Water from Well Pump Bleeder Line

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BioProf

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I have a strange issue with a well pump in a cabin we just moved into. The well is an old one and as far as I can tell, the pump was replaced some time ago with a 120v Sears model that may or may not be a jet pump. There is a small copper line running out of the cap on the well shaft. Much like the copper line that runs water to an ice maker. There is no valve on the tubing. It just runs out a hole in the cap. When the pump is running, the line is pulling air in. You can hear it making sort of a sucking sound. In the winter, we turn the pump off because the cabin is not heated and the water lines will freeze in our Minnesota winter. During this time, with the pump off and the water lines in the cabin drained, water drips from this copper tubing. We catch the water to use when we come up to the cabin. We can fill a 5 gallon bucket several times a day. I can't for the life of me figure out where this wate is coming from. How does anytyhing in the well generate enough pressure to force water to drip from this line when everything is turned off and drained?? Anybody have more of a clue than I do? Thanks!!!!

Daryl
 

Raucina

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Nice mystery. My guess - sounds like an artesian well - some pressure in the water table. If you have a good sealing cap on the well, put a valve and low range pressure gauge on the tube to see whats there. When pumping the tube acts as a vent. you should screen or filter that make up air .

If the wellseal is tight, and you dont want the water, put a checkvalve on it to retain the make up air when pumping.

Nice well - pumps itself when the power goes out.

You probably have a pitless adapter [?] It would have to be in good shape to get a pressure reading on the gauge. If you "cap" the well with a checkvalve you might move the "leak" to the pitless adapter where it passes through the casing.
 

BioProf

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Sounds good to me

That's all I could think of as well. (No pun intended) I see if that is what happening this winter. Just can't believe all the cap stuff, electrical, and other stuff that goes down the pipe can seal that well.

Thanks for the help.

Daryl
 
V

vaplumber

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BioProf said:
The well is an old one and as far as I can tell, the pump was replaced some time ago with a 120v Sears model that may or may not be a jet pump. There is a small copper line running out of the cap on the well shaft. Much like the copper line that runs water to an ice maker. There is no valve on the tubing. It just runs out a hole in the cap. When the pump is running, the line is pulling air in. You can hear it making sort of a sucking sound. Anybody have more of a clue than I do? Thanks!!!!

Daryl

Hello Daryl
And hi guys. Sorry I havent been on in while. Ive had some health problems. Daryl, this sounds like an old well installed sometime in the 60's or early 70's. Here is how this works. If you have or have ever had a galvanized tank (not a bladder tank) this copper line allows the water in the line between the pump and the well to drain off. You will also have a check valve near the pump. This set up is the only kind of system that should have a check valve out side of the well. When your pump stops, the water in the line between the pump and the well drains off. You have a foot valve at the bottom of the well that keep your drop pipe from draining and pump from losing prime. When your pump starts, the empty pipe gives your old style tank a shot of air. If the tank has been replace with a bladder or other captive air type tank, you can block this line and remove the check valve at the pump. If you still have a galvanized tank, then you need this small line. I do agree with filtering the line, or extending the line a few feet into the well because what ever is in the air when the pump starts is going to go into your water.
 

Raucina

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Believe it or not many still use the plain tanks [still made and sold] which are now usually glasslined and not galvanized. You are describing the draindown valve - check valve- snifter valve setup that gives the tank a shot of air with a submersible. But I think he has a jet pump and gets the water when the pump is off for very long times. At most one would get a gallon or two out of a drain down sys.... Unless the useage point and the schrader valve is high above the well and or the run is very long, you would hardly get anything out of the pipe.

Typically the drain down valve is in the well several feet down and puts the water back in the well {gravity flow}. I never heard of one piped out of the well, especially if in a freezing zone. I put them ouside of the well, for easy maintenance but here we get little freezing issues. Finally the draindown valves are typically rubber and have no means for extending their output - no threads on the outlet.
 
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