What's the matter with my well?

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Linctex
I've never in my life heard of a well head being buried until now....???

Is this an "actual" well with a casing and screen on the bottom, or is it just a driven sandpoint?


They use to maybe around 1960s. The water pipe going to the pump was galvanized. They pulled the pump up 20' section at a time.

Now above ground with a sanitary seal well cap.

 

[SHOZ]

Just had the my neighbor who built the house over and he wasn't sure. Said he though it was in the general area where I though it was. And he figures it 4' down due to it having to be below the frost line.

He said the well is 98' deep but the well point is maybe 15-20'.

 

[ironman_gq]

Time to go deeper. Sounds like your running out of capacity, either have to go to a two pipe or a submersible.

 

[SHOZ]

I'm pretty confident that it is the foot valve clogged up. There is plenty of water here.

 

[Wheel]

If the foot valve was bad, you'd probably lose prime on the pump, and whatever was in the storage tank, unless there's another somewhere between.

I have a feeling you've got a low water level issue in the well, or possibly a leak in the pipe just below the normal water level. This could cause a little drop in water level in the well to make the line draw air, and still not lose prime on the pump.

 

[SHOZ]

I think the screen on it is clogged. The rain has been way above normal the last three years and this problem has been getting worse for the last few years. Field tiles in the area are still running water.

 

[PimTac]

I agree now that the tank is ruled out. Get that pump lowered.

 

[2oldtommy]

Solution
Find wellhead
Replace all galvanized with plastic
Replace with new submersible pump(Carefully selected)
Install pitless adapter on existing casing

Install pump as instructed above; 3 ft. off the bottom sediment
Charge diaphragm tank as you have suggested.
Good to go for another 30 years

FWIW---Oldtommy


Living with great well water for 58 years.

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
I agree now that the tank is ruled out. Get that pump lowered.
I have to find it first.

 

[PimTac]

Yea I read that part. The well I had some years back was buried too but not far, maybe 6" down. The well pipe did stick up a bit. If you know where the water line is heading you might be able to trace it back or find a dowser in your area that can help.

 

[SHOZ]

I talked to a local well contractor and they said it sounded like the screen was plugged on the intake down in the well. I need to find it and open it up to either put a new foot valve in on the end of the plastic pipe (if it has one) or the screen may be at the bottom. Usually they dump some acid down the well and then let it sit a couple hours.

Hydrochloric for the cheap or they make a special acid in pellet form.

Nu-Well 100 Pelleticed Acid

 

[SHOZ]

So I had to replace my well tank as the bladder was leaking. And I have a new pump to put in, not that I need to but It's been sitting around since 2008 in the box. The pump there now was put in in 2006. But today I took the plastic pipe off the well pump intake and blew the water out of it. The poured in a gallon of HCL. I'll let that sit till tomorrow and them put the new pump in and see if that lets me pump without running the pressure down.

 

[SHOZ]

I poured a gallon of HCL into the well and let it sit over night. No improvement in the water supply. Had a backhoe out and we dug up where I thought the water line was down to 8' and didn't hit anything but ground water.

Going to try and get a tracer that I can run down the plastic pipe and see if we can find it that way.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Honestly, call a professional. There's no way you have a jet pump in a crawl space and a 150' deep well.

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Honestly, call a professional. There's no way you have a jet pump in a crawl space and a 150' deep well.
The well casing is 98' I found out. But the well pickup is probably only 15'. Please the jet pump has worked well here for 60 years.

If I were to call a professional they would want to put in a new well.

 

[oilpsi2high]

You might need a new well.

Try moving the pickup down further and changing to a submersible pump. This might or might not work.

Honestly I am not sure why anyone would dig a 98' well and put the pickup at 15'.

 

[SHOZ]

Nothing wrong with the pump, in fact I put an identical new one in. It's pretty common to drill 100' wells and then put the pickup at a much lesser level here.

It could be the screen on the end of the well casing, whatever it is if there is anything there, may be clogged. I don't know what's there other than what I've been told.

I bet this is what I have on the end of my pickup pipe, that and a check valve.

 

[oilpsi2high]

It is pretty clear that you're drawing the well down below the pickup. Unless there's some kind of miracle cure out there, you either need to move the pickup down or drill another well.

 

[SHOZ]

The water table is about 8' even with a month long dry spell. The well casing is slow to fill.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Then your recovery rate isn't sufficient for your demands.