Another question on running well pumps

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Ricktus

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Hello and thanks for looking at this. I have a submersible well pump that is going off every 4' 27" like clock work. I read a lot of the posts on this site about check valves and my question is. When I turn off the main handle for water going from the holding tank and in to the house. The pump stops running every 4 1/2 minutes. So I am thinking it is a problem in the house. I have turned off every connection to all of the plumbing in the house, one by one, and at the end of the day. The pump still runs and that is with all of the valves in the off position, including the hot water heater. The gauge shows that the pressure drops to 38 and goes back up to 48. Very short running time but it is every 4 1/2 minutes and I worry about the pump burning out. This has been going on for about 4 days.
Can the leak be an air pressure leak but not water? and can the leak still be in the check valve but because I shut the water to the house it some how stops the leak back into the well? Hope I explained this okay. Any help would be appreciated.
 

Reach4

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It could be a leaky pipe between the valve and the house, if the valve is not in the house. Otherwise, the mystery would be how you are flowing maybe 2 GPM somewhere, but you don't notice any water in the crawl space or basement or whatever.

Maybe your water softener is stuck in mid-cycle, and it is putting water to its drain. Also check your backwashing filter if you have one. Did you check for a running garden hose?
 

Wondering

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If everything is turned off going everywhere else, wouldn't that only leave a leaking check valve(or small crack/hole) at the pump and the water is running out of the tank back into the well? Maybe adjust your switch also from 38-48 to 38-58-60 and that would give you more run time for the pump..
 

Ricktus

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Thanks for the info. I do not have any leaking water that I can find and all valves including outside valves have been shut off. An the darn thing keeps running every 4' 27" . I am going to get some help in here by calling in a well and pump guy. Last thing I need is a pump problem during the holidays. Yikes...what a mess that would be. Thanks again for the help. I will post the info that they find. Even if it is embarrassing.........lol...
 

Reach4

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Just to be very clear, the valve you closed that stopped the cycling is between the pressure switch and the house plumbing.
 

Cacher_Chick

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The most common water leak in the house is the toilet flapper. Make sure you have closed the supply to any toilets when doing your testing.
 

Lakeland

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If I read this right you are saying that your pump is short cycling. If that is the case, very often it is caused by a loss of pressure in your well tank. If the tank bladder is leaking and the tank is becoming water logged internally, then likely the tank needs to be replaced.
 

Ricktus

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Finally found the leak over the weekend. In the back of the crawl space for one of the additions the 1/2 inch pipe for the outdoor spigot had a pin hole. Enough to leak a mist of water. I do have a shut off valve at the beginning of the crawl space to turn off the water to that spigot. Apparently that does not work because I did have that shut off but it was still leaking. I put a hose clamp on the pipe as a temporary fix. Thanks for all who posted and I hope I do not have to go through this again. Know more about my pipe layout than I though possible.............
 
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