Tiny Bubble In My... Water? Smells of OIL?

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The Batusi

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Glad to find a forum that might help me diagnose my pretty recent issues...

Last November my pump had to be replaced. Instead of a shallow well (was told it was 100 - 150 feet) it was a 300ft well. Well let me back up for a second. No one knew where the well was. Had no above ground cap. With some creativity located it about 20 ft from the house under ground. The well casing was under 6 feet of ground and had some steel plate over a 4 X4 ft hole). Ok so had to get the locals to come and pull the pump. It was jammed in there pretty well. Pump replaced... In case this is going to matter the water line had to be spliced where it kinked during the removal process in a few sections.
Before this pump was put in the well water was perfect! I have 300 gallons of fish tanks around here and never had to change any ph / alkalinity or anything. Perfect mountain well water.
After the pump was put in place I could taste an oily substance and noticed air bubbles in the stream out of the faucet a few seconds of fine bubbles, no bubbles, bubbles, no bubbles. Figured it would clear its self up. Before the well cap got buried again we had rain and the water in the house turned brown due to the hole filling up with enough water to flow into the casing.
The petroleum smell and these bubbles never went away. But the taste and smell was not enough to stop us from drinking and using the water. Now with the snow cap melting off the water has become undrinkable. I think I have narrowed it down to being these little bubbles in the water causing this. There is no oil residue that one would expect to see if the well was contaminated that way. It literally smells and tastes like diesel fuel. Those little bubbles rush to the top of a glass of water like it is carbonated. We finally stopped using the water. I will say that over the past few months, looking back, I have had water that actually made my mouth kind of numb. This area was fracked a few years ago and there is a 10 acre holding pond about a mile from here, but asking others in the area their water appears ok.
Can anyone give me an idea of what these bubbles are and what I need to try and do? I am pretty confident in my bubble theory. If I grab a sample when those bubbles are not visible the water is not nearly as bad!

The old pump, for what its worth in troubleshooting, was replaced because she would over heat and turn off for periods of time (thermal shut off). With the new pump I am getting 40 PSI at the tank, before it was around 25 - 30.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Reach4

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1. It is best to have the casing extended about a foot above ground. The connection to the well would be via a pitless adapter, which keeps the water below the freeze line.

2. You should get your water tested. http://www.ntllabs.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NTL&Category_Code=Homeowner Well Check. You pay shipping. Figure about 5 weeks. If you have chemicals, you want to know. Whether it comes from up top or down low, you want to know. If you have oil/chemicals, I am not sure who you would contact. Maybe there is a county health department.

3. Develop your well by flowing the water onto the ground for maybe a couple days. Maybe put a hose on 2 hose spigots and run the water. This should bring in new water and get rid of stuff introduce during the well work.

4. I don't know how you would do it now, but your well should be sanitized. http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/index.php/maintainance/disinfection-and-testing is my favorite method.

I am not a pro.
 

The Batusi

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I really wanted to extend the well when I realized it was underground. But the house was built in the late 70's and figured the previous folks didn't have issues either would I. The pump that was replaced was original. Know the previous owners. And the fact it was 5 feet long!

The link you gave me to sanitize the well is great stuff. When I purchased my first house I guessed at this with a bottle of Clorox. Passed the water test the second go around, but didn't think it was a safe thing to do "shock the system". In the VERY near future I will use the guidelines and instructions to do it right this time around. Going to have to dig the head back up. Winter hasn't stopped being a problem yet....

A sample of my water was taken to the local water sampling business in town. I was not there. My sample was handed back, without tests, and told to call the DEP. I cant imagine that this warrants the DEP quite yet. Old pump perfect water new pump (and ground water getting into the well) bad water. If the farmer behind my house is dumping something besides cow matter on his corn and hay fields... no he wouldn't that's his livelihood!

I do want to know what has contaminated my well. Guess I am going to have to get a sample sent out.

Tomorrow I hook up the hose and start draining the well! Wasn't sure if this was some kind of bacteria or actually man made contamination.

Thanks for the quick reply... I'll keep updates as they happen!
 

Smooky

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It sounds a lot like iron bacteria. Have you tried shocking the well with chlorine yet? The bubbles might be another problem.
 

