Adding check valve for temp fix for stuck foot valve?

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brasseng

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The foot valve may be starting to stick open in my mother's well system. It is a 2-line jet pump deep well system. I started looking online to see if anyone had ever added a check valve near the pump as at least a temporary fix, but I could only find check valves discussed for shallow well systems. However, today I was talking to a friend and he said he actually did it for the same problem and it worked. He's very handy and had built his own home. In my mom's case the well is located somewhere underneath a 4 ft high deck, and since it's winter it's even more inconvenient/difficult to dig things up. Anyone done it successfully? I did see that on the shallow well systems they say to keep the check valve at least 2 ft from the pump, and we don't have that much room. How much of a deal breaker would that be? Thanks for your help.
 

Valveman

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Since it is winter and you can’t get to the well, you can try a check valve above ground. But if you have even the tiniest leak in the suction pipe, you will lose prime, which could burn up the pump.
 

brasseng

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Thanks for the replies. The same day there was a leak from boiler fill valve, and it was replaced by the neighbor/friend who does plumbing/heating, but mom did not realize that a LOT of water got underneath the carpet in the adjacent room, so it was probably happening more than just that morning. The foot valve has operated properly since, although mom is turning off the pump at night as a safety measure. We're hoping that actually the boiler fill valve was the entire problem making the pump run all the time, and not the foot valve as originally thought. But if indeed the foot valve is still on the way out (he thought he heard water rushing back into the well after the pump turned off), and I agree that the smallest leak in a check valve would again allow the problem, I speculate that maybe a solenoid valve would be better than a check valve. Please let me know if anyone has any thoughts on that option. Thanks!
 

Craigpump

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Turning the pump off is a bad idea if you indeed have a leaky footvalve. If those lines drain out the system will lose pressure and the pump will lose prime.
 

brasseng

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Thanks craigpump for your comment. That's something new to think about. We had just been told that if the foot valve was stuck open the pump would probably burn out if it continued to run, which I assume would be from lack of water. From your comment it sounds like the pump would "doorbell", since it would shut off normally, and then pressure in the tank would quickly fall due to the stuck foot valve, and the pump would restart? As long as the pump continued to "doorbell", prime may not be lost?

PS the plumbers mom called to confirm the problem shook their heads at the situation and said they would not be willing to dig up the well until spring. From what she said they were not there long enough to either confirm the diagnosis or suggest ways to confirm it.
 

Craigpump

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Well, it's pretty easy to tell if its the footvalve. Bring the system up to pressure, shut the valve at the tank on the pipe that feeds the house and then watch the pressure. If the pressure holds, you don't have a leak. If it falls, then you have a problem someplace.
 

brasseng

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It is holding pressure. I guess it's a question of if the foot valve could be sticking intermittently. Thanks.
 

LLigetfa

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Some folk think more is better. Read the sticky on multiple checkvalves. A checkvalve holds better if it has constant pressure against it. When you have them in series, only the one at the end of the line has constant pressure.
 

Craigpump

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It is entirely possible that the spring on the footvalve is getting weak and the dart doesn't always have a tight seal on the seat.

Must be nice to be able to pick and choose jobs based on surface weather conditions.
 

DonL

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Must be nice to be able to pick and choose jobs based on surface weather conditions.


LOL.

Part of the new American way.

We would hate to see any workers rights violated.
 
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brasseng

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I visited which clarified a few things. Sound of water rushing happened twice, and the second time the second plumber also witnessed it, which most likely confirms that indeed the foot valve stuck open (twice). Talked to another neighbor who had similar foot valve problems in the past. His problem started intermittently, initially just once or twice a year (usually in the fall), and then the frequency increased and he replaced it. So hopefully this foot valve problem will be similarly infrequent and we will just plan to replace it in the spring. It's also possible that the foot valve stuck open after drawing water for a longer period of time than normal, which may have occurred due to the leak at the boiler fill valve.
 
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