No water pressure at the well head!! Help!!!

[clovergamecock]

I really hope this is not a pump again. This would be the 4th in 2 years and the 3rd Miller!!! The other night we lost pressure in the house. I thought it was because my daughter took a bath in the garden tub and my son who stays in there 30 minutes took a shower right after and in the mean time the washing machine was running. This has never been a problem before now.

I went out to the head and had very little pressure. What really turns my stomach is that I can hear the pump humming. The well is 320' down and the pump is probably 50+ feet below the water line or at least it was 6 months ago. I really would hope that this could be a pressure switch but based on the symptoms I am seriously doubting it...

Any suggestions or advice???

Thanks
Wade

 

[dex3361]

Could be a leak in the line either in the ground or down the well. What kind of pipe do you have and do you have a well house at the head of the well to check pressures?

 

[Egon]

What has been happening to the other pumps?

 

[creekbend]

Several months ago, we lost pressure and I bought a new pump. When my SIL and I pulled the pump out, the pump was okay but one of the connectors in the line was corroded and had a substantial size hole in it. It was galvanized and I replaced it with copper. We installed the new pump also while we were at it.

 

[Egon]

Continuity check?

 

[sam5570]

well i just went threw water problems with a well ,and got some great help from the folks here on th forrum.if you hear the pump humming then make sure on the switch that you have 220 volts at the switch or you have a busted line some where between pump and tank. if you don't have much preasure at the well head ,it would seem to me the problem would be from that point back to the pump.hope this helps

 

[clovergamecock]

After verifying 220 and doing the continity check. We finally just pulled the pump again. 320' later it was out. Pump and line had a lot of silt\sand\sediment on it. A friend who is a local plumber was not able to come over but said that it sounds like the blader tank went bad causing the pump to continue to run until it burned up. We did turn the pump on once it was out and it did run but was not nearly as quiet as it was when I put it in 6 months ago. Luckily the pump is still under warranty and I have a new bladder tank under a second house we are getting ready to have moved. So hopefully all this will cost me is time.

We did tie a weight to a string and lowered it into the well to make sure it was not dry. From the measurments we got the water is about 30' deep and the pump is about 20' into it and 10' above the bottom.

All this sound about right?

 

[taos]

That sounds ok but maybe the well is not refilling fast enough .how many gallons per minute? The aquifer in the well could be plugged.

 

[sam5570]

After verifying 220 and doing the continity check. We finally just pulled the pump again. 320' later it was out. Pump and line had a lot of silt\sand\sediment on it. A friend who is a local plumber was not able to come over but said that it sounds like the blader tank went bad causing the pump to continue to run until it burned up. We did turn the pump on once it was out and it did run but was not nearly as quiet as it was when I put it in 6 months ago. Luckily the pump is still under warranty and I have a new bladder tank under a second house we are getting ready to have moved. So hopefully all this will cost me is time.

We did tie a weight to a string and lowered it into the well to make sure it was not dry. From the measurments we got the water is about 30' deep and the pump is about 20' into it and 10' above the bottom.

All this sound about right?

ok i have had the blatter bust in a tank before but never burned pump up. but with the kid's using it alot i could see that happening. glad your going to get by without breaking the bank.

 

[The kid]

After verifying 220 and doing the continity check. We finally just pulled the pump again. 320' later it was out. Pump and line had a lot of silt\sand\sediment on it. A friend who is a local plumber was not able to come over but said that it sounds like the blader tank went bad causing the pump to continue to run until it burned up. We did turn the pump on once it was out and it did run but was not nearly as quiet as it was when I put it in 6 months ago. Luckily the pump is still under warranty and I have a new bladder tank under a second house we are getting ready to have moved. So hopefully all this will cost me is time.

We did tie a weight to a string and lowered it into the well to make sure it was not dry. From the measurments we got the water is about 30' deep and the pump is about 20' into it and 10' above the bottom.

All this sound about right?

You say the plumber said a busted bladder would caused the pump to run continuous. Think a moment of what he's saying. What is the bladders purpose? it is to maintain pressure at a certain level longer by having air press against the water. If you do not have any leaks in your line, your pressure valve at whatever pressure it's set for should kick off at the pressure once reached whether your bladder is working or not. If the bladder was bad, your water pressure would drop like a rock when you turned on a spicket and the pressure switch would come back on. Check your pressure relay for pitting. Clean them for temp use and replace ASAP. If the pump was running continuous would indicate a serious leak in your line. A clogged pump can stress the pump and cause a premature failure. My guess from experience is a leak in the pipe in the well. I'd invest in new pipe. 20' rigid schedule 80 threaded pipe sections. Where is the bladder located? Inside? I had a chlorinator on mine which alerted me my pump was running continuously due to a leak. If your relay and bladder in located inside, you need a visiual indicator when your pump is on and you would know if it was running all the time.

Since there was some debris in your pump you might consider raising it a few feet from where it was.