My well is leaking where it enters the basement when the pump runs. Just started. Is there anything I should try or do before I call a plumber? I typically do all my own plumbing but where this is on the well side, I am at a loss. Can I tell anything by opening the well head? Any way I can tell if it is the pitless adapter or a break in the line?
Well leak @ basement entry point
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Cacher_Chick
Test, Don't Guess!
It is very likely that the line has failed, and the water is leaking along the path of least resistance.
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You can tell a little something by watching the pressure gauge while you are not using water. Does the needle drop slowly? Does the pump cycle periodically. Those would be expected to be yes for the suspected problem.
How big is the existing pipe and what is it made of? If it is 1-1/4 ID galvanized, you could maybe use that as a conduit to carry a new 3/4 inch polyethylene flex pipe from the pitless to the house. What distance would that be?
I think this is not something that most plumbers take care of. Instead I would check with well companies in your area.
If the old galvanized cannot be used as a conduit, somebody would be making a trench for the new poly pipe.
You could slow the leakage some by switching your pressure switch from 40/60 to 30/50 PSI. You would adjust your precharge. But you would be better getting this taken care of before winter I would think.
How big is the existing pipe and what is it made of? If it is 1-1/4 ID galvanized, you could maybe use that as a conduit to carry a new 3/4 inch polyethylene flex pipe from the pitless to the house. What distance would that be?
I think this is not something that most plumbers take care of. Instead I would check with well companies in your area.
If the old galvanized cannot be used as a conduit, somebody would be making a trench for the new poly pipe.
You could slow the leakage some by switching your pressure switch from 40/60 to 30/50 PSI. You would adjust your precharge. But you would be better getting this taken care of before winter I would think.
Craigpump
In the Trades
Call a pump & well company. It's going to have to be dug up on the outside and repaired with a new piece of poly pipe. If the house is from the 60's or 70's, you may want to run new pipe out to the well. When we run new pipe to the well we always put in new conduit and new pump cable.
Forget the idea of smaller pipe inside the bigger pipe, there is a reason why that pipe failed. It might be pinched at the foundation, could be a rock settled on it and has punctured it.... If the pipe is pinched a smaller pipe won't go through and if there is a rock settling, it'll soon work it's way into the smaller pipe.
Forget the idea of smaller pipe inside the bigger pipe, there is a reason why that pipe failed. It might be pinched at the foundation, could be a rock settled on it and has punctured it.... If the pipe is pinched a smaller pipe won't go through and if there is a rock settling, it'll soon work it's way into the smaller pipe.
Pretend you have been putting 50% of what your city water friends have been paying for water into a virtual bucket. Imagine you are paying for your repairs from that bucket.
Turned out to be the line between the adapter and the house. Ran a new one. Hope it is fixed.
I hear what you are saying Reach4... I always tell friends on town water that it probably comes out even given the maintenance costs and the electricity the pump uses.
I hear what you are saying Reach4... I always tell friends on town water that it probably comes out even given the maintenance costs and the electricity the pump uses.
If you are not irrigating, you would be surprised how little the electricity cost is. For example, suppose you use 15o gallons per day, and the 8 GPM pump draws 1 kW. That pump will run will run 18.75 minutes per day. That would be 114.14 hours per year, and 114.14 kwh per year. At $0.14 per kwh, that comes to $15.98 a year for electricity for the pump.
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