Novice here with deep well questions

I'll admit I'm a novice at well issues. I'm pretty competent otherwise though and have been able to gather some information:

Location: Northern Virginia
6" casing on a deep well. 550' depth.
Pump sits at 480 feet
Water was approx 30' from surface at last check.
WX-302 tank (86 gallon). Bladder pressurized to 30psi
Pressure valve set at 32/52
I measured 6gpm out of a hose-bib after the pressure stabilized at around 28psi.
The pump is a 240V pump that draws approx 9A when pumping. By my calcs that should mean the pump is around 2.75HP.
Well was drilling in 1980 and the cast iron pipe was replaced in around 1993 with plastic (and a new pump).
Pump was replaced again only a couple of years after that (early death).
I have a Rainsoft acid-neutralizer that's serviced fairly regularly, and a rainsoft water softener that's dead (and bypassed) as well as a small sediment filter that's clear before the two. The neutralizer is necessary as we've had more than one copper pipe leak due to pin-holes. It regenerates overnight.


First:
In the AM we tend to get air coming out of the faucet or shower. Usually it's brief but occasionally the shower will burp after a few minutes.

Second, any comments on that flow rate? During my test some water was drawn upstairs and the pressure instantly went to 0psi. Should I have enough pressure to run a hose bib and another fixture? I never water the lawn but do enjoy long showers.

Third, great forum!

Thanks,
Tad

I'm not sure what the question is.

Are you saying that you run out of water if you use two faucets?

The air could be caused by a leak in the drop pipe in the well or the pipe leading from the house to the well. Do you have a check valve at the tank?

With a 30 foot water level and a 600 foot well and pump set at over 400', you should have a pretty good amount of storage in the AM.

bob...

nazrat said:

...
In the AM we tend to get air coming out of the faucet or shower. Usually it's brief but occasionally the shower will burp after a few minutes. ...

Click to expand...

My guess is a leaking check valve letting water back down the well overnight, but you would still have to have a problem with the pressure tank to get a vacuum in part of the plumbing system.

Southern Man said:

My guess is a leaking check valve letting water back down the well overnight, but you would still have to have a problem with the pressure tank to get a vacuum in part of the plumbing system.

Click to expand...

Enlighten me...
Where is the air coming from?

I believe speedbumb has the answer.

Why don't you enlighten us. Aren't you a plumber?

There's no check valve in the plumbing inside the house. I can run two faucets inside the house but I'm not sure for how long. It wasn't until I ran the tank empty to check for well flow that I found opening another fixture caused the pressure to go to 0.

-Tad

nazrat said:

WX-302 tank (86 gallon). Bladder pressurized to 30psi

Pressure valve set at 32/52
I measured 6gpm out of a hose-bib after the pressure stabilized at around 28psi.

I have a Rainsoft acid-neutralizer that's serviced fairly regularly, and a rainsoft water softener that's dead (and bypassed) as well as a small sediment filter that's clear before the two. The neutralizer is necessary as we've had more than one copper pipe leak due to pin-holes. It regenerates overnight.

First:
In the AM we tend to get air coming out of the faucet or shower. Usually it's brief but occasionally the shower will burp after a few minutes.

Second, any comments on that flow rate? During my test some water was drawn upstairs and the pressure instantly went to 0psi. Should I have enough pressure to run a hose bib and another fixture?

Click to expand...

Your 32/52 psi water pressure setting on the switch is ok but you shouldn't be seeing 28 or less psi on the gauge. The pump is supposed to come on at 32, off at 52, so the pressure should always be between those numbers.

You need to shut off the pump, shut off the water past the pressure tank, drain the pressure tank and check the air pressure in the tank to be 31-30 psi with no water in the tank. If not add air. If you get water vapor or water as you check the pressure, and you have a captive air precharged type (bladder) tank, you need a new tank.

When all that is set right, you should have better pressure, and more flow.

The air may be from the nightly backwash of the acid neutralizer filter, or the softener.

You should remove the cartridge from that "whole house" filter because with the AN filter you don't need it and, it can cause the filter and softener to starve for proper water flow for backwashing; which will kill them slowly. That will increase your pressure/flow too.

To test my theory, by pass both the softener an AN filter when you go to bed and see if you have the air problem the next morning. If not, suspect the softener is sucking air during brining the night it regenerates. If you do have air, then you probably have a leak sucking air into the water, but you have to check the pressure tank air pressure is right first.