So I was chlorinating a well at my rental property the other day in an attempt to halt what I think is IRB. (red, slimy material on a cartridge filter that only lasts about 10 days before needing to be replaced)
Afterwards, I intended to let the water run for 24-36 hours in order to clear out the well completely. To my surprise, I ran out of water and had air coming out of the lines after about 5 minutes of running. Was standing near the pump when I unplugged it, and I could hear air being sucked into the intake line where black plastic and barbed fittings were being used. Plus, I had a seal leaking on the Gould J5, and issues with pressure going over 45 psi (not sure if this is because of air leak or worn parts so I decided to rebuild it and get rid of some black plastic as well as 2 barbed fittings).
So now I have a rebuilt pump (new ceramic seal, new diffuser/impeller, diaphragm and front seal), and one threaded barb going into black plastic, which goes out the house for about 15', then another barbed elbow with black plastic (all 3/4") down into the well (I tightened all clamps on the barb fittings to ensure they were tight, and not leaking air). Well is reported as 42' deep, with a static level of 7' and a 4" casing.
So with all of that said, I can run the water for about 5 minutes, and the gauge on the pump/tank drops to zero, and I lose water flow. Shut off the water, and pressure slowly builds again. But it can take 20 minutes or more to go from near-zero to 45 psi. And it takes about 15 minutes to go from 45 to 50 psi.
I am thinking I have an air leak somewhere between the house and a few feet down into the well. If the black plastic is split, and the water level drops to said split, would this cause what I am seeing? Would it be advisable to replace the black plastic with 3/4" PVC?
With all the iron/rust I am seeing in the water, I am considering a reconditiong of the well, but hope to fix this supply issue before my renters get back in a week.
TIA!
Afterwards, I intended to let the water run for 24-36 hours in order to clear out the well completely. To my surprise, I ran out of water and had air coming out of the lines after about 5 minutes of running. Was standing near the pump when I unplugged it, and I could hear air being sucked into the intake line where black plastic and barbed fittings were being used. Plus, I had a seal leaking on the Gould J5, and issues with pressure going over 45 psi (not sure if this is because of air leak or worn parts so I decided to rebuild it and get rid of some black plastic as well as 2 barbed fittings).
So now I have a rebuilt pump (new ceramic seal, new diffuser/impeller, diaphragm and front seal), and one threaded barb going into black plastic, which goes out the house for about 15', then another barbed elbow with black plastic (all 3/4") down into the well (I tightened all clamps on the barb fittings to ensure they were tight, and not leaking air). Well is reported as 42' deep, with a static level of 7' and a 4" casing.
So with all of that said, I can run the water for about 5 minutes, and the gauge on the pump/tank drops to zero, and I lose water flow. Shut off the water, and pressure slowly builds again. But it can take 20 minutes or more to go from near-zero to 45 psi. And it takes about 15 minutes to go from 45 to 50 psi.
I am thinking I have an air leak somewhere between the house and a few feet down into the well. If the black plastic is split, and the water level drops to said split, would this cause what I am seeing? Would it be advisable to replace the black plastic with 3/4" PVC?
With all the iron/rust I am seeing in the water, I am considering a reconditiong of the well, but hope to fix this supply issue before my renters get back in a week.
TIA!
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