Air in water lines

[SPYDERLK]

Jerome, take every opportunity you can to observe your water in a clear glass as it runs from the tap. Is it ever milky then quickly clears? This is due to small bubbles. These bubbles get in when your pump sucks air. After overnite in the pipes the bubbles coalesce into the noticeable air you get in the morning. Im thinking your water level has gone down in your well. You may have to lowerthe pump 30' or so.
Larry

 

[RonMar]

In a positive pressure system(switch maintains system pressure between 30 and 60 PSI), the only way to induce air into the system is at the source. your water table may have dropped. You could disconnect your main line at the wellhead and let the pump run at maximum volume/minimum pessure to see if it can suck the level below the pump inlet. You might be able to accomplish the same thing by opening a bunch of faucets in your home, but restrictions in the system usually limit the flow and you probably wouldn't get max flow even with all the faucets open. Best way to get max flow is as near the pump as possible. Well volume and recovery time are common testsThey measure the water level, remove a high volume of water over a short period and measure the lowest water level, then they measure the ammount of time it takes for the water level to return to the original measured level.

Last time I checked, wells are expensive to drill. I don't know why someone would sink a 250' well when you only need to put the pump at 150'. Slow recovery time is the only reason I could see to want 100' of water over the pump. There may be another reason it is only at 150', such as a previous pump failed and they were unable to retrieve it and a section of pipe and it is still there at the bottom of the well caseing.

 

[Egon]

The water supplying aquifer may be far below the 150 ft. depth of the pump.

 

[roxynoodle]

That's what I'm thinking, your water level is too low. However, I recently replaced a pressure switch because the little bladder in it went bad. Usually what I get is the pressure switches corrode. It is an easy and cheap repair to try at least to see if it solves the problem. I would also make sure your pressure tank is holding the 32psi.

 

[chucko]

I have the same thing happening mine is the foot valve.
To fix it you have to pull the pump and cut the pipe and add a good check valve right at the pump making sure it is well below your water level

 

[kmdigital]

It could also be something like your water softner, especially if the air occurs after it regenerates. This is actually quite common, so if you have any kind of filtration or softner system this is also something to check.

More likely though, depending on how long this has been happening and assuming that you have the bladder style pressure tank, is that there is a small hole in the bladder. The air is leaking out of the bladder and being replaced with water. But this won't last too long, as soon there isn't any air left in the tank and your pump short cycles big time.

 

[Greenhouseray]

I agree with Chucko on the foot valve below the pump. We have a well supplying our greenhouses. We pump a lot of water and the pump cycles a lot. We have had air in the lines several times. The footvalves purpose is to hold the column of water between the pump and the faucet. What happens is the column of water in the pipe leaks down through the leaky footvalve , when the pump is off. This then draws air from wherever it can ,small leaks in faucets toilet valves pipe joints, wherever to fill the void in the pipe. When you open a faucet and the pressure in the system drops to kick in the pump the water being pumped forces the air out of the open faucet. The air is most noticed in the morning because the pump has been idle all night and the column of air has been building.We have replaced the footvalve whenever we experience the air in the line. The footvalves were always worn out. You have to pull the pump to replace the footvalve.
Greenhouseray

 

[shasta]

I would suggest that you pull the pump in your well and check for a small hole in the pipe leading up from the pump. Something has rubbed a hole in it. The pump will push the water up when it is on then when it shuts off the water drains back down the pipe the level in the casing, creating a vaccume and sucking air through the hole into the pipe. Then the next time the pump comes on the water pushes the air to the house.

 

[Egon]

Think that the pump would be constanly cycling in that type of situation.

 

[hbaird]

I have a no bladder tank on my well. The pump allways pumps a colunm of air before the water starts. A replaceable float on the tank vents air as needed to keep the water level well above the tank outlet. When the float fails the air builds up and I get air before the pump turns on and refills the tank.