Waterless

[wingriderz]

For those that have well vs city water I have a question. We. Are on well for the first time in my life. We did have to have a new well pump put on last year when we bought the property. Pump man said that pump was over 30 years old. He also said at that time we are on a very deep well. We had no issuses other than this morning. To find that pump running but no psi on gauge and no water. A side note wife has had me turn power off to pump when we go to bed at night for about the last 5 months or so.The breaker box is out side. So after all water usage done at night I kill the power. First thing ever morning I turn breaker on and good to go. This morning no go. Pump sounds fine but again on psi on gauge. I shut it down being I dont want the pump to get hot. Any ideas from well folks ?? Ugg dont want to call pump guy on Sunday.

 

[30-30remchester]

For 36 years I drilled wells and installed pumps. Diagnosing a system that is not working is always fun. When I would send a truck out to install a new system on a new well a few supplies and we were good to go. When a service call came in like yours we would loaded the truck to the gills with about everything in the pump shop and many times still did not have the correct parts needed. When a system goes down you have to first start tracking down and eliminating. I would break the line prior to the pressure tank and power up the system. If no water there, reconnect at the tank and call a service man. The problem will be down well and a deep pump is too difficult to handle safely without a pump rig. Could be a broken pipe in the well. You can check this by powering up the well and listen to see if you can hear water squirting and cascading back down the well.

 

[phantomcycle]

For 36 years I drilled wells and installed pumps. Diagnosing a system that is not working is always fun. When I would send a truck out to install a new system on a new well a few supplies and we were good to go. When a service call came in like yours we would loaded the truck to the gills with about everything in the pump shop and many times still did not have the correct parts needed. When a system goes down you have to first start tracking down and eliminating. I would break the line prior to the pressure tank and power up the system. If no water there, reconnect at the tank and call a service man. The problem will be down well and a deep pump is too difficult to handle safely without a pump rig. Could be a broken pipe in the well. You can check this by powering up the well and listen to see if you can hear water squirting and cascading back down the well.

Like he says call a well man if you dont know what your doing
The big no no is to try and pull your pump out of the well yourself cause if it breaks off and falls into the well you will need to drill a new well
So let a pro do the work
Pappy

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[Tyrod]

For folks from other parts of the country, it's rare to have an "in well" pump in Florida. Most pumps sit on the pump head. Wells just don't need to be that deep.

For the OP. In the nearly 40 years I've been pumping water out of the ground in Florida I can tell you it's a PITA. Get ready for a tumultuous ride. Earlier this year, the weather, it was dry. My pump kept losing prime. Eventually, I had to replace the burnt out pump. I'm guessing that may be your problem. If municipal water had been available years ago, I would have been thousands of dollars ahead. Septic tank was a worthwhile investment. It's the sewage treatment part of a typical municipal water bill that is the big hitter.

Well rules:
When the well fails for whatever reason, it will be on the weekend.

Repair costs will usually be triple what you expect.

Finding a reliable well guy is like finding a good car mechanic and if and when you do find one it's gonna cost.

One other point, check to see if you have a check valve inline to your house. You should. At any rate, the water pressure in your house may bleed down overnight. Turning off the pump at night may save the pump, but pressurizing then releasing pressure allowing air to possibly enter the system will raise cane with your plumbing.

Just wait till a hurricane takes out your power for a week to 10 days and you've got a house full of females. In 2004 I got triple hit with hurricanes. Lost power every time for at least 5 days. The worst was nearly 3 weeks. I had a pool full of water, but I couldn't make those women understand that you didn't need to pour a bucket of pool water in the toilet tank, then flush the toilet, just dump the water in the bowl, it'll flush. I did have a generator, but it was time shared trying to keep food refrigerated, frozen and cooked. Naturally, the TV has to blast 24/7.

