Well leaking
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Well leaking
I have a 90 foot deep well with a submersible pump that is leaking. All summer the ground has been wet around the casing and I noticed water coming out of the cap and the top of the casing. Any ideas where I should start looking for trouble? I noticed that my water filter in the house is plugging up much faster than it used to.
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Most likely the pitless adapter is leaking or the fitting just below the pitless adapter is leaking. Looking down the casing to try to find may be near impossible as it is probably a large leak if it you can see it coming out around the cap. If you plan to look down there and try to see it, make sure you turn the power off before you remove the cap and pull the wires out of the way. Once you have an unobstructed view down the well try to see where it's leaking from. If it's leaking too fast and you cannot see your only option is to disconnect the pitless adapter and pull the the pipe out of the well far enough to inspect it. Unless you are familiar with the procedure I would recommend calling a professional as certain brands can be very tricky to disconnect and reconnect after the repair - if needed - is made.
Most leaks I encounter are underground and cause water to work up around the well casing and puddle in the yard. If you are certain it's leaking inside the casing then follow the above instructions and post results.
Most leaks I encounter are underground and cause water to work up around the well casing and puddle in the yard. If you are certain it's leaking inside the casing then follow the above instructions and post results.
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Most likely the pitless adapter is leaking or the fitting just below the pitless adapter is leaking. Looking down the casing to try to find may be near impossible as it is probably a large leak if it you can see it coming out around the cap. If you plan to look down there and try to see it, make sure you turn the power off before you remove the cap and pull the wires out of the way. Once you have an unobstructed view down the well try to see where it's leaking from. If it's leaking too fast and you cannot see your only option is to disconnect the pitless adapter and pull the the pipe out of the well far enough to inspect it. Unless you are familiar with the procedure I would recommend calling a professional as certain brands can be very tricky to disconnect and reconnect after the repair - if needed - is made.
Most leaks I encounter are underground and cause water to work up around the well casing and puddle in the yard. If you are certain it's leaking inside the casing then follow the above instructions and post results.
Most leaks I encounter are underground and cause water to work up around the well casing and puddle in the yard. If you are certain it's leaking inside the casing then follow the above instructions and post results.
To open the pitless adapter he used a section of 3/4 or 1" black pipe that he had modified to open the adapter. If I remember correctly it was oblong or even figure 8 shaped. He mentioned you can buy a specific tool to do the job but his modified piped worked just as well. If I were to buy that tool what would I ask for?
If the pitless fitting is leaking do I replace the entire fitting or does it have o rings or seals that are replaced.
Once you have released the pipe from the pitless is it possible to drop the pump/pipe assembly so deep in the casing that it would be difficult to retrieve or does the pump rest on or very near the bottom?
Thanks again for your time.
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To open the pitless adapter he used a section of 3/4 or 1" black pipe that he had modified to open the adapter. If I remember correctly it was oblong or even figure 8 shaped. He mentioned you can buy a specific tool to do the job but his modified piped worked just as well. If I were to buy that tool what would I ask for?
If you are unsure of what to do it may be worth calling a service tech to solve the issue. If it is a leak inside the well as you describe and it is near the top (almost certainly it is if it's leaking out the top around the cap) I know I would charge under $125 to repair the problem unless of course the pitless adpater itself was damaged (HIGHLY unlikely). To avoid the hassle and worry of losing the pipe down the well this may be your best option.
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[QUOTE=shane21;1635216]Most likely the pitless adapter is leaking or the fitting just below the pitless adapter is leaking. Looking down the casing to try to find may be near impossible as it is probably a large leak if it you can see it coming out around the cap. If you plan to look down there and try to see it, make sure you turn the power off before you remove the cap and pull the wires out of the way. Once you have an unobstructed view down the well try to see where it's leaking from. If it's leaking too fast and you cannot see your only option is to disconnect the pitless adapter and pull the the pipe out of the well far enough to inspect it. Unless you are familiar with the procedure I would recommend calling a professional as certain brands can be very tricky to disconnect and reconnect after the repair - if needed - is made.
