Hello all,

This is my first post here because I have a problem with my well pump.

We bought this house about 2.5 years ago and hadn't had a problem with it before. The well is about 37 feet deep (from what I recall on the documents). I'm not sure about the pump but I believe it is a jet pump that is inside the house and has been drywalled over. The main line runs about 20 ft. from the pump to the pressure tank which is a 26 gal. Water Worker model that was installed in Oct. 2011. After the tank is a filtration system. There is a shutoff before and after the pressure tank. The switch is set for 40/60 and the air pressure in the tank is 38psi.

The problem started about a month ago when I was losing pressure in my main water line and the pump was cycling on every five minutes. I installed a check valve in the line that lead from the pump to the pressure tank and it solved the problem.

About a week ago I started to get an intensely obnoxious water hammer in the main line whenever the pump would shut off. I was getting ready to install a water hammer arrestor in the line right before the check valve when my current issue popped up.

Now my pump runs constantly and can't reach the 62 psi it used to shut off at. I have been shutting it off at the breaker whenever we don't need water but it seems to be getting worse. I should note that we still have water in the house.

The pressure does not drop either, it just can't reach the shut off point. Any ideas? Do you think I need a new pump as it could have been burned out?

Oh, and the last time I changed my filter (yesterday) there was a lot of sediment in the bottom. Much more than I've ever seen before. I closed and opened the valve several times to blast as much as I could out of there and I did get some more (did it three or four times).

Maybe my well is getting low? We were planning on selling this house and didn't want to have to do any more costly repairs before the sale. Thanks in advance.

Trevor

Forgot to add, the well pump is probably 23 years old. That's when the house was built.

 

Welcome to the forums.

An unusual place for the check valve. Normally a check valve is installed between the pump and the well. What happens is that the check valve at the bottom of the well doesn't seal and the water drains back out of the line causing the system to get airbound.

37' is pretty shallow. You may be running out of water especially with the high amount of sediment you've been finding.

Are there any neighbors you can check with and see how deep their well is and if they've had any recent problems ?

 

I do have neighbors that I can check with. I have a river in my backyard which I would imagine would be indicative of the ground water?? I will ask them and see if they know how deep their wells are. I thought it was pretty shallow when we bought the house also.

 

You're in a fairly cold area. Not much groundwater right now to replenish a shallow well.
Is the river frozen ?

 

In a properly working system you would not need a check valve above ground/after the pump. There is a check valve (foot valve) at the bottom of your well. If that is working properly there is no need for a second check valve above ground but I can understand why you don't/can't pull the well in February. I can think of a couple things that might be causing trouble:

Your pump may be getting weak. Old age especially if it's pumping sand can wear down the impeller and housing. This causes a gradual increase in how long it takes the pump to prime and the maximum pressure it can achieve will also slowly decrease. Most shallow well pumps are not capably of great pressure. Many are only rated up to 50psi and have an absolute max of about 78psi. Operating it with a 40/60 pressure switch puts you closer to it's max pressure capability so when things wear it simply can't get up to your max set pressure. I usually put a 30/50 switch with jet pumps as it allows more margin for error. One easy test for a worn out pump is to change your settings. Your switch is probably adjustable. Try dropping the on/off and pressure tank pressures by 10 pounds and see what happens.

You really need to get access to your pump. This would be a good time to cut in an access panel. Make it big enough to allow you to do real work on the pump. Once you can see the pump let us know if you have one or two pipes leading to your well.

If dropping the pressure does not allow the pump to shut off and the system to work properly then you may be running out of water like PJmax mentioned. With no water to pump the pump can't get up to cut off pressure. It also means water is probably available to the pump in slugs which can cause your water hammer problem. In a properly working system you should never get water hammer caused by the pump. After all you previously did not have a water hammer problem so something has changed in your system. A water hammer arrestor might help but it's just a Band-Aid on the symptom while ignoring the cause.

 

Yes, I am in a very cold area close to Duluth in Northern Minnesota. The river is frozen and can be walked on.

 

I will change the pressure in the switch and the tank and see if the problem goes away. I just left it the way it was not knowing if that would make any difference. I will cut away the wall as well to see what kind of pump I have and let you guys know. Thanks for the replies and suggestions Pilot Dane and PJmax.

 

When cutting open the wall be mindful that you will have to fix it. I would plan on making an access panel so even if you don't need it now it's ready for the future. I find that the size doesn't matter so much (appearance wise) as long as you make it look neat and professional. So, a small access panel doesn't look any better than a big one so I would make it big enough to get in there and turn a wrench, curse and change the pump if you have to.