I am the water bitch!

a reply to: mOjOm

I became the water Nazi around my house for a while and everyone pissed outdoors other than the women. But even they were told not to flush unless it had to be done.

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, it goes down lol.

Lucky for us there's a creek not far from the house where we got water.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Mate, Start looking for leaks. You are losing your water somewhere, it could be a faucet that drips, a busted or leaky pipe, a toilet flapper that is leaking.

The reasons the regulator doesn't help is you are using more water than you should, whether that is willing or not.

a reply to: Aeshma

Thanks. I'm looking tomorrow. It doesn't do it all the time but more than it should. It drives me nuts.

a reply to: Skid Mark

a reply to: Bybyots
That's my life down to a T lol. Well, not so much carrying water anymore but yes.

a reply to: Skid Mark

I read your thread, but didn't see the answer: Is this a pressure pump with an expansion tank? Looses prime during usage? If so, I can help you. You may still be the water bitch, but it won't happen as often.

a reply to: argentus
It's an above ground pump. I don't know what an expansion tank is.

This isn't exactly what the pressure tank is like but it's something like it:


You have it exactly right. It loses prime during usage.

a reply to: Skid Mark

You likely have a small leak on the suction side --- as opposed to the output side. As other members have said, you could also have a problem with the foot valve that goes down into the well. The foot valve has a gasket and spring arrangement that keeps the pressure when the pump isn't being used, but allows for water to be drawn up from the well.

Check around the suction side of the pump very carefully and see if you can see any small drops of water. It's sometimes useful to wrap the pipe and pump fittings with a dark cloth or rag, because the cloth will show you water (by getting darker) that you eyes can't always see.

There looks to be a pressure gauge at the bottom of the tank. Without using any water, watch the gauge and see if it is loosing any pressure. Watch it for 1/2 hour or so without using any water. If you're loosing even a pound or two of pressure, that might well be the foot valve.

I'm good with this kind of thing. Most of it is patience. We'll figure it out together if you want.

ETA: I just figured out that the picture isn't your tank, but one like what you have. Okay. Is the pump a 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp pump and does it run off 110 or 220? Is there a pressure gauge?

The tank probably has a bladder inside, that is inflated to about 20-30 psi depending upon the pressure setting on the pump switch. Sometimes the bladders fail and that could be exacerbating your problem.

a reply to: argentus
Thank you! There is a pressure gauge on it. I'll keep an eye on it like you suggested and see what happens. I'll also look for leaks on that side. We built a little building around the whole thing so that's going to be fun lol. I'll tell my friend about the foot valve. As to the specs of the pump and whatnot, I don't have a clue. It's my friend's pump and he installed it. I can ask.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Good deal. Water problems are usually easy to fix, but sometimes frustrating to find. The switch that turns on the pump when the pressure drops enough is usually attached to the pump and is often a 4" X 2.25" plastic box. From underneath that switch is usually a 1/4" plastic tube; that tube is how the switch senses pressure. Sometimes leaks are there or even around the pressure gauge.

Another thought.. Take note of where the pressure gauge reads when both the pump turns on and when it shuts off. While you are there, watch the pointer of the pressure gauge. Does it steadily rise when the pump turns on, or is it jerky and waving back and forth as the pressure rises? If it's the latter, that is air in the line and almost certainly is a leak on the suction side, probably fairly close to the pump.

a reply to: argentus
Wow. You really do know a lot about this stuff. Thanks.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Happy to help. I've been using and wrangling with a system like this for the past 22 years, plus repairing many others. Pump zen

Here's a worrisome thought -- do you know for certain the water table is high enough for the foot valve to pick up water? Also, is the pump above ground or is a submersible and IN the well?

a reply to: argentus
Wow that is a troubling thought. I have no idea how high it is. As for the pump, it's above ground. We had one in the pipe but it broke down and is currently stuck in there.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Glad it's an above-ground pump. Much more fixable. If the pump can turn on and build pressure, shut off and hold pressure (as measured by the gauge), then you probably have sufficient water. Check the cut-in and cut-off pressure on the gauge. There could be some clues for us there.

a reply to: Skid Mark So, you have a submersible pump stuck in the casing? Are you using the piping from that pump as your suction line for your above ground(shallow well jet) pump? Any idea how deep the water table is in relation to where the pump is stuck down hole? The reason I ask is if someone started pulling the submersible and pulled it up any before it got stuck, and you are using that existing piping as your suction line, it could be a matter of "pumping off". That is to say that when using the water, you could be using it faster than it is able to replenish in the well (due to being too high in the water table)and subsequently sucking air.

a reply to: Justacasualobserver
I think he's using different piping I have no idea how high the water table is. I'm not originally from here.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Sooooooooo, what happened? Did you ever record measurements of your cut-on and cut-off pressure? Did you find a leak and fix it? I need closure, man.

a reply to: argentus
Everything's working fine. Thanks for asking.