I have a problems with my Water WELL

[Jack Valance]

I have a in ground Well. I have a 4" submersible pump Does this pump have a filter on it anywhere? . From the Well to the house first there is a stand up hydrant. The kind you pull up the lever what shoots out. Then it travels to a off on switch about 3' down in the ground. Then into my house which is 3,000 sq ft

Inside the house I have very little pressure water trickles out of the shower upstairs. Last week I had to replace a switch that got struck by lighting.. I replaced the switch that is down in the Well pipe. Water came back on fine with the same pressure. A week later it is doing this.. Sometimes the Pressure is OK. mainly at night my pressure is nothing.

I go to the hydrant and cut on and water comes out STRONG as it does?? What could this be Jack in Tennessee [e-mail]

[jloomis]

Hi Jack, I also have a submersible pump. In the pump house there is a "Pump Tech" controller. So, you should have a pump in a well, with wires going down to fire it up. Also, there should be a foot valve that keeps the water in the line when the pump is off. In the pump house you either have a breaker box for electricity and or the pump tech that stops the pump when the water gets low. Then many have a pressure tank with an air bladder that provide water pressure to the house and signals the pump to go on and off at a set pressure. I do not follow your set up with a hydrant and a switch and then to the house. It sounds like your house is running directly off of pump pressure?

I would investigate the pump first and maybe a broken foot valve? Sometimes a piece of plumbing can get lodged in the pipe and reduce pressure. The other thing I would check is the pressure tank. Sometimes these lose air pressure or get water logged. that will cause a disruption of water pressure. Another thing that can happen is "low water" in the well. This will cause a direct loss of water pressure and the pump will cavitate.

That is why I have the "Pump Tech" that turns the pump off with low water or the windings in the pump motor all of a sudden have no resistance.

A water storage tank is a good way to go that fills up with water so that in that you pump water from the tank to the house and not from the well to the house.

This way, the pump acts alone, and fills the tank on its own. Turns off if low water and turns on after water is up. You alsways have a reserve in the tank.

Inside the house I have very little pressure water trickles out of the shower upstairs. Last week I had to replace a switch that got struck by lighting.. I replaced the switch that is down in the Well pipe. Water came back on fine with the same pressure. A week later it is doing this.. Sometimes the Pressure is OK. mainly at night my pressure is nothing.

I go to the hydrant and cut on and water comes out STRONG as it does?? What could this be Jack in Tennessee [e-mail]

[Grasshopper]

--------------------------------------------- Probably not, but I can't see it from here.

--------------------------------------------- . From the Well to the house first there is a stand up hydrant. The kind you pull up the lever what shoots out.

---------------------------------------------- There is no accumulator and solenoid accumulator switch?

---------------------------------------------- Then it travels to a off on switch about 3' down in the ground. Then into my house which is 3,000 sq ft

----------------------------------------------- Are you trying to say a "gate valve"?

----------------------------------------------- Inside the house I have very little pressure water trickles out of the shower upstairs. Last week I had to replace a switch that got struck by lighting.. I replaced the switch that is down in the Well pipe. Water came back on fine with the same pressure. A week later it is doing this.. Sometimes the Pressure is OK. mainly at night my pressure is nothing.

-------------------------------------------- Do you have a timer activated flushing system?

-------------------------------------------- I go to the hydrant and cut on and water comes out STRONG as it does?? What could this be Jack in Tennessee [e-mail]

[Jack Valance]

[Grasshopper]

What you're describing is an accumulator. I'm used to bladder type accumulators above ground, usually inside the well house. These have a rubber bladder that expand as the pump fills it with water. The solenoid switch turns off the pump once a certain pressure is attained. The pressure gauge is usually mounted in vicinity of the solenoid switch, but may be on the accumlator end as well.

Between the solenoid switch and the accumulator, the line should tee off toward the house. This is the supply line that feeds your plumbing in the house and so forth. There should be a gate valve nearby the tee to cut the water supply off to the house. Hopefully, you have a separate breaker to disable power to the pump and solenoid switch.

[Jack Valance]

Turns out when pulling the pump 75' down the pipe to the pump the pipe was broke in half. I was lucky the pump did not break off while I was pulling it up. I went ahead and replaced all of the 100' 1inch pipe and now ALL IS WELL. I should have caught that the pump was running ALL THE TIME. Lesson learned

[PeterD]

Ouch, thanks for updating everyone.