Installed new pressure switch and now water is cloudy

[msjs91011]

Disclaimer: i am not a plumber. I do not know anything really about wells etc. So, some of this may sound ignorant. Forgive me.

So, I bought this house and we've been here a short while but hated the low water pressure. So, I found out the system was only sitting at 28-30 psi. I checked the air pressure in the tank and it read 34psi, which I thought was odd but I passed it off as an oddity, and here's why.

I went and bought a 40/60 switch since I've read that 50 is about average. I brought it home, cut the pump power then went upstairs and started depressurizing the system. Then I stopped that because I realized I had 2 shutoffs near the tank - one between tank and pump and one between tank and softener. I turned them both off because logically to depressurize the whole house to change a switch seemed silly to me. So, I depressurized the pressure tank then took a reading of air pressure again: 10psi. Yes, 10. And this is when I discovered the water pressure gauge was stuck on 28. So, I ran back out to pick up a gauge.

When I removed the pressure switch from the 6 inch tube coming out of the main, it was completely clogged with what turned out to be a brown powder after it dried, likely iron, right? I cleared the pipe and refitted it to the main line and installed the switch. I also installed the new pressure gauge too

During all this, I bought a doggone bike tire inflator from Walmart, you know, the kind you put between your feet and pump like crazy for a long time? Yeah, that one. And I pumped. And I pumped. And I pumped. For over two hours, off and on, to increase the tank air pressure to exactly 38psi. I also opened the drain valve between the pressure switch and tank, just to be sure all of the water was out of the tank. All of the water that I drained from the tank was some nasty water, very dark gray.

Once I got everything together again, I kicked on the pump, bled the air out of the pipes throughout the house. The pump kicks on at 40 and off at about 62. It doesnt flutter and it doesnt drop a lick below 40. So, i believe that all went fine.

Heres where i am annoyed, because. spent all day on this mainly to please my wife and she (and I, really) is complaining about discolored water. I'm getting a sort of beige water, a really watered down brown. We can run the water until it is clear but it gets nasty looking again after we leave water off for a while. This is where I ask for everyone's help.

1) how do I get my water clear again?

2) is this going to wreck my softener and cartridge filter, or the salt tank that I need to learn about?

Side note: The tank is "new" from 2009. I couldn't tell you the size but it's smaller than a 55gal drum.

 

[Valveman]

Anytime you let all the pressure out and/or change any fittings you will stir up the crud in the lines. You need to open some really big lines at the end and flush everything out. I am sure the rest of your pipe looks similar to that clogged nipple on the switch. Flush them as best as you can, them let everything settle for a few days and it should be better. And you probably need to bypass the softener and filter to do the flushing.

 

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[msjs91011]

Thanks for your reply. We will keep an eye on the system. I ran what I thought was a lot of water to the top pipes (tub, sink, shower, all on 2nd floor) and it remained clear with a small air pocket in the sink only. We've tried to flush the heck out of the downstairs. The first time, right after I repowered the system, the pipes ran quite dirty but after 10-15 min they cleared. Then my wife tried to use it a couple hours later and it was dirty again. I assume it's because I changed the main pressure of the system from around 30psi to 60psi, so the dirt that was comfortable in the system at 30 is now being knocked loose at 60?

 

[Valveman]

Actually the lower pressure will cause higher volume, which will scour the pipes more than higher pressure. When you get that crud in the pipe is just takes a while to get it cleaned out.