HELP PLEASE.. New submersible well pump clogging lines with shell fragments

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Karen5510

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Hello. I am looking for some honest input regarding a new well replacement we had done. We went from an above well pump to a submersible. We live in Florida. It was recommended by the well drilling company that I go ahead and replace the tank as well but with a larger one. Our original issue was our old pump (98 model) was not producing much water or pressure. We decided lets go ahead and get the submersible and new tank. We went with an amtrol wx-251 62 gal. tank vs the smaller home depot blue tanks and I am not sure on the brand/size of the pump. Fast forward a month and change later and we are continuously having clogged lines to our shower head, faucets, washing machine hose and toilet to the point we have started replacing the hoses, etc. I am very irritated as we paid close to $1,600 for the pump and another $700 for the tank install. My Dad says it does not appear that all of the piping in the ground was replaced (the company left 2 rusted out pipes in our yard by the fence) nor a new check valve/screen to filter out the sediment. I have read going with too large a tank, etc can create issues and I am now worried that our plumbing inside the home.. water heater, etc. are all now adversely affected. I am getting the run around from the well company we used.
 

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Reach4

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I am not a pro. The 62 gallon tank is not causing the problem.

I am not sure what the cause of this new material is. I could see a pump pumping at a higher rate could pick up solids that were not picked up before. I don't know if cleaning the accumulated stuff at the bottom of the well would be effective.

I would install a whole house sediment filter after the tank and pressure tank to collect any material before it get to the house. That may get you through this alone, or there may be something else. I tend to like the 20x4.5 Pentek Big Blue housings, but a smaller unit may be OK.
 

Cacher_Chick

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As long as there was an ample supply of water, the pump should have been ran wide open straight out of the well head for several hours after it was installed to flush out the well. It is also true that anytime the system has been shut down and then started back up, sediment in the piping system often becomes dislodged and will need to be flushed out.
 

Karen5510

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My tenant was not home at the time and the well tech stated no one needed to be there. That would mean the only line he would have ran was the spigot outside by the pump. I know my tenant ran the sinks and showers for about an hour that evening when they arrived home. The problem did not start immediately, this is something in the last 30 days that has slowly gotten worse. If he did not replace all of the old piping to the well and a filter, I would see that being a potential issues of leaving old worn corroded material. Would that not be standard procedure when replacing the system?
 

Texas Wellman

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Is that a steel casing? Not the way I would have rigged the system up, especially the way the pipe comes out of the top of the well. I'm not sure what's holding it up,normally that 90 would sit right on top of the well seal (I use a tee with a relief valve on top). It appears that they have replaced all the piping and equipment at the well (drop pipe, tank, pvc pipe).

I guess I disagree with cacher in that I rarely run a system for 3-4 hours after a pump install, only if there is some kind of problem. If it needs ran like that it's better to jet the well with an air compressor and flush the entire system out. I'm concerned that the fragments you are seeing are pieces of the old steel casing ( if it's steel) coming apart. A sub puts out so much more water than a jet that it may be sucking things up that a jet normally would not.
 

Craigpump

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We never run wells for that amount of time after changing pumps.
1) no one would pay the labor
2) a lot of times the wells would run dry

If there is a sediment issue, we tell the customer to run the water through the hose bib on the tank for 10 minutes on, an hour off until clear.
 

Karen5510

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I have an update to my issue.
Is that a steel casing? Not the way I would have rigged the system up, especially the way the pipe comes out of the top of the well. I'm not sure what's holding it up,normally that 90 would sit right on top of the well seal (I use a tee with a relief valve on top). It appears that they have replaced all the piping and equipment at the well (drop pipe, tank, pvc pipe).

I guess I disagree with cacher in that I rarely run a system for 3-4 hours after a pump install, only if there is some kind of problem. If it needs ran like that it's better to jet the well with an air compressor and flush the entire system out. I'm concerned that the fragments you are seeing are pieces of the old steel casing ( if it's steel) coming apart. A sub puts out so much more water than a jet that it may be sucking things up that a jet normally would not.


