Slow leak at intake from well to pressure tank

Hi,

I recently moved a new house and noticed that there is water alongside the wall directly below where the pipe comes in from the drilled well. I have no idea if it has always been like this, or if it is a problem. I have attached pics. Is this indicative of a bigger problem, or is it simply a matter of the caulking missing from some areas around where the pipe meets the wall (I can see that there is a large amount that had been applied at one point, but there are some gaps on the underside of the pipe)? Thanks in advance.

 

If that is a basement wall, I suspect it is ground water. Is there seepage elsewhere in the basement?

I see that you have a Schrader valve and check valve on your incoming water line.

You also have an air-precharged pressure tank, I think.

1. Those don't normally go together. Do you get much air with your water?
2. Do you get a bang as the pump turns on?

 

Hi, thanks for the response. Yes, the system is in the basement. So, if it is groundwater, do you mean that the intake itself is below the groundwater level, so any gaps between the pipe and the wall will allow groundwater to enter the basement?

Is a Schrader valve the same as a Venturi? I believe I have the latter because of the documentation that I found in the house, indicating I have a Watersoft Provectr iron treatment system that relies on air intake for iron removal. Which is the check valve?

As for air: we had a lot of air come out of the taps consistently soon after we moved in. After some time, we noticed iron appearing in our water despite the existing treatment system. So, as per the Provectr instructions, I siphoned in some bleach via the Venturi valve. Although I did this to help clean the iron treatment resin, it had the side effect of completely eliminating our issues with air in the water.

Fast forward three months: very recently, the air coming out of the taps has become an issue again. It only manifests in the morning when we first turn on the taps, for about a minute or so. After that, there is no air in the water for the rest of the day. But, every morning it is back again for a minute, and I suspect it will get worse (back to how it was when we moved in, which was nearly all the time that taps were turned on).

And finally, no, I have not noticed any banging when the pump turns on.

Thanks

 

I think so. It is not necessarily the water table itself. It could be that rain takes some time to work its way down. This is not to say that you don't have a leak. Watch with the seasons. If it does not reduce during the dry times, it could be a small leak.


S is the Schrader valve. After further thought, I now think C is just a plumbing coupling. The check valve (one way valve) seems to be part of the assembly with S. I am not sure. R is the pressure relief valve, I think but I could be wrong on that.

For your study, I suggest a search that you can plug into a search engine:
snifter "check valve" "drain back)

These are involved in putting air into the system on purpose. Then the pressure tank (not the modern kind you have) would have an air release valve to let out the excess air.

You may be able to improve the air situation by replacing a valve cap that passes air, which you may have, with one that does not pass air. Valve caps for car tires do not pass air. For a more rigorous change, you would remove the drain back (bleeder), the check valve, and the Schrader valve. If you cannot suck air through that existing valve cap, my idea there is shot.

 

Venturi? Nice. That means no bleeder in the drop pipe.

That also means I was wrong about that 'S' having a check valve. That is really good.

To cure a leak from a pipe from outside a low basement to in usually takes action on the outside after significant digging. Do you have a sump and sump pump?

 

Yes, I have a sump pump (and battery back up pump).

And yes, it is a venturi that was installed alongside the original iron treatment system in the house. From my understanding, it is there to add air to the water coming into the house. The air is required to provide oxygen to the water to oxidize the iron, which is then filtered out via the iron treatment system. It has an adjustable valve cap on it to allow air into the system to varying degrees

So, if I put a regular tire cap on the schrader/venturi, won't that impact my iron treatment and make it ineffective? I am also experiencing air in my lines that only occurs first thing in the morning, and then is negligible through the rest of the day that I assume is also related the venturi. A few months ago I had cleaned it out with bleach as per the iron treatment documentation and the problem was eliminated, but now it is back again.

 

No, it probably will impact iron treatment and make it less effective.

One possibility is to go to a "conventional" tank with an AAV. The AAV lets the air out.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....system-after-air-injection-iron-filter.74384/ has discussion and successful report on air removal.