https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5-9xflGUEU There is a small hole there, and it obviously does not leak a ton, but I'm fairly certain it should not be happening.

What can I do about it?

 

Got me scared.
Is that PVC pipe in an area that get's below 32 Deg.?
Go to any auto parts store and buy a valve stem tool and make sure the stem it tight.
If it still leaks buy a pack of new stems and replace it.

 

I'm not really sure what you are trying to say...I'm putting my thumb directly on the hole.

 

hi CR –

I think Joe didn’t notice that squirt of water at the end because the picture is very dark in that area. I had to look twice myself before I saw it.

I’m no expert and that’s for sure and my well setup is not the same as yours. I have a pressure tank, pressure switch, gauge, all in my basement. I really didn’t understand (and may still not) how your setup would work but after looking at this link I think it may make some sense:

Drain Back tank fittings kit for standard water pressure tanks.

Looks like in your case the water is supposed to drain back down into the well so as not to freeze the pipes, and that snifter valve in your picture allows air into the water line to allow the water to drain back into the well.

I think you are correct, there should be no leak where you see one. But is that a machined hole, I can’t tell? If so maybe there is supposed to be a plug in it. If I understand that snifter valve in your picture is supposed to let the air in (not air in via a hole) after the pump stops, and thus allow the water to drain back down to the well.

I guess the system may be able to operate the way it is now. Maybe the snifter valve wasn’t working so someone removed a plug on that hole? But I don’t know if that makes sense. It seems to me that when the pump is running pressurizing the system, you should see a steady stream of water from the hole. But I could be wrong.

If that hole can take a threaded plug I would plug it and see what happens. It seems that after your pump stops running, if that snifter valve is in fact working, the water would drain back into the well if things are working properly. You could then remove the plug temporarily, just for an observation, and note that no water was coming out of the hole.

This is all assuming (several if’s, lol) that you do in fact have a drain back valve, as described in the link, down below the frost level in your well drop pipe. But it sure seems that way.

Maybe the pros will weigh in.

 

The pressure switch and gauge are in the basement, and there is no pressure tank there, so it must be somewhere underneath where the leak is coming from.

I'm not totally familiar with this setup--we just moved here. In our previous house, we had a setup similar to yours.

I'm not sure if there is supposed to be or if there even can be a plug in that hole.

I've seen that page you referenced in my searching and it seems like that could be an option, if it was setup slightly differently at our house.

 

hi CR –

What I meant was can you see threads in that hole for a plug that gets screwed in – or does it look like somehow a hole was eaten right through the metal and the hole is NOT man-made?

Also, if while the pump runs you see a stream of water from that hole, but the stream stops when the pump stops, then most likely the hole just needs to be plugged.

In other words there may NOT be a leak in some other part of your system.

added: what i mean CR is possibly something like this should be in the hole and it was simply removed:

Pipe Fittings | Brass | Brass Yellow Barstock 1/8" Hex Countersunk Plug Npt Male - Pkg Qty 125 | B315089 - GlobalIndustrial.com

 

CR I guess your tank must be buried. I don’t think they do that much anymore. Looking frame by frame I just noticed there is something protruding from the backside – like a plug or adjustment or something. It’s too dark to tell but that entire top piece may be some kind of special fitting with tappings just for that type of drain-back application. I don’t see how it could be a check valve sitting at the top of a pipe like that.

You might have some luck if you took a couple of well lit pictures of that top piece from different angles and posted them on the plumbing forum. Maybe one of the plumbers has seen something just like that and would know what’s going on there.

Good luck!

CR just found this. Look at the first picture where the tank has been exposed. Looks a lot like your setup.

Any well guys here? | Michigan-Sportsman