Foot valve symptoms

Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone might give me advice about a possible foot valve failure and what the symptoms might be.

It's been 2 years now since this trouble began.
It all started with my well pump short cycling one night. It just pressurized the system and when satisfied, the pump would shut right down, only to turn on again to re-pressurize the system.
But then air was being introduced into my system as well and when the faucets or shower were turned on, I got a ton of air coming out like someone had installed an air compressor in the system. Curious, I removed the concrete cover from the well but found no source of the the air infiltration. The well was full of water to a point where the pump was not visible, and the riser pipe was not leaking.

So where is this air coming from? Is it coming from a break in the line somewhere under ground? Or is the foot valve not closing, allowing a vacuum condition to occur causing air to be sucked out of the water?

In an effort to save the pump from certain doom, I installed a Check Valve under the house before the expansion tank and pressure switch. That stopped the short cycling problem but I still have all this air in the lines.

Will a bad Foot Valve cause all this air introduction?


I will say that I love all the effervescent water, but not all the time. After 2 years of this, it's time for a permanent repair.

Pull the pipe and replace the foot valve and pipe. Maybe you have an air adding device on that drop pipe from a previous plain steel tank. Or maybe you have a plain steel tank - no bladder or tire valve on top- and the air RELEASE valve is defective.

Plain tank; leave the air add valves and replace or add the air release valve on the side of the tank. Bladder tank; remove an air maker devices on the drop pipe.

Bad foot valve can cause air introduction, but only if there is an inlet point - leak in the drop line or a plain tanks air add valve.