New Shallow Well Pump; Now Water is Gray

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Julie127

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My husband just installed a new pump on our well & the water is coming out gray. I have seen a few posts that say this is normal, but how long should it last?
 
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PumpMd

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Run your pump continuously until the water is clear enough to shut the pump off (quickest way) or let it settled to the bottom your well over time, then you flush your pressure tank out a few times, to get the dirty water out. It all depends on how good your well driller was IMO. 30minutes - 2hrs+, if you run the pump continuously outside.
 

Julie127

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This is on an existing well that was running clear this morning. We had to change the pump because it was 40+ years old & not working properly.
 

Reach4

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Stuff got stirred up. It is normal to stir things up when you change a submersible pump.

Tell us about the old pump, and maybe post a picture of the label. This wont help you, but we would like to read about your 40 year pump.
 

Julie127

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Maybe I don't understand the terminology, but I don't believe this is a submersible pump. It is in our basement, not in the well. If this is normal, how long will it be like this? Can we use it for showers?

The old one is a Myers, but I was wrong about the age. It was manufactured in October 1976, just shy of 40 years. It was in the house when we bought it 25 years ago, but we assume it had to have been installed somewhere around the manufacturing date. It was a great pump with no issues until it started making noises last spring. The noises got progressively worse this summer until two weeks ago they stopped and then the pump wouldn't shut off and pressure decreased significantly.
 

Julie127

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Reach4

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If this is normal, how long will it be like this? Can we use it for showers?

I don't know about the jet pump and why it would have done this. I would still try running water into the yard.

I would think it would be OK for showers, but I don't know.

Thanks for posting the picture.
 

Texas Wellman

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The old pump was wore and not pumping much. The new pump is flowing more water and the extra velocity is scouring all the junk off the pipes. Just hope the junk doesn't clog the jet. It should clear in a day or two.
 

Julie127

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Thank you! Today is a lot better. Just a faint tint of grey.

Now the washer is filling sporadically. No issues with it before the pump change, other than it being slow to fill. Doing my first load since the change and now it will fill full blast for 5 seconds & then slow to barely a drip, then repeat until it is filled. Do you think this is related or just another joy of home ownership?

There are no pressure issues anywhere else in the house while using the water.
 

Reach4

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Too late for this episode, but I would add a whole house filter of some sort. If you have iron or sulfur problems, you could take care of that plus sediment in the same big backwashing filter. For the minor sediment problem, put in a cartridge filter. I like the 4.5 inch diameter Pentek Big Blue housings. They have 20 inch and 10 inch. Use a polypropylene filter element.

Did you run the hose on full to the yard/ditch overnight?
 

Julie127

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It was the screens - thank you!!! They were nasty!

We ran the water for about and hour & a half. The next morning it was a lot better & cleared up as it was used throughout the day.

Thanks for all the help!!!
 
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