A problem with my well just happened

[bones1]

Hello. over the weekend I had used the pressure washer quite a bit on Saturday and the wife was topping off the pool water level later the same day Saturday for about a half hour. Also about 4 washer loads were done Saturday as well. Saturday night one shower was taken. Sunday we had no water issues that I noticed. Today, Monday, I saw light brown water coming out the upstairs bathroom sink spigot. The wife also took a shower this morning without issue . It seemed to clear up at the time. An hour later I added water to the pool for about 20 min through the hose. Noticed nothing unusual. About an hour later i get lots of air and muddy water at toilets and sinks, upstairs and down. Air at every spigot and toilet. I ran the kitchen faucet off and on for a while and the water cleared but then I heard two very loud almost like a giant rat trap/ slap noise right above where the well pump tank is located under the house.. It was quite loud. It happened twice about 3 min apart. Couple hours pass and water is clear but im afraid to run it too long. There has been no more loud bang/slap noise. Could I have drawn the well down too far since Saturday causing these issues?. The entire well was replaced about 8 years ago @ 525 ft deep. No problems until now. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Valveman]

That noise was probably the diaphragm in the tank hitting the bottom. It shouldn't do that unless you pump the well down below the pressure switch start pressure, or if the tank is bad. Turn the power off, drain the tank, check air pressure with a tire gauge.

 

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[bones1]

That noise was probably the diaphragm in the tank hitting the bottom. It shouldn't do that unless you pump the well down below the pressure switch start pressure, or if the tank is bad. Turn the power off, drain the tank, check air pressure with a tire gauge.

Thanks Valveman. Should I wait to see if there still is a problem first or call someone to check the bladder. It was replaced with the well in 2010. Could it be we just used too much water and need the well to recharge?. Is there a way to test it at the faucet?. It's clear now with good pressure knock on wood. I did just notice a front outdoor spigot has been dripping / leaking at the valve for about a day if that matters. Thanks.

 

[Valveman]

7 years is the average life of pumps and bladder tanks. They know just how many times a pump will cycle while topping off the pool with a hose, and how many times it will cycle per day for regular house use. Then they build in just enough meat to make it last 7 years worth of cycling. For every pump that last 30 years, there is another that only lasted a year, and the 7 year average is pretty close. It all depends on how many times it cycles on and off over a period of time. You could check the air in the tank yourself. When the tank loses air or goes bad, the pump cycles even faster, which means it will be the next thing needed replacing.

But if you did pump the well dry, that will also destroy the pump and stir up the sediment. A Cycle Sensor will shut the pump off when the well runs dry before you destroy the pump.

 

[bones1]

Excellent information. I mentioned your valve to the well guy and another plumber a while back because I did research on it. They looked at me like I was a martian. Just old school guys I guess. I will find someone to install one after solving my present problem.

 

[Valveman]

They looked at me like I was a martian.

When a pump guy has never heard about the best way to solve your problems, it is time to look for a more informed pump guy.

 

[bones1]

Can excessive water use cause the footvalve at the bottom of the well to stick and /or the check valve at the tank under the house and cause the above problem. I still don't know the origin of the very loud slap/metallic clap noise under the house where the tank is. It almost sounded like a hot water release valve going off and I did check that but it was completely dry. We just took two long showers and no problems today.

 

[Valveman]

Cycling on and off is hard on everything in a pump system, including the check valves. But I doubt a check valve is your problem. I still think the pump is cycling until the overload trips, then you are hearing the bladder in the tank hit the bottom.

 

[bones1]

Checked tank under house today finally. Gauge reads 58 lbs so I opened a hose bib and let it run. The pressure never changed after about 4 min. The contacts never clicked on the pressure switch and when I pushed in the schrader valve on the tank water spray out each time I did it. I have plenty of water pressure and no air or mud at the taps still. Thoughts please. Thanks.

 

[Valveman]

Water coming out of the schrader means the tank is bad. But a bad tank should be causing the pump to cycle on/off every couple of seconds. If the pressure switch isn't clicking, the pump may also be bad.

 

[Reach4]

Checked tank under house today finally. Gauge reads 58 lbs so I opened a hose bib and let it run. The pressure never changed after about 4 min. The contacts never clicked on the pressure switch and when I pushed in the schrader valve on the tank water spray out each time I did it. I have plenty of water pressure and no air or mud at the taps still. Thoughts please. Thanks.

Hose bib running water. Pressure never changed. Pump did not run. Magic!

Or for muggles, the nipple to the pressure gauge and the pressure switch was clogged.

Oh, wait... pressure at the taps was good? Back to magic!

 

[Valveman]

Hose bib running water. Pressure never changed. Pump did not run. Magic!

Or for muggles, the nipple to the pressure gauge and the pressure switch was clogged.

Oh, wait... pressure at the taps was good? Back to magic!

Unless the pump can only build 58 PSI. Then it is just running all the time at 58 PSI, and it will melt down very soon.

 

[Reach4]

Unless the pump can only build 58 PSI. Then it is just running all the time at 58 PSI, and it will melt down very soon.

Ahh, yes. That makes sense. I had not realized the pump was running during that whole time.

 

[bones1]

Service man replaced the waterlogged tank and said all is good. Thanks valveman for the help.