slowly losing water pressure

[donmcc]

I have a shallow well system with pump and tank inside the house. The system has, for some time, been finding air somewhere along the way. More troublesome is that the system is now losing pressure slowly, most noticeable overnight. The drop rate is about 1 psi per hour, or about .3 gallons.

The captive air tank bladder is ok and maintains its pressure. Toilets and faucets do not leak. I replaced the foot valve in the well and saw no change.

The polyethylene pipe that descends into the well retains some of its original curl and has the foot valve cocked about 20 degrees off vertical. Is it possible that angle prevents the valve from sealing completely?

On other posts, I see a strong conviction that, in order to prevent air leaks, poly pipe must be softened before inserting barbed fittings. Will that still be effective if you are inserting the fittings after they have previously been put together without softening?

Any advice or insight will be greatly appreciated.

[speedbump]

Sounds like you have ruled out everything but the barb fittings. A new footvalve. The tank is good, inside plumbing is all sound. Must be the joints. I would heat them first then clamp them.

You must have a dug well for the footvalve to be cocked that far over, but I don't think it matters. Check valves (which are just like footvalves) are installed horizontal all the time.

bob...

[donmcc]

speedbump,

Thanks for the reply. Let me ask you about another possibility -- in the line from the well to the house, there is a transition from 3/4 to 1" pipe. I don't know where it is. It seems like a leak possibility, but I hate to look for it without some idea of where it might be.

In your experience, do you find that supply lines from well to house are usually laid under the house slab, or that changes in pipe size are usually close to the well or house?

In your reply about barbed fittings, I wasn't sure if you were saying I might reheat the pipe without removing the fitting again. That would surely be easier.

And yes, it is a dug well, with 3 foot diameter casing.

[speedbump]

Supply lines are usually laid in the easiest way possible. That is to say, it could be anywhere. Why they would change sizing underground is another story. I wouldn't do that, but someone else might. I'm just not sure why.

One thing for sure. Anything that is underground is always a mystery to everyone except the one that put it there. And left to memory, that info goes away rather quickly too.

bob...

[Gary Slusser]

Heating the pipe too much and/or clamping while the pipe is hot and over tightening the clamps are the primary causes of leaks on barbed fitting joints and PE pipe. All underground fittings should be double opposed clamped and I'd do the same for all suction lines on a jet pump wherever the joint is.

Heating PE pipe with water in it doesn't do much except ruin/damage the pipe because the water sucks the heat into the water and you have to heat the pipe way too hot, in spots. Any heat caused bulging, bubbles or burning on the pipe ruins it and that part should be cut out and replaced.

Maybe the reduced size is because they didn't have enough of the larger ID pipe.

[donmcc]

Gary,

Thanks for the answer and advice.

Does it seem reasonable to replace the pipe in the well and a couple of feet outside the well with PVC? I don't mind the work and it would eliminate two barbed fittings from the line. I keep thinking that the elbow just inside the casing is the source of my problem.

After working on that connection, my system held pressure overnight for one night. Now, it's back to losing a pound per hour. Even though clamped, that joint can be easily rotated by moving the down pipe, so I'm wondering if cycling of the pump is enough to work that joint to the point of leaking? What do you think?

Thanks again.