Pipe broke before pressure tank so well pump kept running

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JamFlowMan

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I had a pipe break before my pressure tank, therefore the pump kept running for possibly up to 24 hours. when I found the break, the water was a very slow stream, and the pump was still running there was NO water going to the tank therefore the pressure switch never tripped. I turned it off for a day, and when I turned it on again, the flow seemed to be OK again.

Can anyone explain what happened?
- Do well pumps have some sort of defense for this situation where it throttled down the flow rate?
- is it possible that my well was running dry? if so, would that affect my neighbors?
- any other ideas?
- any tips on prevention in the future?
 

Valveman

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With a broken pipe and low pressure, the pump was putting out about twice as much as it normally does when pumping against the 40 to 60 pressure. The high flow for a long time probably pumped the well dry, as there is no "natural defense" for this other than a low pressure cut off pressure switch. Low pressure cut off switches can be a nuisance if not needed, as they have to be manually reset after a power outage or if you turn on too many faucets even for a short time. There are lots of leak sensors that will shut the pump off that are less of a nuisance than a low pressure switch. I use the Samsung leak detectors and an Aeotec smart switch to shut the pump off.
 

Reach4

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As the well ran dry, I would expect you would pump a mix of air and water. Did you notice air in your plumbing? On the other hand, if the pressure at the pressure tank was lower than the air precharge, no water would be in the pressure tank.

Another possibility is the leak shunted off 8 gpm, and your pump, for example, only pumps 8 gpm.

I presume you had visible flooding near the leak.

Why was there a leak? What failed?
 
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