Craigpump

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Some of those old pump motors were filled with oil, it's very possible that the motor case was damaged when the pump was pulled and that oil is now in the well, in the drop pipe, tank, plumbing.....The bad news is that the oil could be carcinogenic.

What you REALLY need to do is stop using the water immediately and have it tested for total hydrocarbons and PCB's.

The LAST thing you want to do is run that water on the ground until you know EXACTLY what's in it.
 

Valveman

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Those old submersible motors had mineral oil in them. Not carcinogenic, but it will keep you regular. Now some of the older two wire motors had capacitors with PCBs, and if that is what got in the water it is not a good thing.
 

Craigpump

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I have a REDA motor from the 70's in my shop that was oil filled, that oil certainly doesn't feel or smell like mineral oil.
 

Craigpump

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Maybe....

A few years ago a competitor pulled an old pump that died and left oil in the well. The water was tested and found to be contaminated. Turned into quite the cluster $&#*, DEP, state & local health dept involved.... They ended up plugging the well and drilling another one.

But if I were him I wouldn't go near that water until after it was tested
 

Valveman

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I guess it is possible that someone rebuilt that motor and used something other than mineral oil. But I was trained by one of the oldest Reda personal who told me to never use anything other than mineral oil.

That mineral oil does get pretty nasty after it has been in the motor for several years. Kind of like cooking oil that has been used too many times.
 

Craigpump

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He said the bubbles had a petroleum smell.

Whether the oil is from the motor or from something else, he needs to have the water tested
 

LLigetfa

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There seems to be a lot of conjecture that the oil came from the motor, but from the OP's own account, it sounds like the well seal was the issue. The oil could very well come from surface contamination.
Before the well cap got buried again we had rain and the water in the house turned brown due to the hole filling up with enough water to flow into the casing.
 

Craigpump

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Or, it could have been floating on the surface of the water undisturbed for who knows how long.

Either way it needs to be tested
 

Paul5137

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Glad to find a forum that might help me diagnose my pretty recent issues...

Last November my pump had to be replaced. Instead of a shallow well (was told it was 100 - 150 feet) it was a 300ft well. Well let me back up for a second. No one knew where the well was. Had no above ground cap. With some creativity located it about 20 ft from the house under ground. The well casing was under 6 feet of ground and had some steel plate over a 4 X4 ft hole). Ok so had to get the locals to come and pull the pump. It was jammed in there pretty well. Pump replaced... In case this is going to matter the water line had to be spliced where it kinked during the removal process in a few sections.
Before this pump was put in the well water was perfect! I have 300 gallons of fish tanks around here and never had to change any ph / alkalinity or anything. Perfect mountain well water.
After the pump was put in place I could taste an oily substance and noticed air bubbles in the stream out of the faucet a few seconds of fine bubbles, no bubbles, bubbles, no bubbles. Figured it would clear its self up. Before the well cap got buried again we had rain and the water in the house turned brown due to the hole filling up with enough water to flow into the casing.
The petroleum smell and these bubbles never went away. But the taste and smell was not enough to stop us from drinking and using the water. Now with the snow cap melting off the water has become undrinkable. I think I have narrowed it down to being these little bubbles in the water causing this. There is no oil residue that one would expect to see if the well was contaminated that way. It literally smells and tastes like diesel fuel. Those little bubbles rush to the top of a glass of water like it is carbonated. We finally stopped using the water. I will say that over the past few months, looking back, I have had water that actually made my mouth kind of numb. This area was fracked a few years ago and there is a 10 acre holding pond about a mile from here, but asking others in the area their water appears ok.
Can anyone give me an idea of what these bubbles are and what I need to try and do? I am pretty confident in my bubble theory. If I grab a sample when those bubbles are not visible the water is not nearly as bad!

The old pump, for what its worth in troubleshooting, was replaced because she would over heat and turn off for periods of time (thermal shut off). With the new pump I am getting 40 PSI at the tank, before it was around 25 - 30.

Thanks in advance!
The Batusi, I know this post is old but I thought it was worth a shot. I am experiencing the exact same issues that you mention. Did you ever discover a cause? Thanks, Paul
 
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