# Plumbers - Wellmen



## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Here is the issue. Long about Christmas time I noticed my pump kicking in when there was no water being used but it was pretty infrequent. Lately it seems to kick in about once an hour or so. It seems to run for quite some time, not the kick in and out I had when my old surge tank went bad 25 years ago. 

Every faucet, inside and out, was checked. Then I thought it might be a leak in the system but I crawled under the house with a flashlight and cannot find anything. I was hoping it was something simple but right now I fear it might be as complicated as taking out a loan for something major. Any ideas of what it might be before I start calling the professionals? 

I should add that it is a shallow well pump. FM


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

I'm not a plumber or a wellman. Just have a couple that I maintain. Is there a pressure gauge that you can watch, either on the pump or the pressure tank?? The pressure MUST be dropping for some reason. Could be a check valve leaking in the well pipe, a leak in the well pipe itself, or a leak somewhere else. I chased a problem once and found a hose hooked up to an outside faucet that I forgot about. HAS to be a pressure drop somewhere. If you can watch the gauge, and shut the house supply off, that could help isolate where the problem could be; either house side or well side..


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

This link may help.
http://inspectapedia.com/water/Intermittent_Water_Pump_Cycling.php


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## rollin stone (Dec 31, 2011)

Water is going somewhere. Many times it's the flapper in the toilet tank. Put some food coloring in the tank to see if it seeps in to the bowl. Could also be the check valve located between the pump and the well.


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## rollin stone (Dec 31, 2011)

If you have a water softener the backwash valve can also malfunction ( not close completely). If you can bypass the softener you can eliminate or confirm that possibility.


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## tmanmi (Sep 20, 2005)

I had a similar issue a few years ago. Well guy found a cracked line at one of the fittings on the pump/well head. Water was going back into the ground, nothing showing on the surface.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

What kind of a well/pump do you have? Is the pump at the top of the well or is it inside the well/a submersible pump?

In either case you should have a valve just past the bladder tank that shuts the water off into the house. Close the valve and watch to see if the pressure bleeds down. 

If it does that you could have a 1) bad/leaking check valve. 2) if its submersible pump you could have a hole in your drop pipe.

If the pressure doesn't drop then you've got a leak in the house somewhere. Many times I've found a leaking flapper valve in the toilet to be the issue.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

If it is a submersible pump it could be the pittman value.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

ibthetrout said:


> If it is a submersible pump it could be the pittman value.


Did you get auto corrected and meant to say Pitless Adaptor?

Yes, although rarer I've seen those leak, had the nipple rotted off the pitless on the outside of the well.


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## rollin stone (Dec 31, 2011)

I've never seen a submersible shallow well pump. But who knows?


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## cliftp (Jan 13, 2007)

Forest Meister said:


> Here is the issue. Long about Christmas time I noticed my pump kicking in when there was no water being used but it was pretty infrequent. Lately it seems to kick in about once an hour or so. It seems to run for quite some time, not the kick in and out I had when my old surge tank went bad 25 years ago.
> 
> Every faucet, inside and out, was checked. Then I thought it might be a leak in the system but I crawled under the house with a flashlight and cannot find anything. I was hoping it was something simple but right now I fear it might be as complicated as taking out a loan for something major. Any ideas of what it might be before I start calling the professionals?
> 
> I should add that it is a shallow well pump. FM


Hope this isn't what yours is doing BUT, last winter I kept noticing mine cycling on and off, and it was getting more frequent. Assumed it was the tank so replaced it. Tried to ignore the cycling but after a few more weeks I finally called the well guy. He came out and said he needed to pull the well, 70 feet or so, and he couldn't get his truck to the well unless I shoveled. So I shoveled snow. Finally able to get him back, he attempted to pull the well and the pipe snapped. It was completely rusted and perforated. Ended up putting something on a piece of pipe that looked like a big EZ out tried to snag the pump. Finally did after and hour or so, said the only other option was a new well. Trashed the pump, but I was sure happy to see it come up. New well, and new pipe, everything is fine. Hope yours is simpler.

