the drop pipe (or whatever you call it). the drop pipe is like this big long black tube. you can actually buy it at lowes still even though my grandpa did this thing way back in the 60s.

The wellhead itself is an upgrade I did myself by taking the cast iron outer pipe and threading it and then upsizing until I could get this 4" head on it.

I'm thinking I can just loosen the head, wrap it in electrical tape (or whatever I need to wrap it in to get a positive seal on it) and then tighten it back together. aside from this point, it hold pressure.

I can literally pull up/down on the pipe elbow and I know I shouldnt be able to do that haha. I mean if I have to replace the seal itself so be it but I ordered this thing online like 8 years ago and have no clue what to replace it with...and I'm on a time crunch.

any ideas?

 

[Reach4]

Vacuum leak may be on one end of the gray elbow or the other.

You can apply water with a wet cloth, and see where that is getting sucked in. If that is not sufficient, slather the joints with shaving foam, and see where that gets sucked in.

It is also possible that the air you hear is air entering the casing around the edge of the well seal.

If this the way I think it is, you probably should put a screened vent where the blue or the white plug is. Just removing one of the plugs temporarily would vent, but the screened vent keeps bugs out.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Stackz]

its leaking at the top of the blue surface at where the black pipe goes. I really should have taken a pic after I lifted up on the elbow so you would have that "aha" reaction.

if you look at the pic closely, you will see that the clamp is holding the black pipe to the gray elbow. this is all sealed just fine. its the black pipe-to-blue surface that leaks (which if I remember correctly is a big two piece black rubber seal)??

 

[Reach4]

I think leakage between the black and the blue is not a problem, and in fact might mean that you want a more effective vent. Leakage between the black and the gray would be a problem.

Pull the baby blue or white plug. If things get quite and work well, good. Then get a vent with a fine bugproof screen. Example https://www.aquascience.net/1-2-pvc-well-seal-air-vent

 

[Valveman]

When the water level in the well goes up or down it is venting air through the crack because you have no vent. Remove the little blue square head plug and get a screened 1/2 inch vent to place there.

 

[Stackz]

what do they look like? I have no clue. also, will this stop the pump from momentarily turning on once per minute when sitting idle?

 

[Stackz]

hmm ok, looked them up, looks like I'll have to still loosen the well head and rotate it some so it will fit. hopefully lowes has one.

 

[Reach4]

also, will this stop the pump from momentarily turning on once per minute when sitting idle?

No. Cycling would imply the foot valve is leaking, or that your shutoff valve is not shutting off the water completely, or water is leaking out somewhere. Is water coming out where you can see it?

hmm ok, looked them up, looks like I'll have to still loosen the well head and rotate it some so it will fit.

Why? You want to turn the big blue thing? No need for that. Remove the little light blue plug.

For temporary, you could shove a shop rag into the hole to pass air and block bugs. That is not going to work right if it rains tho.

 

[Stackz]

The only thing that leaks is the air hissing at the well head opening as stated. If the foot valve is leaking then I'm just going to leave it alone.

 

[Reach4]

The only thing that leaks is the air hissing at the well head opening as stated. If the foot valve is leaking then I'm just going to leave it alone.

I expect your hissing would be while the pump is running, or just shortly thereafter.

That single hose clamp is what is holding the down pipe and the pump from falling. 5-ft-lb is the right torque for that clamp. If you over-tighten a lot, you could break the clamp.

 

[Stackz]

here's what the whole system looks like per the above referenced thread:

I'm thinking about just adding a check valve before the pump so it doesnt lose prime. water sat in the well head for 8 years before I hooked this up this past month.

 

[Reach4]

I remember that. So the water only goes to a single spigot. For completeness, if you have not done so lately, unscrew the hose to make sure the spigot is actually stopping the water. It probably is, but it is an easy check.

 

[Dimegirl]

what do they look like? I have no clue. also, will this stop the pump from momentarily turning on once per minute when sitting idle?

I actually found this same vent after looking for ages it’s long like a hot dog but it’s the right part.

1/2" MPT Black PVC Well Seal


https://www.supplyhouse.com

Hope this helps out!

 

[Bannerman]

The only thing that leaks is the air hissing at the well head opening as stated.

You are using a single pipe jet pump to 'suck' water out from the well. There is no pump inside the well casing that is pushing water upward under pressure.

Air must freely enter and exit the well for your jet pump to work properly. Remove one of the plugs from the wellhead cap to equalize pressure within the casing with the pressure outside of the well. Operate the pump to ensure water will not blow out of the hole. Before adding an additional check-valve, while the plug is removed, determine if the pump will continue to activate momentarily while no water is drawn.

 

[Stackz]

You are using a single pipe jet pump to 'suck' water out from the well. There is no pump inside the well casing that is pushing water upward under pressure.

Air must freely enter and exit the well for your jet pump to work properly. Remove one of the plugs from the wellhead cap to equalize pressure within the casing to the pressure outside of the well. Operate the pump to ensure water will not blow out of the hole. Before adding an additional check-valve, while the plug is removed, determine if the pump will continue to activate momentarily while no water is drawn.

exactly what I was hoping to hear. so if it all works out good, what do I do about the open hole on the wellhead? just jam a piece of wire mesh over it or something so trash doesnt get in?

I'm just going to pull off the blue plug real quick and see what happens. hopefully I dont get a face full of water.

 

[Bannerman]

what do I do about the open hole on the wellhead?

Dimegirl's link shows an example of an appropriate vent screen fitting.

 

[Reach4]

A rag or a Scotchbrite pad could be a temporary plug.

 

[Stackz]

welp...I guess the foot valve must be leaking...even with the 1/2" blue plug taken out, it still hissed and leaked down until the pump would kick back on for a quick second to bring the pressure back up.

its interesting that the pressure drop occurs after the pump on that pressure gauge...while the pressure gauge on the head of the pump stays steady...even after it stops hissing. kinda weird but whatever.

I will probably just put a check valve between the well head and the pump head so the pump doesnt lose pressure. even when I have the pump unplugged, once the pressure reaches zero and I leave it for a while all I have to do is turn it back on and it re-pressurizes just fine because the well line doesnt lose any water it just loses pressure.

 

[Reach4]

welp...I guess the foot valve must be leaking...even with the 1/2" blue plug taken out, it still hissed and leaked down until the pump would kick back on for a quick second to bring the pressure back up.

Foot valve problem alone would not cause a hiss. A vacuum leak at the gray elbow, together with a foot valve leak, could cause a hiss.

 

[Bannerman]

The footvalve is likely not leaking as you are not needing to reprime the pump. If the drop pipe was draining, you would be needing to reprime each time the pump is started.

The issue seems more as a small leak near the top of the drop pipe or in the elbow which is hissing while air is being drawn through while the pump is running. That same leak would then allow some water to leak out after the pump is shut off, forced out until the pressure tank becomes empty. Once the PT is empty, thee will be no remaining pressure to further force water through the leak. The source of the leak must be small as the air entering through the hole is not sufficient to prevent water from being drawn up from the well.

Regardless of what the gauge on the pump reads, the pressure switch is sensing low pressure which is why the pump is being activated mometarily until the shut off pressure is acheived. As the PT is so small, the pump does not need to run long to fill it. It seems as if the gauge on the pump maybe defective.

As the source of the leak maybe the elbow at the wellhead or could be a hole in the drop pipe, suggest pulling up the drop pipe to inspect.