Who Knows About Wells??

Okay, so a few weeks back I woke up one morning and found I had no water (obviously by the subject line, we know I'm on a well). I finally got in touch with a plumber I know. We first looked at pressure switch, pressure gauge and tank. He manually opened and closed the switch and said it seemed ok. Checked voltage and was getting 220. Then we went to the well. As he was trying to remove the top, my wife came out and said the water was back on....He went ahead and replaced the pressure gauge (it was stuck on 45psi) and the nipple underneath the switch (it was pretty clogged up).

So now, a few days ago, my wife was running bath water and the water just acted like it cut off...a few seconds later it cut back on.....then back off....etc. She checked the sink water and it was running fine. The next morning I went to take a shower (other bathroom on opposite side of the house) and it started doing it to me. Still doing it this morning....but now, the water will only run about 5 seconds and be off about 20 seconds.

Any suggestions??? All help is greatly appreciated!! I don't have the funds right now to just call in a professional!

 

Sounds like you'll need a new pump. Going on and off sounds like it has a auto reset switch. How old is pump?

 

Well could be running dry, submersible pump in the well could be going out.

 

Pretty sure it's all been original since day one. I'd say 15 years.

I find that hard to believe with the rain we just got and the creek that's right next to my well.

 

You have to check and make sure you have power at the well. The electric wires could be partially broken between the pressure switch and the well casing. Then you have to pull the pump from the well and check the power at the pump and see it if is on constantly there also or turning on and off like the water in the house.

 

I think it may either be the switch going bad (getting stuck open or closed) or possibly the bladder in the tank being dry rotted or has a leak in it and it's not holding pressure. The plumber acted like the switch could have been messing up the first time when he was looking at it.

Of course, maybe I'm just trying to be optimistic and looking for easiest/cheapest fixes.

 

I have a well too, and the biggest failure point is the pressure switch, check that, turn off power and clean the four contacts, use either contact cleaner or a small emory board (fine sand paper on a screwdriver tips works) and check for ants around the well, last two no water days have been an ant cooked across the contact.

 

Sometimes you can "feel" if the pump is running my touching the water line that comes into the house from the pump. If the pump is running and the water still turns off then you have other problems.
Also since you have a new pressure gauge watch it and the pressure switch and see if the pump is cycling on and off a lot. If the pressure goes up above your turn off pressure then then back down to below the turn on rapidly it could mean the bladder tank. If it is doing this it is not good for the pump so I would get it looked at or change the bladder tank soon.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to check both of these this evening after work or first thing in the morning!

 

Just wanted to follow up....

So Friday evening I drained my pressure tank and I had 28psi in the tank. Also, no water coming out of shrader valve on top of the tank.

The next morning I replaced the pressure switch...still had an issue. At this point I really felt like it had to be a problem out at the well....So I went out there and took the lid off and this is what I found. WOW! After I had this repaired, my water was back to normal!




Thanks for the assistance!

 

Brings back memories when i had to pull the pump out of our well. I hated that. Dont know if you have ever had to do it, but the first time it was just hanging by the pipe and electrical wires. I had to pull it out by the pipe. Slippery, muddy. It was a mess. Tied a nylon rope to it after that. much easier. Figured out if i hooked it to the 4 wheeler and just kept tension on it, it came out much easier too.

information for the future if you ever need it. If it even makes sense. Now that i read it, it dont make sense.

 

WELLs - deep subject

 

Thank goodness I didn't have to find out just how DEEP!

 

Glad you found the problem. It's no fun not having water.

 

too deep for your shallow mind.

 

I had a problem with one in my last house. Kept plugging the house with sand.