Well system not reaching set pressure after water use.

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chipdouglas

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Hey folks, long time (8 years) well owner, first time trying to figure this issue out. First off, I am not too sure about specifics about my well, so please bear with me. My well is several hundred feet deep, and when used heavily for a day (multiple loads of laundry, showers, etc) it will sometimes not get up to the cut off pressure of my well pump switch (it is a 40 PSI-60 PSI switch). So for example, I will do multiple loads of laundry, and when the washing machine has shut off, the well will pump to about 50 PSI and not increase. Here's the kicker: I will then shut off my switch manually, and a few hours later switch it back on and it will pump up to the desired 60 PSI. I have looked extensively on the internet for a resolve to my issue but I cannot find a solution. I work in the HVAC field and know my way around plumbing electrical etc. but cannot figure this one out. So please help!! I really do appreciate it!
 

Reach4

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After those times that you could not make 60 PSI, do you notice air in your water? Your well may be running out of water.

There are devices that can detect the pump running out of water by monitoring the electrical current. They will shut down the pump for an interval in that case. That would be a good thing for you. http://www.cyclestopvalves.com/prod_sensor.html is one such product.

One thing you can do is to pace your water use. Another possibility is to put in an above-ground storage tank with a pressure pump to provide pressure to the pump.

It is also possible that you could get the pump dropped. That could result in sucking sediment. Or not.
 

Thall

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Hate to say it, but do you think that your well could be getting low? You or the person who drilled the well should have documentation on how deep the pump is set into your well. If you google how to check your well level there will be many different ways, but i know there is a handheld sonar type device that can be used. The pump is probably water cooled, and will turn off when the water level is low to prevent damage.
 

chipdouglas

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Thanks for the replies. Are you saying my well has a finite amount of water in it? Or, if I were to hypothetically shut it off for a week, would it replenish? I have had air sputter out of faucets a few times, even sediment. Any path to a remedy is welcome and many thanks again.
 

Reach4

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Thanks for the replies. Are you saying my well has a finite amount of water in it? Or, if I were to hypothetically shut it off for a week, would it replenish? I have had air sputter out of faucets a few times, even sediment. Any path to a remedy is welcome and many thanks again.
I would say yes, and yes. The well refills at some rate. It varies. The static water level if you left for many weeks would vary from well to well. The refill rate varies.

The fact that you see sediment at times suggest that lowering the pump may not be a good solution. So what you are left with is to pace your water use, or put in above-ground storage. ... I guess you could buy a washing machine that uses less water, if your current machine uses a lot of water.
 

Texas Wellman

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Sounds like the well is drawing down coupled with a weak pump. Every ft of drawdown means the pump puts out less pressure until the pump is maxed out. Once the water level returns the pump can once again put out more pressure.
 

chipdouglas

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Me neighbor ran his pump dry by accident once and he had his well filled with some amount of water.... is this something I should/ could consider?
 

LLigetfa

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Trucking in water to fill a well may be like filling a lake. It all depends on where the aquifer is and whether the well is top filled. @Texas Wellman has it pegged, you are drawing the water level down to the point the pump may be reaching deadhead.

That or you may have a small leak possibly masked by multiple checkvalves. As the level drops, so too does the GPM output of the pump, so if there is a leak of X GPM and the pump can only produce that many GPM it services only the leak and fails to reach cutout pressure. I had a boss at one time that had such a leak. This went on for months with the leak getting bigger over time with his electricity bills increasing every month. It was only when the pressure got very low that he put 2+2 together. Meanwhile he was arguing with the power company and getting his meter changed.
 

Valveman

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Gonna need specifics on the well. Sounds like you are pumping the well down. If you can lower the pump you will be able to access more of the stored water in the well. But you will probably also need a larger pump to lift from the deeper setting. If you are not able to lower the pump, a storage tank and booster pump are in order unless you want to start really conserving water.
LOW YIELD WELL_ CENTRIFUGAL_PK1A.jpg
 
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