Well I shut the power off, open the line in the pit to drain the casing down below the cap so I could see where the leak is coming from. Eventually I had no water in the house and then the water quit draining in the pit (about 4 feet deep) but the water never quit leaking out of the top of the casing. The pace did not change at all after 2 hours? I noticed that this year my pond has stayed unusually high and several of my neighbors have artesian wells. Could this water be from another source than from my pump? If so what kind of problems could this cause to my well water?
Well I shut the power off, open the line in the pit to drain the casing down below the cap so I could see where the leak is coming from. Eventually I had no water in the house and then the water quit draining in the pit (about 4 feet deep) but the water never quit leaking out of the top of the casing. The pace did not change at all after 2 hours? I noticed that this year my pond has stayed unusually high and several of my neighbors have artesian wells. Could this water be from another source than from my pump? If so what kind of problems could this cause to my well water?
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"I noticed that this year my pond has stayed unusually high and several of my neighbors have artesian wells. "
I think you are on the right track. Could be that your well has temporarily become "artesian" meaning that water is naturally flowing up. What do your neighbors do about this?
I think you are on the right track. Could be that your well has temporarily become "artesian" meaning that water is naturally flowing up. What do your neighbors do about this?
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"I noticed that this year my pond has stayed unusually high and several of my neighbors have artesian wells. "
I think you are on the right track. Could be that your well has temporarily become "artesian" meaning that water is naturally flowing up. What do your neighbors do about this?
I think you are on the right track. Could be that your well has temporarily become "artesian" meaning that water is naturally flowing up. What do your neighbors do about this?
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I don't think so. Water coming up isn't a problem for water quality.
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Can the water drain down the casing and past the pump into by aquafier? Maybe I have the wrong impression of what a well looks like at the bottom but it seemed me that there is nothing stopping the water from mixing down below.
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Yes, it can. If water goes down the well, but your problem is that water coming up (or so I read things) and as long as it comes up, there is no problem. When the water level goes down and the water in the pipe goes down, still not much of a problem because it was only exposed to the inside of the pipe, not the ground surface if you keep dirt from around the top of the pipe.
New wells require 18" above the surface so that water doesn't go down the well even if there is a minor flood. If you like, you can extend the pipe up higher if it isn't already.
New wells require 18" above the surface so that water doesn't go down the well even if there is a minor flood. If you like, you can extend the pipe up higher if it isn't already.
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Yes, it can. If water goes down the well, but your problem is that water coming up (or so I read things) and as long as it comes up, there is no problem. When the water level goes down and the water in the pipe goes down, still not much of a problem because it was only exposed to the inside of the pipe, not the ground surface if you keep dirt from around the top of the pipe.
New wells require 18" above the surface so that water doesn't go down the well even if there is a minor flood. If you like, you can extend the pipe up higher if it isn't already.
New wells require 18" above the surface so that water doesn't go down the well even if there is a minor flood. If you like, you can extend the pipe up higher if it isn't already.
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It sounds like you and Vey have diagnosed the problem. I iguess I assumed the water coming out of the top of the casing originally was under pressure as in "spraying" and not flowing evenly around all edges.
If it is flowing as an artesian then I know in Ohio we install a drain line on the well and let it flow and use the piping to take it where ever we want it. There are some particulars as to how this needs to be done to make sure the well water isn't exposed to possible contamination but the point is it can be drained to wherever you want. Freezing shouldn't be too much of a problem (depending how cold it gets) as well water is generally about 54 degrees F. As long as it's flowing it will usually not freeze. My parents have an artesian well and it continues to flow year round in Ohio even when it gets to -10 degrees F.
If it is flowing as an artesian then I know in Ohio we install a drain line on the well and let it flow and use the piping to take it where ever we want it. There are some particulars as to how this needs to be done to make sure the well water isn't exposed to possible contamination but the point is it can be drained to wherever you want. Freezing shouldn't be too much of a problem (depending how cold it gets) as well water is generally about 54 degrees F. As long as it's flowing it will usually not freeze. My parents have an artesian well and it continues to flow year round in Ohio even when it gets to -10 degrees F.