So, The Submersible Well Pump Took A Dump...

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Dix

Dix

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
May 27, 2008
6,698
Long Island, NY
Had a trickle yesterday morning when I turned on the shower. Turned it off, when down to the basement, and fiddled the switches & levers, and the tank filled. I said "hmm, something funky happened". Shower was semi decent, I figured pressure issue due to tank recharging. Silly me.

This AM nadda, nyet, nyenti, even after fiddling. Good thing I'm an experienced well owner, bottled water a plenty in this joint. Got through the morning, came home from work to meet the well tech, and got the kiss of death.

They'll be back tomorrow to replace it.

:mad:
 
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Happened to me in February of 2015, the winter of my discontent. Had to first find someone to respond on a Sunday and then had to hand dig a path through the 3-4' of snow that we had on the ground so that we could pull out the old one, thankfully the temps were reasonably mild that day. May sounds a ton better for this to happen, but it sucks regardless.
 
Almost 100% of the time I have encountered pump problems, it has been the pressure switch. Which is a relatively easy fix. So hope you have good luck with this.
 
maple1 said:
Almost 100% of the time I have encountered pump problems, it has been the pressure switch. Which is a relatively easy fix. So hope you have good luck with this.
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So you mean the switch fails and that causes the pump to work overtime?

I'm actually going to install a 300 gallon reserve tank in my basement. This will operate on a series of level sensors and prevent the pump from coming off and on repeatedly. I may only come on a few times a day. It will have a second pump that pulls from the tank that is made for quick on and off cycling..and I can vary my home potable water pressure independent of the well pump.
$3k,,so I've been putting it off.
 
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I was speaking mainly of the switch stopping to work & not turning the pump on when the house pressure got low. Or doing it intermittently. That could be from something electric like contacts corroding (quite likely living in a dampish basement), or it could be from sediment or dirt getting in the pressure sensing (wet) side & gumming that up so the switch doesn't see pressure properly - which I guess would make a fail or going wonky the other way & not turn the pump off when it gets up to pressure. I've had both. If you've got a weakish pump, it could keep on running until it burn out or you notice it hasn't shut off. Or it builds enough pressure to blow something off - if the pump is capable. Also good for running up your power bill without noticing until you get your bill.

I don't have a submersible, and am glad I don't need one - a running pump is something that grates me like fingers on chalkboards even if it's not loud. Even if nobody else here notices it running, every time it starts I am cycling 'is something using water right now or is something running when it shouldn't be' in the background of my brain space. Leaky toilet flappers usually being the main problem I'd find. As far as I know a submersible has a similar pressure switch - or at least the only one I have been involved with in trouble shooting did.

Sounds here though that a tech has already diagnosed a bad pump - missed that the first read. Hope he's reliable.
 
Company has been around for ever. They put the well in, and have done service ever since.

They got delayed on another job today, so now will be here tomorrow.
 
Sorry to hear the pump kicked the bucket Dix. I've been in your spot when the water-line froze in February 2014 ... the year old heat trace quit. It gets a little tricky when you have to recover the submersible pump from a frozen lake!!! I had all the fun with installing exterior heat trace and insulation for the temporary line:( Never been happier than to see the water come out of the taps like it should rather than the buckets or blue jugs on the counter...

I know you have horses ... are they affected by this or stabled somewhere else?
 
Lake Girl said:
Sorry to hear the pump kicked the bucket Dix. I've been in your spot when the water-line froze in February 2014 ... the year old heat trace quit. It gets a little tricky when you have to recover the submersible pump from a frozen lake!!! I had all the fun with installing exterior heat trace and insulation for the temporary line:( Never been happier than to see the water come out of the taps like it should rather than the buckets or blue jugs on the counter...

I know you have horses ... are they affected by this or stabled somewhere else?
Click to expand...

Yep, blue jugs with taps on the counter, heating HW on the propane stove, reusing the rinse water for the toilet, etc.

The girls are at a friends 15 miles away. THAT pump crapped out last fall :confused:
 
What we take for granted... until we can't. Hope they get you up and running today.
 
Done, and up & running. Holy water pressure, Batman !!!!

Left work to meet the 2 awesome guys from Casola Well Driilers. They already had the hole dug as well (ha ha !!) as the pump & pipe out when I got here. Pipe had cracked (sorry didn't get a pic of that)
[Hearth.com] So, The Submersible Well Pump Took A Dump... [Hearth.com] So, The Submersible Well Pump Took A Dump...

