Water Well problems

[Rocko]

I have a drilled water well with a jet pump , July 2 i woke up to no water, i checked the pump, it was running, checked the pump discharge, it had water there but no out put. I installed a new jet pump, We had water for about 1/2 hour, then nothing, checked pipes going down the well, they were full as was the pump, it turned but no output. I returned the pump to Lowes and got another jet pump , ejector and foot valve. Filled all pipes and pump again. Still no output. July 4th i pulled every thing out of the hole, Foot valve was setting at 175 ft. Water was 42 ft. from the top of the well. I again returned the pump. I bought a 1 hp submersible pump , new pipe and pressure switch. The pump was set at 200 ft. We had water instantly, but it was real red looking, After a few days, i pulled the pipe up and cut 23 ft. off and lowered it back down. a day or so later the water cleared up. July 13 I watered the garden in the evening, forgetting to shut it off till 4 AM. Yesterday July 14 while taking a shower, the water started pulsating, hot cold hot cold and turned a reddish tint again. Please any one have any ideas or info for me as to what is going on with this well ? I have checked the pressure tank pressure it is set to 38 psi, the pump kicks on at 40 psi.

[Rocko]

I have a drilled water well with a jet pump , July 2 i woke up to no water, i checked the pump, it was running, checked the pump discharge, it had water there but no out put. I installed a new jet pump, We had water for about 1/2 hour, then nothing, checked pipes going down the well, they were full as was the pump, it turned but no output. I returned the pump to Lowes and got another jet pump , ejector and foot valve. Filled all pipes and pump again. Still no output. July 4th i pulled every thing out of the hole, Foot valve was setting at 175 ft. Water was 42 ft. from the top of the well. I again returned the pump. I bought a 1 hp submersible pump , new pipe and pressure switch. The pump was set at 200 ft. We had water instantly, but it was real red looking, After a few days, i pulled the pipe up and cut 23 ft. off and lowered it back down. a day or so later the water cleared up. July 13 I watered the garden in the evening, forgetting to shut it off till 4 AM. Yesterday July 14 while taking a shower, the water started pulsating, hot cold hot cold and turned a reddish tint again. Please any one have any ideas or info for me as to what is going on with this well ? I have checked the pressure tank pressure it is set to 38 psi, the pump kicks on at 40 psi.

[Rocko]

I have a drilled water well with a jet pump , July 2 i woke up to no water, i checked the pump, it was running, checked the pump discharge, it had water there but no out put. I installed a new jet pump, We had water for about 1/2 hour, then nothing, checked pipes going down the well, they were full as was the pump, it turned but no output. I returned the pump to Lowes and got another jet pump , ejector and foot valve. Filled all pipes and pump again. Still no output. July 4th i pulled every thing out of the hole, Foot valve was setting at 175 ft. Water was 42 ft. from the top of the well. I again returned the pump. I bought a 1 hp submersible pump , new pipe and pressure switch. The pump was set at 200 ft. We had water instantly, but it was real red looking, After a few days, i pulled the pipe up and cut 23 ft. off and lowered it back down. a day or so later the water cleared up. July 13 I watered the garden in the evening, forgetting to shut it off till 4 AM. Yesterday July 14 while taking a shower, the water started pulsating, hot cold hot cold and turned a reddish tint again. Please any one have any ideas or info for me as to what is going on with this well ? I have checked the pressure tank pressure it is set to 38 psi, the pump kicks on at 40 psi.

[Bob Wheatley]

You're not going to like this.... but it sounds like you may have to re-drill. If the well is collapsed or the screen stopped up or damaged you will have the conditions you described. With water at 42 feet and the well at over 200 feet that's a reasonable water table (although it seems a bit low) but if the water is having a hard time getting through the screen at the base of the well then the pump simply pushes out that 150' +/- column of water and then there's nothing to pump until it manages to refill. Which could take minutes, or hours, or days. By lowering it you may have found a point low enough that the well could maintain but ending up with water that is coming through a collapse or a damaged screen and not have enough time to settle before being pumped up. Hence the discoloration. I'd get a well man out and get a trained set of eyes on it. It could be something else but to a plumber who has dealt with wells and septic systems for 30 years, it doesn't good.

Good luck.

Bob Wheatley

[Ned Flanders]

has this well always worked before july 2 ?

call a well driller he will prob be cheaper than a plumber but he will know how to check your well pump.