I dug 6 feet down to find my well since I was losing pressure. My well is covered in concrete and the 2 lines and encased in the concrete. They extend a couple of inches up and then a plastic elbow is in place to lead the water into the house pipes. Replaced a leaking elbow but pressure still drops, just a little slower now, but the well is covered in concrete and the lines are encased - so is this a normal setup for a well buried 6" down? How can one possible get to the foot valve? Just wondering if anyone has any advice before I need to call the pros in as I can't imagine busting up the concrete and doing this myself anymore.

Hello everyone - I am new to this forum having found it today after being driven mad by my water system. I am thinking I might call a plumber but at the end of the day, a solution needs to be sorted and i am worried that after waiting for a week or so for a plumber to turn up all they are going to do is confirm my suspicions. My neighbour dug me a well - 3 concrete rings deep (12ft) and it filled up with water really quickly. I have buried an alkathene 25mm blue pipe from the well to my chalet. At the well end, there is a Plasson right angle with a plastic check non return valve. (had to use a reducer in the fitting to go from 32mm to my 25mm buried pipe (the only way to attach the check valve. There is a down pipe to another submerged check valve and strainer, which ends a good foot from the bottom of the well. I must add that this is a newly dug well and the back fill to the rings is still settling. At the chalet end, I have a right angle 25mm plastic fitting (pramac) a short piece of pipe going up through the floor to a rt angle where it goes immediately to a brass nipple and a y pattern strainer, it then goes into grey 22mm pipe and via brass fittings into the plastic inlet of the pump - a Grundfos MQ pressure vessel (pressure is factory set and not adjustable apparently, and Grundfos recommend these pumps are not used in conjunction with an accumulator tank unless its relatively small) After the pump there is a 5 micron sediment filter thing, a uv 22l/m tube with stop valves either side (low pressure ones with red twiddly knobs - my reason for using these was to avoid reducing flow any more than necessary). These connections are done using 22mm grey pipe, and eventually it reduces down to 15mm speedfit pipe and it gets connected to the existing chalet plumbing. Generally speaking we have been having lots of water coming out of our taps - simply fantastic. The pump tops up its pressure from time to time and I didnt worry too much about it doing this as I was aware some of the existing plumbing was a bit sketchy. Problems are: Pump does cycle more than I feel is necessary and worried the life of the pump as is will be shortened by constant pumpiung on and off. It goes into alarm mode frequently - between 5 and 10 times a day - it nearly always cuts out mid shower - the dish washer seems fine and hot water, sink taps generally fine. When we wake up in the morning it usually has gone off in the night - I thought this was due to drips/leaks after the pump, but I have now realised that the pump is cutting out due to losing water back down the pipe or from air getting in - i guess both have been happening? (i often reprime the pump, but it does a pretty good job of repriming itself once i reset it as there is still lots of water in the system) Since I added the second check valve at the well end (i was told these are not that good and so to fit two is a good idea as first one is bound to get clogged) the problem seems to have got worse and not better! The other problem is that the pipe I had buried to my chalet was not brand new and at the chalet end is scored and a bit squashed - maybe air is being sucked in at the rt angle Pramac fitting on the chalet end of the buried pipe under chalet? Are the reducers and 2nd check valve just adding more places for air to get in and so causing more trouble than they are worth? I have a decent wrench and I have been religiously going over everything tightening everything up super tight. It seems my problem is worsening though so you can imagine am getting to my wits end - what is the best way to check my pipe - maybe its no good and I will have to bury a new one (more expense) - how do I know if this really is going to solve my issue - is there anything I can do to improve my current pipe - rather alarmingly its not even round anymore and bearing in mind this sytem is pressurised, maybe this is proving to be more critical that I had first thought? DOes anyone have any bright ideas as to how to check if its the pipe of the fittings that are letting the air in? WHen the pump is going the water pressure from the tap is mains pressure (approx 3 bar apparently) and it handles more than one thing going at once - really impressive in that sense - but when i turn the pump off and then a tap on, there isnt much pressure there really - the rep who sold it to me said I could check and top up the pressure if needed but I think he is wrong and info I have found regarding these pumps confirms this so I dont think the pump is at fault (brand new) Anyone who has waded through the torrent above, I applaud you. If anyone has any useful suggestions, I would be most interested to hear your thoughts - fittings or pipe? should I lay a new pipe over land and see if that sorts it? am i really going to have to dig up my current pipe (nb they literally stuck it in the ground and covered with shale and didnt use pea gravel) Thanks, Fred (mid Wales)