Well it's a deep subject...

Ridgewalker · Jul 17, 2014

I have a well on my rural land that hasn't got much use the last
couple of years. I recently started using it again and at first the
flow was very weak, almost a trickle. This is from a well
that put out lots of pressure previously.

It has gotten better the last couple of weekends but is nothing
like it was. I'm wondering if my pressure tank needs more pressure?
It's buried next to the well cap, how do I check it?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Don

rswyan · Jul 17, 2014

What type of tank - internal (rubber) bladder or just a plain tank ?

Typically a pressure tank's "pressure" (pre-charge) is checked with it empty ...

The pressure switch that controls the pump may need adjusted if you are lacking pressure ... but that assumes there is actually water present in the well for the pump to build pressure. You may need some maintenance (known as bailing) to remove any sediment that has accumulated at the bottom of the well, which reduces the well's own storage capacity, and can accumulate to the point where it's actually blocking the well pump's inlet (if you have a submersible pump down in the well)

As far as flow and the well's ability to recharge itself goes, there are several procedures a well driller can potentially use to clean off/resurface the face/surface of the well, to get it to produce (refill) at it's maximum rate:

Restoring flow - Wellowner.org

oosik · Jul 17, 2014

The way to go on this - contact a reputable well driller. The type of maintenance/repairs you may need are not of the type that the average homeowner has knowledge of or is prepared to do. Nor does the average homeowner have the required equipment to effect the necessary maintenance/repairs. This will require dealing with water & electricity and they do not mix well.

Firemanbuck · Jul 17, 2014

There are a number of things that could be going on, with none of them having to do with the pressure tank or switch. You could have scale buildup on the well screen or the pump intake reducing flow (my guess). You say things have gotten better which leads me to believe that with pumping, some of the scale has broken off and allowed the flow to increase. Your flow wouldn't increase over time if the problem was with the pressure tank.

Oosik has the answer - contact either a driller or a pump maintenance company to come out and troubleshoot the problem.

turnkey4099 · Jul 19, 2014

Firemanbuck said:
There are a number of things that could be going on, with none of them having to do with the pressure tank or switch. You could have scale buildup on the well screen or the pump intake reducing flow (my guess). You say things have gotten better which leads me to believe that with pumping, some of the scale has broken off and allowed the flow to increase. Your flow wouldn't increase over time if the problem was with the pressure tank.

Oosik has the answer - contact either a driller or a pump maintenance company to come out and troubleshoot the problem.

Just for a ball park expense example. I just got done with a well outfit replacing 60' of galv drop pipe, with plastic, digging out the well head to replace the pitless adapter fitting and digging out/replacing two 4' bury frost free hydrants. Took them 2 trips due to some problems. $1980.

Not bad.

Harry K

oosik · Jul 19, 2014

Last year my house well pump began screaming when it ran. I have a shallow (pit well - 26 feet deep) well and the pump was replaced and a new pressure tank was installed in the basement. Previously I had a jet pump and pressure tank in the well pit and sitting on a wood deck about 10 down from the surface. The total bill was $2550 - - which I do not consider excessive. The reason I use this well - which was hand dug in 1897 and brick lined all the way to the bottom - is because its a year round spring, produces over 100 gpm and was already on the property when we built.

Ridgewalker · Jul 22, 2014

An update; I made it back to the farm this past weekend and my cousin showed up with
two pipe wrenches and a cheater bar. We took the top off the hydrant, pulled the rod
and turned it on to see what would happen.

It ran with good pressure and it was red as it could be but after a bit it did clear up.

We got a rag and held it over the top of the pipe until the well kicked off, released the
rag and we had a 10 ft. column of red water. We did that about 25 times and it ran clear.

So we put the hydrant head and rod back in only to be getting just a trickle again.
That's when we noticed that the jam nut holding the pump handle to the rod
was loose. Once we tightened that I had great pressure and I am back in business!

I let it run off and on all weekend and it's clean, clear and tastes great!

Thanks for the comments, I'm glad I didn't have to involve the pros and was
able to save a few dollars. It would have been embarrassing to call the pro
for a loose jam nut.