need advice on using water well

[rbig]

We just moved into a new place that runs the whole house off a well. I don't know much about wells.

Our house runs a dishwasher, and we have back-to-back showers. It all runs fine.

The guy who put our well in told me two things:

a. If we're ever using water, and it surges.....shut it off and call the well guy

b. On our accumulator (ours is about 100gal)----he said tap on the tank from top to bottom. It should sound empty mostways. If it sounds full, we're "waterlogged". Shut the well down and call the well guy.

Tell me a bit about what causes these two problems. I'll sure do what he suggests.

To what extent can things be saved if you do this early?

[LLigetfa]

A: Surging may be caused by running out of water by overdrawing the well or too much air in the tank from a failed air volume control.

B: A waterlogged tank is either a failed air volume control, snifter/bleeder, or bladder depending on what system you have.

The quicker you respond to the symptoms, the longer the pump may last. Reducing pump cycling is the best way to increase longevity.

[rbig]

Thanks. You've told me what I need to know: reducing pump cycling is the key to longevity of the submersible pump. And, good description of what's happening to us when either thing occurs.

[valveman]

Pumping the well dry or a waterlogged tank can both cause surging. But by the time you see the surging, if you see the surging, it maybe too late for your pump. A Cycle Sensor looks for a dry well or rapid cycling and shuts the pump off immediately. The Cycle Sensor also works well with a Cycle Stop Valve, which keeps the pump from cycling, and allows you to use less water so you won't pump the well dry. Or you can just try to remember to slap the tank occasionally and keep your fingers crossed, if the cost to replace the pump and being out of water doesn't bother you.

[rbig]

You mention a "Cycle Sensor" and "Cycle Stop Valve". What kind of money doe these normally cost? I'll have one put in immediately

[valveman]

They would have cost less than the 100 gallon tank that you don’t need. Now at any cost, they will be an additional expense for you. Even so, it is not how much they cost, as how much they save. If they make your pump and tank last three times longer than normal, how much are they worth? Not to mention saving the aggravation of being out of water for a day or two while they replace the pump a second and third time unnecessarily.

The CSV can be as little as $90. And could have been used with a 4.4 gallon size tank instead of a 100 gallon tank. The Cycle Sensor is about $230. The savings in tank size could have paid for both of them. The system would have worked better and you wouldn’t be guessing about surging and slapping the tank.