Leaking check valve?

[uncleto]

Hello evryone!


Every 2 hours my pressure switch goes on. I could here the gurgling of the pressure tank with the addition of the check valve hammering sound. called a plumber the other day, told it might be a defective check valve or i might have a pitless adapter leakage and that would be costly! thought maybe the pressure switch has anything to do? anyway,waiting for him to drop anytime today to replace the check valve and hoping that would be it. hope also the pressure tank is okay inspite of that sound i hear everytime it fills. any imputs. suggestion will be much appreciated.

Many thanks!!!

 

[Gary Slusser]

You could have a leak anywhere between a submersible pump and the fixtures. Do not assume it is the pitless, make it be proven it is here'er there before 'fixing' it. More probable than a pitless leak is a bad check/foot valve in/on a submersible pump or foot valve for a jet pump.

And anyone that didn't mention that is the wrong person for this job.

Shut off the water to the house past the pressure tank. If the gauge falls, then the leak is on the well side of the tank, if not it is on the house side. To check the drop pipe, lift the pump and install fittings to use an air compressor and gauge to see if the drop pipe or check valve in/on the pump leaks. If not, then the line to the house could be pressurized with air using the drop pipe part of the pitless to see if that line and/or the pitless is leaking. Once you find where the leak is, then it may be the pitless etc.. Before you do anything in the well, you can turn water on with the pitless connected and see/hear water leaking out of the o-ring. You can dig around the well at the water line and see if you find water, that will check the outside of the pitless and the fitting to the house side plumbing.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[uncleto]

replace the check valve

Plumber came over yesterday, replaced the check valve inside the house,service the pressure switch. for many hours tried monitoring for sudden ON & OFF, pressure switch. so far nothing unless trying to use a lot of water. but i still have some hammering a little bit softer so i dont know if still doing the same thing every 2 hours, only this time i need to be closer so i can hear it. i dont know if this is normal after i put in a new check valve.still have to talk to the plumber when he comes back for the check. still dont know how much this time? again, many thanks for any imputs!

 

[Gary Slusser]

Replacing the check valve in the house is like applying a band-aid, it masks the problem. There should not be a check valve in the house; there is no advantage to having one there.

Now the water can't run back into the well BUT... if you have a jet pump you run the risk of losing prime or at least adding air to the line. If you have a submersible pump, you should test for the leak between it and this new check valve before you find the leak gets worse which could lead to dropping the pump down the well but at least cause more electrical use pumping with a leak requiring longer pump runs.

 

[uncleto]

So far Gary, the switch is been quiet for almost the whole day. Maybe 3 times yesterday i noted that it kicks in the momment that tank goes in below the cut-in pressure of 30 psi. Unlike before every 2 hrs even without using water, i can imagine the strain that the pump gets. Don't know if it's temporary, cause im still bothered by small amount of hammering coming from the new ckvalve or pressure switch. If i do decide to find the leak between the pump and the pipe going inside the house, i may have to dig infront of my lawn cause that's where i believe it's buried. Not knowing it i may to get a metal magnet or get somebody to find for me. Just follow the electical wiring thats attached to front siding of the wall. And i hope it woudn't go to that scenario. The house was built in 94 and i was kinda novice then not knowing the ins n out of buying your 1st house. When it comes to small trouble shooting i still have to depend on the professional and it's hard to find a trustworthy one now a days. Looking at there work, in my mind i think i can do that. But anyway, you said that i don't have to have a check valve inside the house? Isn't the purpose of it was to prevent the water thats been pump to the tank to sip back to the well? I also asked one of the plumbers what kind of pump he think's i have undergound. He said it probably a submersible one! Many thanks again for any imputs, Gary!

 

[Gary Slusser]

Jet pumps or submersible, there is a check valve on the sub pump or end of the drop pipe in the well. In the vast majority of wells, that's the only check valve that is needed. Having another one can cause problems like yours and the additional check does no good anyway. Well, except for those that sell them to unsuspecting homeowners....

Jets pumps are aboove ground and submersible are in the well.

Quite almost all day... the pump should never run when no one is using water, so replacing the check valve at the house has only caused you to spend money needlessly since you still have the pump running sometimes although fewer times.

If you don't know where the well is, that's a real problem and means it is buried so when you find it, you need to extend the casing up out of the ground. You use a Fernco fitting and whatever size sch 40 PVC that matches your well casing and a well cap. You have to add a pitless adapter since usually the water line(s) come out of the sanitary seal well cap.

