Help Diagnosing Air in Water Lines

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malibuboats91

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Hey everyone I'm new here and need some help figuring out what's going on with my well system. I have a shallow point well at my cottage that consists of a 20' deep 2" pipe with a 16' 1" PVC pipe inside of it. Since I opened up my cottage about 5 weeks ago I have been experiencing air in the lines. When I would flush the toilet or run the sinks it would sound like fireworks were going off in the toilet and I would get sprayed by the water out of the faucet. I first thought it was just the hot water, but it ended up being both hot and cold. I bled air out of the hot water heater and still nothing.

I noticed that I would lose prime during the week when I wasn't up there, so I checked the cottage for leaks and found out that the toilet was leaking. I fixed that and was also advised to replace the check valve for some reason. Upon doing so I also put soap water on all my pipe fittings and nothing was leaking on the suction side. I don't lose prime, but the air is still present so I began messing around with the pressure switch and the pressure tank PSI. It was first set at 40/60 with the tank at 38 PSI, then I turned it down to 35/50 with the tank at 28 PSI. The change in pressure didn't help other than the fact that the air was less forceful. I noticed that when I turn on the water full blast in my pump house, after awhile the pressure gauge will drop below the 30 or 40 cut in (depending on what I have it set at) and the needle will rapidly shake and the pump will make a clicking noise so I thought maybe my well was going dry, but wasn't quite sure. I would the valve to let pressure build back up, then I'd turn the water back on and notice a burst of air when the pump kicked in.

Yesterday I decided to go talk to the hardware store and spoke with a guy who said I should start from the point and work my way back to the cottage. He told me to drop a string down the point and see how much water I have. I did that and came to the conclusion that I have 12' of water. The next thing he told me to do was pour water into the point and it should not fill up with water. I dumped about 15 gallons of water in there and it would fill up, but then the water level would decrease quickly. At first I thought that during high demand my well was going dry, but then I got those same buckets and turned the water on and noticed that I was getting air after running under 3 gallons of water out of the faucet. Sometimes I could even get the pump to lose prime with letting out 3ish gallons. Next, I moved onto looking at the pressure tank. I read that when I push the Schrader valve there shouldn't be any water coming out of the bladder and when I did it my hand got completely soaked. I thought then that the pressure tank bladder was shot.

Last night I went to the hardware store and upgraded my 6 gallon tank to a 20 gallon tank. My pump is a 3/4 HP that pumps 10 GPM @ 30 PSI so they said it should be fine. Does that sound right? Anyways, I hooked it up and flushed my system and released the air in my hot water heater. Everything seems fine except for the toilet still makes a 'fizzing' noise, but there are no bursts anymore.

Sorry for the long story, but I've just about had it with my plumbing fiasco and figured I should reach out to more knowledgeable people so I can get this solved. Does it sound like I went through the correct procedures to diagnose my issue? Does it sound like the pressure tank was my issue? What about the toilet? Thanks in advance!!
 
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Reach4

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Last night I went to the hardware store and upgraded my 6 gallon tank to a 20 gallon tank. My pump is a 3/4 HP that pumps 10 GPM @ 30 PSI so they said it should be fine. Does that sound right?
A larger tank, maybe 44 gallons would have been better, but your 20 gallon tank is a big improvement over the 6 even before it failed. Rule of thumb is that you would like the pump to run for a minute or more each time it starts. You are probably OK.

Does it sound like the pressure tank was my issue? What about the toilet? Thanks in advance!!
Pressure tank was an issue. Don't know if it is the only issue. Fizzing noise during fills only? Could be a normal sound. You could probably find a quieter fill valve if it bothers you.
 

malibuboats91

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A larger tank, maybe 44 gallons would have been better, but your 20 gallon tank is a big improvement over the 6 even before it failed. Rule of thumb is that you would like the pump to run for a minute or more each time it starts. You are probably OK.

Pressure tank was an issue. Don't know if it is the only issue. Fizzing noise during fills only? Could be a normal sound. You could probably find a quieter fill valve if it bothers you.
Thanks for the response! In the toilet I can see little bubbles that make the fizzing noise. In every other faucet the water is mostly clear for both hot and cold from what I've seen.
 

LLigetfa

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You may want to consider extending it all the way to the bottom. A larger tank is seen as a greater load on the well since it takes more water to fill it back up. That can draw down the level. Google for cone of depression.
 

malibuboats91

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You may want to consider extending it all the way to the bottom. A larger tank is seen as a greater load on the well since it takes more water to fill it back up. That can draw down the level. Google for cone of depression.

Okay I will definitely do that. I have the piping and fittings on hand anyways. It's bazzar though because the only place I notice air is in the toilet. The pump is in a pump house with a hose spigot coming out of it and I don't get any air out of that since I put the new tank in.
 

Valveman

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I’ll bet the line going to the toilet is teed off the top of your mainline. All other lines tee off after that fitting and/or go off to the side instead of out the top of the mainline. Air will go out the first tee that faces in the up direction.
 

malibuboats91

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I’ll bet the line going to the toilet is teed off the top of your mainline. All other lines tee off after that fitting and/or go off to the side instead of out the top of the mainline. Air will go out the first tee that faces in the up direction.

That sounds about right. The very first tee fitting would be the hot water heater then the second is the toilet. So I bet that the pump is putting air into the hot water heater then it's being pushed out to the toilet or somehow the hot water heater is introducing air to my system.
 

malibuboats91

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This past weekend I monitored my whole situation and figured out that the only time air bubbles are introduced to the toilet is when the pump is running. When the pump is not running the water is clear as can be.
 
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