They upgraded the connections, and added this, which, I assume, is for ease of access?

[Hearth.com] So, The Submersible Well Pump Took A Dump...

Added chlorine to kill bacteria, and filled it in for me.

Figured out last night while talking with the Dixette, that the pump is 25 years old. I'd say it owes me nothing !! Took them about 3 hours total.

Ran the faucets with filters removed for a few minutes, and bought a new shower head ;)

Tank pressure is sitting nicely @ 60 !
 
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Good deal ... So was it the pipe that actually created the issue and ran the pump til it croaked?

Lots of folks on Long Island with pumps or just a few fringe residents? Surprised me that there were any...
 
Lake Girl said:
Good deal ... So was it the pipe that actually created the issue and ran the pump til it croaked?

Lots of folks on Long Island with pumps or just a few fringe residents? Surprised me that there were any...
Click to expand...

Long Island is not what many people think. Once you get past midway through Suffolk County, your into the sticks... farms, wineries, wide open spaces. Further to the west, it's "urban sprawl". Out here by me, and further east, wells are common. The east end (except for villages and towns) usually every one is on a well. No NG for heat, it's oil, propane, firewood, or coal.

It was age, which cracked the pipe. probably been working for a while, and I didn't notice. Although I did notice more iron working it's way against the fixtures, but figured "it's a well, it's going to happen".

I will add that the Dixettes dad did the last install, and using a radiator hose to get the water from the well to the house, was probably not the best idea he ever had :p
 
Dix said:
I will add that the Dixettes dad did the last install, and using a radiator hose to get the water from the well to the house, was probably not the best idea he ever had :p
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Amazed it got approved ... but 25 years ago may explain as there likely was little or no approval process. Schedule 40 PVC, I think, is what they use for potable water.

I had a different perception of Long Island ... heavily populated all over but sounds like that is wrong;) Sounds about the same as my area (minus coal heating) but you are a whole lot closer to lots of people; me, not so much;lol
 
Lake Girl said:
Amazed it got approved ... but 25 years ago may explain as there likely was little or no approval process. Schedule 40 PVC, I think, is what they use for potable water.

I had a different perception of Long Island ... heavily populated all over but sounds like that is wrong;) Sounds about the same as my area (minus coal heating) but you are a whole lot closer to lots of people; me, not so much;lol
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Approved???

:p
 
Wells and septic fields have to be approved by our local Health Unit ... site location, materials used & installed properly. Got a whole lot worse with requirements for water treatment for commercial ventures ie fishing resorts etc due to the community wells in Walkerton, ON were contaminated by ecoli bacteria from manure run-off... 7 dead, 2500 sick. Approved systems are a big deal when you go to sell your property in the future ... each component not approved would knock off $15000 or better from the asking price.
 
Glad the drama is over and water is flowing again Dix. You're right, 25 yrs. is a good long run. It's great to hear that you have good folks for service. Being without water is the pits.
 
Mine died the day before a bunch of people were coming for Thanksgiving dinner. Got ripped off royally, especially since they couldn't get the thing pulled up and I had to do it for them, but just bit my lip and paid'em.

Dinner went fine.

Glad you are flushing with glee.
 
I moved into my house in November of 2014 and I know my well is in the back yard. I have a retaining wall between the house and the well, and it's really freaking me out a bit because I don't know exactly where it is and it would probably be a nightmare to replace the line.

Any suggestions on how to be more prepared for disaster I would appreciate it.:oops:
 
Judging that you have a shallow concrete casing well? You could try locating it with a metal detector as there are usually lifting rings on the top. A grid search method would be helpful starting at the retaining wall and moving away from the house.

Wells in my area have to be approved by our Northwestern Health Unit ... they have a site plan on file as part of the approval process. Similar agency or process in your community?
 
Wells in my area have to be approved by our Northwestern Health Unit ... they have a site plan on file as part of the approval process. Similar agency or process in your community?

Well calling the town hall may be a very good first step. ==c There is also a label on the pressure tank in the cellar too. I may remember it being an artesian well but I just have to do more research to be sure. I don't know as much as I would like about them. I wonder if they are more likely to do a certain type of well near a lake...
 
Artesian well may just be a small diameter casing that may be steel or capped with steel.

When you find it, get GPS coordinates and record those on the volume tank!
 
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