my neighbours share my water pump, goes off every 5 minutes, is this bad for pump?

[Anonymous]

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[homeowners]

A short answer to your question is yes. The pump is a mechanical part and it wears off, so if you can make it come on less frequently, it will last longer. In some types of soils, however, it is recommended to maintain a certain minimum water flow to prevent fine sediment from blocking the well screen and so you would want the pump to come on regularly.  So, you wouldn't want to just pump a huge holding tank full of water and then turn the pump off for a long time.

Is the water discolored in any way or have visible particles in it, such as sand or perhaps even metal shavings? Are there any interruptions to  water supply in the house(s) or is it running as it's always been?

Without knowing the sizes of your homesteads it's hard to tell if every 5 minutes is too often or just right. You've used plural for "neighbors" and it can mean any number, so there's a chance that there actually is just this amount of demand. Also, since there are a number of homes involved, a chance that at least some of them would have a leaking toilet valve or some other water leak becomes greater. Also, the way it sounds implies that there's a substantial pipework involved to reach your neighbors and that also increases the chances of a leak in the water line somewhere, perhaps underground or another hard-to-see place.

The bladder in the pressure tank may have failed or lost pressure and  the tank is now waterlogged. There is an air valve ontop of the tank used for adding air. Press it, see if any water comes out. If it does, it's waterlogged. You would need a combination of draining some water and adding air to the bladder (or, indeed, replacing the bladder or the entire tank if the bladder is not replaceable). You could also get by if you simply pump some air into the tank but it will eventually all get dissolved in the water and you'll have to keep doing it every few months.

The backflow valve might have failed and the water may be draining right back into the well when the pump is off.

Anyhow, I would start by eliminating a possibility of a serious leak. It may require you to temporarily disconnect neighbors to be able to pinpoint who's system has the leak. If you find none, check the air bladder in the water pressure tank. If that's fine, then pull up the pump and check it thoroughly. Chances are, on one of these steps, the  problem will present itself.

Good luck!