-- I have an update. I agree that the sub puts out more water pressure than a jet and so the dynamic of my well changed when the well company went from the above ground that I had and strongly suggested the submersible. I never had issues inside my home water lines. I had a plumber out literally from 8am-8pm clearing lines, changing faucets, valves, etc. you name it. You can imagine the charge at $90/hr + parts. Unreal. This was not even created by myself yet I get the shaft, not fair at all. I was told by another well company that looked at the well setup and is familiar with our area that I have a 3" well not 4" and that the above ground would have been what should have been put back. The well company that replaced my system did not put back a shut off valve, they capped mine off! The galvanized pipe that was originally there was taken out and replaced with pvc drop pipe which I am being told should not have been. Also, the pump is so close to the casing it is getting in around the shoulders with the shell/sand that is now clogging the lines. My question is why would the well company not have seen the issue when they pulled up my system? Of course, they want to tell me its nothing they did it must have had a cave in.... I don't have X-ray vision nor does he so that is an assumption not factual information. I am now being told that the well is all disturbed and will need to have a new well drilled 4" at the tune of $4k! I just spent over $2,500 for the replacement of my old system to convert from above ground jet to submersible, pipes, tank. Any thoughts or suggestions??
 

Karen5510

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I am not a pro. The 62 gallon tank is not causing the problem.

I am not sure what the cause of this new material is. I could see a pump pumping at a higher rate could pick up solids that were not picked up before. I don't know if cleaning the accumulated stuff at the bottom of the well would be effective.

I would install a whole house sediment filter after the tank and pressure tank to collect any material before it get to the house. That may get you through this alone, or there may be something else. I tend to like the 20x4.5 Pentek Big Blue housings, but a smaller unit may be OK.

-- The well company came back out and put on a 100 micron inline filter after the fact. Never was it offered or mentioned as something you may need. Now we have had a plumber out for 9 hours at $90/hr + parts clearing cold water lines, replacing valves, faucets only to be told by a different well company that I had out for a 2nd opinion since I feel I got the shaft that the sub will continue to pump the sediment and shell, there was no shut off installed they capped off the one I had at the pump, all pvc piping which they should have went back with my galvanized piping I had before, pvc to tank which is subject to cracking if the concrete has any shifting, lots of issues seen just outside to the visual eye. I am being told you cannot repair this, I will have to get a new well drilled for $4k! This has become a money pit nightmare I feel was created by the original well company. They want to claim that I had a well cave in not their fault.... really I can't see below the ground and neither can anyone else so that would be called assumption not fact. I really fell I was sold equipment I never really needed and that the company should have went back with the above ground jet I had. They have changed the dynamic of my well going with the sub and now it has created issues I did not have. Thoughts?
 

Karen5510

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As long as there was an ample supply of water, the pump should have been ran wide open straight out of the well head for several hours after it was installed to flush out the well. It is also true that anytime the system has been shut down and then started back up, sediment in the piping system often becomes dislodged and will need to be flushed out.

--The company claims they discharged the system for a lengthy time until it was clear at the pump. They never went into the home to check lines or flush at the rear bib of the mobile home. I had a plumber out yesterday for 9 hrs at $90/hr + parts clearing cold water lines, replacing some faucets, valves, supply lines, etc. A complete disaster that I paid and am getting the run around from the original well installer. This is just not fair to the customer that went with the recommendations of the well company thinking I was doing it all new and right... little did I know this would change over the course of 30 days to the money pit. There is still sediment coming through the lines and I am being told by a 2nd well company I called for an opinion that this will not stop. It cannot be repaired as it is already most likely leaking around the casing at the shoulder. I am being told you have to get a new well drilled for $4k! This is just bad business. Any thoughts on this? I would really just like the well company to make this right starting with the plumber expenses and the well disaster.
 

Reach4

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Any thoughts on this?
I would install a whole house sediment filter after the pressure tank to collect any more material before it gets into plumbing that you just got cleaned out.
 

PumpMd

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It looks like calcium chunks to me (not metal). Your working at a higher pressure than your old jet pump was doing. It's your old Plumbing lines, the extra pressure is breaking the calcium off your old lines out to your aerators. We also take them off until it stops breaking off your old lines to where they won't clog up anymore.
 
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