I have a 95 foot deep 4 inch dia well. I don't really know what type it is, but the motor is above ground mounted to the bladder tank. Not sure if that is also the pump, or if there is a pump part of it submerged. Two pipes come from the well; a third goes from pump to house. The bladder tank and pressure gauge has been bad for years; previous owner installed a 2nd one in crawlspace which I was planning to replace shortly because the pump often ran longer than it should. The pump is at least 20 years old and due for replacement. If the pump is just that motor assembly mounted on the tank I can probably do that myself. I don't know what I'm doing but it looks straightforward, bolt off and bold onn. If there is something down in the well that went bad I'm in trouble, because I don't have the money to have someone come out and fart with that.

I just returned from 3 months away. When I left I drained the pipes and blew out the pump and lines. Its an artesian well so I shut off the line that feeds the motor, sending all the water to the overflow line out in the swamp. When I came back Wednesday night I primed it and it fired right up. Have had no issues in the last 2 days. Tonight (Friday night) I suddenly had no water. Went to the well house and could hear the motor running. Unplugged it, primed it with 2 gallons of water, and fired it up. Same as before-motor sounds like its running but no water.

For the night I shut off the artesian overflow in hopes I have a trickle of artesian water pressure by morning. If nothing else the pump/motor should be well primed. But I'm not sure what my next step is, other than getting the name/model of the pump/motor so y'all know what I've got here.

 

ah..not sure which model but looks to be one of these, its a 1/2 hp Simer Carefree Convertible Jet Pump that looks much like the picture
http://www.simerpumps.com/Residentia...5E_nodash.aspx

Maybe there is a leak in the suction line, or maybe I didn't prime it enough. I've never had to use even 2 gallons before, and this time it still wasn't running over even with 2 gallons added. I thought that was odd.

 

When you prime the pump.... fill the pump chamber up..... does it stay full or does it seem like it's draining out ?

You have a two pipe system with an ejector and a foot valve. If the foot valve doesn't seal the water will drain out as fast as you try to prime it.

 

It's possible the venturi at the bottom of the well is clogged. It's inside the "jet ejector" in PJmax's diagram. Unfortunately to clean it you need to pull the well to get at it.

 

The water seemed to be draining out when I tried to prime it last night but there are no obvious leaks. I guess my priming bottle was only 3 liters so I used about 6 liters not 2 gallons, but that's still more than I've ever had to use before. I wonder if the suction line froze inside the well while I was away and sprung a leak <shudder>. I'm going to try and prime it again today but this isn't looking good. I've never lost the prime before except when I shut the system down.

I'm not getting any artesian water into the house this morning either. This also points to something other than a pump problem

 

My well is inside a building, an old garage that was put there long after the well was drilled. I'm afraid to ask...how would one remove (or reinstall) 95 feet of well pipe with a 12-15 foot ceiling? I hope I don't have to find out

 

I think the foot valve isn't closing. I poured in about 15 liters of water and it all went somewhere.

Could it be draining into the (bad) bladder tank though?

 

It's more likely going down the well.

Can you tell what the line is going down to the well pump.....black poly, iron ?

I'm thinking you may have to cut the pipe as it comes up and then replace with 10' sections.

 

The pipes coming out of the well cap are both metal.

 

If you have metal pipes down the well it's also possible they have rusted through. The good news is if you have to pull the well re-installing with black poly piping is relatively easy.

 

local well guy also thinks rusted pipes in the well are likely the problem. He said it could easily be $2000 for him to come fix it. I need to explore the possibility of doing it myself on the cheap.

I can probably rig some kind of a hoist from overhead beams, although they are only 2x4 and might need some reinforcement/support first. Then what-use my truck to pull it up a few feet at a time? Ugh. Lots of fun ahead. I sure wish the creek would thaw, so at least I would have easy access to flushing water.

 

New, possibly useless information:

When I pour water in the primer hole, the level goes down to just below where the pipe T's off to the bladder tank below it. This suggests to me that all the water that I'm pouring in is going to the tank, and maybe not down the well after all. There may also be some wishful thinking involved. However.

I turned the pump on and walked away for a while, and went back to shut it off. I opened the primer port and the level was still there, right below the T. But that should be enough to prime the pump. I opened the drain valve on the pump and water came out. Its got water. I then turned the pump on with the port open, and water shot up out of it.

 

I pull a lot of wells by myself and I've found this knot helpful. Tie the knot around your well pipe and attach the loop sticking out on the right to something secure. It's a safety in case you slip and drop the pipe and it will hold the pipe to allow you take a break. When you loosen the knot it will allow the pipe to slide through but if you drop the pipe it will cinch tight and grab hold.



With this knot I'd pull up the pipe until you hit the ceiling. Then gently let the pipe down until the knot cinches tight and carries the weight. Then cut off the pipe sticking out of the well. Then keep repeating until you get to the bottom. Also keep in mind that the beginning is the worst. It will get lighter the more you pull out.

If you don't already have get a reciprocating saw and buy extra blades for cutting metal. The blades will have really fine teeth like a hack saw. Don't open the packs of blades until you need them so unused ones can be returned but nothing is worse than being near the end and having to make a road trip to get more blades.

And I've got to warn you it will be messy. Even though the water may come from your tap nice and clean the pipe will come up slippery, slimy and snot covered. It will be difficult to grab so good gloves help.

After all that putting new black plastic poly piping down the well will seem like a piece of cake.

 

Thanks for the ideas, that will be very helpful. I don't think I can lift nearly 200 feet of pipe manually though, even if I double up on my spinach.

 

The well tank had a leak. Disaster averted.

 

is there any reason I can't buy a cheaper vertical tank and use it horizontally? I'm putting it in the crawlspace not in the pump house.