well water, desperate! sorry long

This is our well history:
The well was drilled about 15 years ago and has never really had great water production. About 5 years after it was drilled, it collapsed and they came and redrilled it and put in a liner. (They couldn't get the old pump out, so they told me it is ground into the bottom of the well and they could drill no deeper.)
This leads us up to this present time. We rutinely run out of water when it is dry, and at one point, I replaced the pressure switch, which seemed to help for a time.
Last Wednesday, we lost our water and still couldn't get any water after letting it sit for a day, so we pulled the pump. After two days of sitting, we had about 40 feet of water in a well that's about 160 ft. deep. I went to the store and bought the exact pump that came out of the well. When my husband read the directions, he realized that they never had a big enough pump in the well. So I exchanged the half horsepower pump for a three-quarter hp.
We put in the pump and after a day of water on, water off, I went and bought a new pressure switch and replaced it.
We had water all day yesturday. And now I have no water again. Mind you, it has been raining all day here in Western Pa. because of Hurricane Frances system moving through. When I prime the pump I get small bursts of water, but not enough to get 30 psi for the pump to kick on and stay on.
We can in no way afford to drill a new well. (Husband's been back to work for 3 weeks after being laid off for 6 months.) We'd like to find a way to "get by" with what we have until we can save for a new well.
Any advice is appreciated!
Dawn

 

I'm not a pump expert, but I would think you have a leak between the pump and the pressure switch/tank. Do you have a pitless adapter? If so, there may be an oring that's not there. Do you hear the pump run all the time (even though only small squirts of water come out)?

 

The o-ring is there. And I really can't hear the pump run anytime because of where it is.
Is there an easy way of telling if there's a leak?
Thanks for your help,
Dawn

 

You don't prime a submersible pump, they are under water. The switch has nothing to do with not enough water in the well. Being in PA, you probably have a 6" dia well and that will provide 1.47 gal/foot of water. So serious and consistant water conservation is a must. No laundry, water softener or backwashing filter etc., no flushing too frequently, no tub baths etc..

You should have a low pressure safety cut-off pressure switch so when you run out of water the power is cut off to the pump. You will have to reset the switch when this happens. But if you don't, you run a serious risk of burning up or otherwise damaging your pump.

Check into hydrofacturing your well rather than a new well.

Gary
Quality Water Associates