 

[Abikerboy]

Plumber I spoke with today about another prob I'm having says, and I quote him in his words, not mine, "never install a check valve in the supply system! There is a valve, called a foot valve, either in the pump, if it's a sub, or at the bottom of the jet suction line, if it's a jet pump! A check valve in any piping between the pump and tank will only hide an upcoming catastrophic failure, such as a cracked or rusted line, which can drop either the sub pump, or your piping, to the bottom of the well, sometimes costing upwards of a grand or more to retrieve, and sometimes may not even be able to retrive, sometimes even making the well useless!" Also says, "If this foot valve in the bottom of the well is bad, a jet pump may lose it's prime, and fail in short order, and a submersible pump is starting each time with no head, and could die very early from something called upthrust failure." By the way, my plumber has taken a look at this site, but hasn't joined yet, and he is impressed with the info here. Says he never knew that so many people out there were willing to help, or give advice. Also said that even after 35 years experience, he has learned a lot of common sense things which he really doesnt usually even think about!
Rob

 

[uncleto]

Check Valve

Hello guys! Now, im puzzled about having replaced my check valve with the info that you relayed to me. Well the plumber should know that having one of these was not a good idea, but he never bothered telling me. It's either he didn't know or his looking for a future work to be done soon! Im still waiting for them to come back and get the bill. Don't know what's the delay, usually when it comes to collect money you dont do this unless there busy or waiting for my system to fail again. I hope not! I may call them next week and ask if got the job for free! But to the chk valve, i wonder if this can be part of inspection or a code when somebody's fixing or building a house? Do you think i should get another opinion from another plumber to look into regarding the placement of the check valve between outside pipe and the pressure tank. I lived in NY, so if any of you guys know somebody here that you can recommend will be much appreciated! I've lived in this house since 94 and only last year that this thing started. Actually, the same plumber who did the work had said last yr that the hammering was cause by check valve, maybe it had some debries causing it to do that. That yr, he was fixing a leak on one of the pipes in the kitchen. Knowing then , i could have it replace instead of having it done now. I remember asking him them, would it solve the hammering, but no guarantee. I didn't know it will lead to this leaking back to the well. So far it's been quiet, no OFF/ ON of the pump. don't know if the sound that i hear evry time the switch turns ON is normal. It's a softer rattling, don't know if still coming from the valve or the pressure switch. That's why i cant really be 100% sure that i dont hear the clicking evry 2 or 3 hrs unless i sit there beside the tank which i cant be cause of the limited space, unlike before that im in the living room with the TV on i still can hear the rattliing noise. Anyways, when i see my plumber i got all questions ready for him. Thanks again guys for all the advice that you come up with!

Uncleto.

 

[Speedbump]

You might want to call a pump man, not a plumber. Pump men don't install water heaters and garbage disposals. Get someone with experience in the items you need repaired. You wouldn't call an electrician to fix your stove, he would just get the wires to the stove. That's where an appliance repairman takes over.

bob...

 

[uncleto]

pressure switch

Hello guys! I'm considerimg calling a pump man after i settle my bill to them. Anyway. need to know how long that is normally takes for the cut-off pressure to kick in after the initial cut-in? Ive' been trying to listen, and it takes like a minute or so. Is this normal or should have been less than that? Next time. im gonna try to use a stop watch! Thanks again to you all!!!

Uncleto.

 

[Gary Slusser]

How long the pump runs is a function of the size of the pressure tank and its captive air precharge pressure and thereby the psi you operate the pump at.

For each pump run, the tank accepts the delivery of water equal to your drawdown gallons. Draw down gallons are the gallons delivered to fixtures between shut off of the pump and cut-in of the pump.

The time is supposed to be at least the minimum the motor/pump manufacturer wants for properly cooling of the motor between starts. Most state 60 seconds off for up to 1 or 1.5 hp motors/pumps and 120 seconds for larger to 2 hp.

Plumbers usually don't know wells and pumps any more than pump guys or well drillers know sewer line or stack venting sizing etc..

 

[uncleto]

pressure gauge

Hello guys! Looking to replace my old pressure gauge, Home Depot only stock 1 brand .. not enough choices. Do you think guys i should shop at a plumbing store? Also, i could see some rust from where the connection or the screw is. Is there any type of lubricant i can use to unscrew the nut so it would be easy and also i should use teflon tape when putting in the new one? Thanks again!

Uncleto.

 

[Speedbump]

You can buy the cheap one for around $3.00 or go crazy with a $35.00 liquid filled gauge. I would go for the $3.00 one. You are only going to need it once to set things up.


bob...

 

[uncleto]

pressure gauge

Thanks Bob! By the way, do you know what kind of spray i can use to take out a gunk of rust around the screw before unscrewing it?It might give me a hard time. All i need to put is a teflon tape around the tread, i am correct? many thanks!


Uncleto.

 

[Speedbump]

Nothing in a can has ever worked for me on rust. Just use a screwdriver.


bob...