 

[phantomcycle]

The OP said he has a deep well so my guess is he doesn't have a external shallow well pump but a deep well pump mounted on end of his drop pipe into the well
I have a deep well 230 ft with a 2 hp pump and motor its never gone dry yet and I supply water to 10 mobile homes I did replace my pump and motor about 10 years ago and I put new pipe in at that time too glad I did because drilling new wells around here has gone up by 100% in the last 8 years even a med deep well 130 ft deep is 5 grand or more now

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[wingriderz]

Thanks to all it lost its prime I primed so far so good cant find a leak any any of two bulidings. What has my question is why did I loose prime. The well I am told is below 230 feet deep well with deep pump . Northern end of state

 

[phantomcycle]

Dont shut your pump off every nite ?? A deep well pump motor will not overheat because its sitting in water
I dont know of anyone that shuts off their pumps

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[gman51]

For one ting why are you shutting off power to the well at night since the well shouldn't have to be running anyway when nobody is using water. Sounds to me since you are losing prime that you have a break in a supply pipe causing the water to drain back down. But even them I don't see how a submerged jet pump can lose prime when it is sitting in water deep down inside the well. The water level in the well should be way above the pump. Sounds like your pump isn't sitting real low in the well casing for it to lose prime. But I am no expert by a even a short shot on wells. My well was installed in 1982 and other than a couple times replacing the capacitor and pressure gauge it is original.
I would definitely leave the power breaker on all the time. See if then you don't have the losing prime problem.

 

[perryhd]

If it lost prime I assume it's an above ground pump. If it is above ground it will have a foot valve at the bottom end of the line in the well. The slightest bit of trash or grain of sand can cause the foot valve to leak back into the well. I would not turn the power off over night. I would try to monitor the pump and see how often if at all it runs when you are not using water. This will tell you how much of a leak you have. If it was just a small bit of trash in the foot valve it may have cleared itself when you primed it. Good luck

 

[Faulkner]

I had my well dug (actually it was pounded) in 1992. It's 145 feet deep with a submersible pump and I've never had to touch it in 25 years. I did have to replace the pressure holding tank after about 20 years when the bladder failed, but that was no big deal.

 

[phantomcycle]

There are 3 pump systems single drop jet pump- double drop jet pump- and submersible pump all jet pump systems have the pump motor above ground level a submersible pump is totally mounted in the well casing below the water level
Wingriderz which system do you have ??? The single jet only has one pipe going down the well casing the double jet has two pipes going down the well casing and of course the submersible doesn't have a above ground motor .....which one do you have ?????

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[wingriderz]

There are 3 pump systems single drop jet pump- double drop jet pump- and submersible pump all jet pump systems have the pump motor above ground level a submersible pump is totally mounted in the well casing below the water level
Wingriderz which system do you have ??? The single jet only has one pipe going down the well casing the double jet has two pipes going down the well casing and of course the submersible doesn't have a above ground motor .....which one do you have ?????

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Single jet. The reason why we kill the power at night .wife worried about folks comeing on property.There is alot of water outlets out side. Shes worried they will run the water at night.

 

[30-30remchester]

When I read the OP had a deep well I instantly assumed submersible pump. Here in the mountains only submersibles and pitless adapters are used. Too cold to and costly to have a surface pump. If it lost prime you have a leak down hole with the culprit most likely a foot valve on the bottom. There is also a chance of a pin hole leak in the drop pie. As others have said, there is no need what so ever to shut a pump off every night. The pump will not be running anyhow since you are in bed and not using the well. As I said, diagnosing a water problem over the phone or off the web is quite challenging when all the facts have not been relayed. Got to ask the OP one question. How deep is your deep well? Here it is not uncommon to have 500' to 700' wells.

 

[phantomcycle]

Ok a single jet will only pump about 25-30 ft deep...your system doesnt make too much sence if you have a well casing going 230 ft deep a well that deep needs either a double jet or a submersible pump
As far as people turning on your water put a lock box on outside spigots will stop that
Personally I would have a well man come out and look at your system because if you get into a water table drop you will need a new pump setup to go deeper and have him access your outside water spigots to secure them then you can leave your pump on ??

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[mtgianni]

I last paid city water in 1983. I cannot imagine how many thousands I am ahead by being on a well. I have paid replaced pumps, control boxes and pressure tanks. My electricity cost in our previous home were $10 a month over winter months in the months I watered. Sprinklers ran from 10 pm until 6 AM every night. In town to water a lawn bills were close to $125 for metered water per month.
If my wife were so insistent that faucets not be run at night by intruders I would A] get a big dog, B] replace my faucets with ones that used an industrial handle instead of a residential one. I would be far more concerned about transient use of property than water but that's me.

 

[johngalt]

My folks have a well in northern WI. I agree with those who say there is no need to shut it off at night. They still have the original, built in the mid 70s. I can't help with your problem though.

Another comment: the circuit breaker is not intended to be used as an on/off switch, it will eventually fail. Every time the switch is thrown it arcs and will burn out.

My folks put the well and a water heater on a real switch after their breaker burned out.