Heavy rain and loss of water pressure.
#1
Heavy rain and loss of water pressure.
Twice since we moved in a month ago, the day after an all day heavy rain, we lose all water pressure. The pressure switch remains on with the pump attempting to run. I changed out the filter after the pressure tank (bladder type) to no effect. I shut off the main valve after the pressure tank and opened the drain valve, there was a slow trickle. After openeing and closing the drain a few times pressure built to about 15 psi and I could get water out of the sink. I noticed a bunch of grey sandy silt accumulating in the filter. I clicked off the pressure switch by hand and when it clicked back on I lost all pressure again, and can't seem to get it back. Last time it came back in about 5 hours. I have tripped the breaker to stop the pump from running. Could the heavy rain be stirring up sediment in the well and clogging the works? Any good ideas, suggestions, or wild conjecture is appreciated.
#3
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 769
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
It could be dirt in the pump but... the longer it goes on like this, the more expensive it is going to be to fix the problem because this is not good for a pump. So call a pump guy, well driller or a plumber that knows pumps/wells and have it checked out. The foot valve or pump may have to be pulled.
Gary
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Company Name Removed Only
Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2
Gary
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Company Name Removed Only
Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2
Last edited by Doug Aleshire; 03-11-05 at 08:25 PM.
#5
Just a followup: Rain had nothing to do with it. The pump runs fine and clean. All the sand I was seeing had been trapped in my bad pressure tank over many years and had built up to the point where it was not able to hold any more, who'dve thunk it? Once I replaced that, the sand dissappeared. With the new pressure tank my water pressure is terrific and doesn't stink anymore. The problem down the hole, turns out to be that the flow rate of my well is very slow, 0.08 gallons per minute. So it was actually going dry and coming back rather than getting full of silt. So for now, we're just going to be careful with our water use, until we can afford to drill the well deeper.