prospectWellWater
New Member
Hello.
An elderly woman who I help has been having issues with her well water for at least the past three years (I've witnessed it). The problem has never been severe enough to fix until just recently.
Initially the well water would completely stop during heavy usage (adding water to pool for several hours while every so often running a faucet or two indoors). It would take a while for the water to stop for the first time but once it did stop it would keep happening until you gave it a few hours break. The water would stop and slow down to a trickle. About ten minutes later the water would start back up from a trickle and in less than a minute go back to full pressure. The way the the water stopped and started coming back out of the faucet (full pressure to trickle, trickle to full pressure) has always been consistent.
Recently it has been happening much more often and sometimes even without heavy usage. The other morning she lost pressure in her shower which is odd because nothing else was pulling water from the well and her showers are usually less than 15 minutes. Her shower is also the first thing she does when she wakes up so the water had not been used for about 7 or so hours. I replaced the pressure switch yesterday and the problem is still occurring. When it happens the pressure gauge which is located just after the water tank drops from 70 psi all the way 0 psi. When the water comes back the pressure switch clicks as it should and the gauge makes it's way back to about 70 or 80 psi.
There is also a Campbell 1PS-B sediment filter installed just after the water tank and pressure gauge. The filter has not been changed in 5-7 years (manual calls for filter change every 3 months). I have ordered two new filters and once it arrives I will put it in. I don't think this will fix the problem though. The water filter is after the pressure gauge and it therefore should not affect it.
Any ideas? I've got a terrible feeling her well pump is overheating but I'm hoping it could be something to do with the water tank. I will say the well is at least 30 years old and the wiring that goes to the pressure switch is also very old. I will also say I am able to replicate the situation and symptoms by flipping the breaker (it's actually a light switch which is handy) to the pressure switch and waiting for the water to go down to a trickle.
Thanks in advanced for your help and thanks for reading the post. As you can tell I've put some thought into this one and I would hate for her to wake up one morning with no water at all.
-Jordan
An elderly woman who I help has been having issues with her well water for at least the past three years (I've witnessed it). The problem has never been severe enough to fix until just recently.
Initially the well water would completely stop during heavy usage (adding water to pool for several hours while every so often running a faucet or two indoors). It would take a while for the water to stop for the first time but once it did stop it would keep happening until you gave it a few hours break. The water would stop and slow down to a trickle. About ten minutes later the water would start back up from a trickle and in less than a minute go back to full pressure. The way the the water stopped and started coming back out of the faucet (full pressure to trickle, trickle to full pressure) has always been consistent.
Recently it has been happening much more often and sometimes even without heavy usage. The other morning she lost pressure in her shower which is odd because nothing else was pulling water from the well and her showers are usually less than 15 minutes. Her shower is also the first thing she does when she wakes up so the water had not been used for about 7 or so hours. I replaced the pressure switch yesterday and the problem is still occurring. When it happens the pressure gauge which is located just after the water tank drops from 70 psi all the way 0 psi. When the water comes back the pressure switch clicks as it should and the gauge makes it's way back to about 70 or 80 psi.
There is also a Campbell 1PS-B sediment filter installed just after the water tank and pressure gauge. The filter has not been changed in 5-7 years (manual calls for filter change every 3 months). I have ordered two new filters and once it arrives I will put it in. I don't think this will fix the problem though. The water filter is after the pressure gauge and it therefore should not affect it.
Any ideas? I've got a terrible feeling her well pump is overheating but I'm hoping it could be something to do with the water tank. I will say the well is at least 30 years old and the wiring that goes to the pressure switch is also very old. I will also say I am able to replicate the situation and symptoms by flipping the breaker (it's actually a light switch which is handy) to the pressure switch and waiting for the water to go down to a trickle.
Thanks in advanced for your help and thanks for reading the post. As you can tell I've put some thought into this one and I would hate for her to wake up one morning with no water at all.
-Jordan