TVL
Member
I have a question for an expert:
Here is a litle background information:
Sand well
Dug in 1978
145 feet deep
4 inch casing
1 hp submersible pump set at 125 feet deep
well produces approx. 12 gpm at 35 psi
used for a sprinkler system and washing autos, etc.
pump is connected to a 40 gallon captive air tank
Other than replacing the pump twice since the well was dug in 1978, this well has never given any trouble. The current pump has been down since 1995.
Now for my question: This past week, my wife noticed a couple of sprinklers were making an audible spitting and sputtering sound. The noise wasn't very loud ............ just barely audible and only doing it every once in a while. Today, I went underneath the house and checked the pressure at the pressure gauge located next to the tank. The pressure was fluctuating between 25 and 35 psi. Normally the pressure gauge reads a stable 35 psi when the sprinker system is running, but not today.
I shut off one of the sprinklers and the pressure immediately stabilized and began slowly rising as I would have expected with one of the sprinklers being off. After starting the other sprinkler the pressure slowly dropped back to 35 psi and began fluctuating once again.
Is this a sign of the well going dry?? (as info, we are in a drought area here in SC)
Lots of individuals are drilling wells lately, Maybe others are tapping into the same stream, which could be bad news!!
However, are there any other factors which could also cause the pressure fluctuation I am seeing????
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and time!
Here is a litle background information:
Sand well
Dug in 1978
145 feet deep
4 inch casing
1 hp submersible pump set at 125 feet deep
well produces approx. 12 gpm at 35 psi
used for a sprinkler system and washing autos, etc.
pump is connected to a 40 gallon captive air tank
Other than replacing the pump twice since the well was dug in 1978, this well has never given any trouble. The current pump has been down since 1995.
Now for my question: This past week, my wife noticed a couple of sprinklers were making an audible spitting and sputtering sound. The noise wasn't very loud ............ just barely audible and only doing it every once in a while. Today, I went underneath the house and checked the pressure at the pressure gauge located next to the tank. The pressure was fluctuating between 25 and 35 psi. Normally the pressure gauge reads a stable 35 psi when the sprinker system is running, but not today.
I shut off one of the sprinklers and the pressure immediately stabilized and began slowly rising as I would have expected with one of the sprinklers being off. After starting the other sprinkler the pressure slowly dropped back to 35 psi and began fluctuating once again.
Is this a sign of the well going dry?? (as info, we are in a drought area here in SC)
Lots of individuals are drilling wells lately, Maybe others are tapping into the same stream, which could be bad news!!
However, are there any other factors which could also cause the pressure fluctuation I am seeing????
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and time!