Paul C.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

cliftp said:


> Hope this isn't what yours is doing BUT, last winter I kept noticing mine cycling on and off, and it was getting more frequent. Assumed it was the tank so replaced it. Tried to ignore the cycling but after a few more weeks I finally called the well guy. He came out and said he needed to pull the well, 70 feet or so, and he couldn't get his truck to the well unless I shoveled. So I shoveled snow. Finally able to get him back, he attempted to pull the well and the pipe snapped. It was completely rusted and perforated. Ended up putting something on a piece of pipe that looked like a big EZ out tried to snag the pump. Finally did after and hour or so, said the only other option was a new well. Trashed the pump, but I was sure happy to see it come up. New well, and new pipe, everything is fine. Hope yours is simpler.
> 
> Paul C.


Thanks everyone for all the info and suggestions. It really is appreciated.

Having a well issue is what I have been fearing most. If it is a well problem, a major one, I'm down the tubes (pun intended) and it is a new well for sure because the present well is under the house and cannot be pulled.

Right now I am following up on the suggestions you guys have provided. Went back under the house, after digging the snow from the outside door, and no evidence of a leak. Then I checked all the toilets again and one has a tiny leak which I figure at less than a cup or two an hour, but I knew it had that minor leak almost immediately after moving in about 30 years ago. Even if my estimate is 100% off it is not nearly enough to cause the pump to kick in every hour or so. It would be fixed but I haven't found the right parts for it, it is a unique model.

I bypassed the softener about three hours ago but due an emergency with a neighbor falling on the ice I just got home an hour or so ago and have been using water so it might be later tonight or early tomorrow morning before I can say for sure whether or not it is a softener issue. I sure hope it is because that would be the easiest to remedy.

If it comes down to shutting off valves I am going to get a professional in. Those valves have not been shut off since I moved in almost three decades ago. Several years ago when I did try to close a valve it sprung a leak and since I lacked the proper tools I had to call a plumber anyway. Yah, I could get a pipe cutter and a decent soldering torch but plumbers need to make a living too and I am getting to old to enjoy creeping around in that not very high crawl space. FM


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Keep us posted..Good luck


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Eureka! Since there was what appeared to be that small leak in the flapper and needing to eliminate every possibility before calling a plumber, I decided to pull it and clean the bottom in case the seal was bad. When I took it out I found a wear-thru about half an inch long that doubled in size when I touched it. Long story short, I took it into town and found a universal flapper that looked close. Brought it home, put it on, turned on the water, put in the dye and an hour later there was no hint of dye in the bowl. Been sitting here for two hours without running any water and pump has not kicked in. 

Amazing how much water a very small hole can release given enough time. If I had not experienced it I would not have believed it. Thanks again guys, for all the suggestions and help. FM


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## polaris500 (Jul 24, 2010)

rollin stone said:


> I've never seen a submersible shallow well pump. But who knows?



I have, I had one.


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## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

Forest Meister said:


> Eureka! Since there was what appeared to be that small leak in the flapper and needing to eliminate every possibility before calling a plumber, I decided to pull it and clean the bottom in case the seal was bad. When I took it out I found a wear-thru about half an inch long that doubled in size when I touched it. Long story short, I took it into town and found a universal flapper that looked close. Brought it home, put it on, turned on the water, put in the dye and an hour later there was no hint of dye in the bowl. Been sitting here for two hours without running any water and pump has not kicked in.
> 
> Amazing how much water a very small hole can release given enough time. If I had not experienced it I would not have believed it. Thanks again guys, for all the suggestions and help. FM


Amazing how simple a fix can sometimes be for the most frustrating problems. This morning my wife mentioned she was concerned about lack of the usual water pressure for doing the morning dishes. 
Oh-Oh methinks. :rant:
Bum pump, bum tank...call a plummer...:yikes:
Wait a second: I *had* pressure in the shower.

Unscrewed the faucet nozzle, blew it and it's screen out, tooth brushed with CLR.
Back to normal again for 3 minutes work. No cost.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Good to hear you found the problem and it was an easy fix!


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