Well Water System Issue?

[tjm73]

Any expects here?

Wife and I recently bought a house with a well. For the first couple weeks we had great water pressure. The it went way away. I checked the particle filter. It was pretty clogged, so I changed it and the pressure improved measurably, but not 100% back to what we had when we moved in. I checked the pressure tank air bladder on a recommendation from a guy at work. No water, just a little burst of air (very little so as not to release too much PSI). The pressure gauge at the bottom of the pressure tank is always between 40 and 50 psi. So it seems the pressure tank is ok near as I can tell.

When we draw a bath for our daughter (evening) the water runs strong for maybe 3-4 minutes, then quickly slows down and ultimately stops completely.

In the morning my wife and I can both get a shower in without much trouble. But if the sink is run or, worse, a toilet gets flushed the shower stops completely.

We've had lots of rain lately so I can't believe we've depleted the well and we are getting pretty fed up with this shit. I know a properly operating system would be fine and that our system is not operating properly.

Before we bought the well was tested and delivered 7.5+ gal/min (about 450+ gal/hr).

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm pretty fed up and feeling like it's time to call in the professionals.

 

[GOTTORQ]

I'm a licensed plumber, I've had minimal experience with wells, I do a lot of commercial work, but I have had my fair share of residential work. It doesn't sound like your well is drying up, obviously your still getting water. It almost sounds like either (A) your well pump isn't sunk down far enough into the well and when it calls for water it's using as much as its exposed to and running out. (B) you can put a tire gauge on the well check the pressure, the gauge on the tanks aren't always right. And you can add air to the tank for better water pressure. (C) the pressure switch is shot, and doesn't realize that the tank is low, therefore the well pump isn't kicking on to feed more water. (D) your well tank is shot, there is a hole in the bladder and isn't retaining as much air as it should.

Out of these 4. I would check the pressure switch first. Mainly because you said it was tested before and worked fine. Pressure switch is right near the well tank, with a plastic cover on it with a nut.

 

[GOTTORQ]

Pressure switch

 

[tjm73]

Gauge reads 48-49 psi right now. My automotive psi gauge reads 52 psi. My wife started the dish washer just before I checked it.

Can you test a pressure switch?

 

[GOTTORQ]

Yeah what you can do is, tell your wife to run the water in the house while you look at the pressure gauge on the well tank. See how low the psi goes and see if you hear the switch click and see if you see the psi build back up .If you dont want to bother your wife ,most plumbers install a drain/ hose connection with a valve near the well tank, you could hook up a hose to that, open the valve and see if the well pump kicks on. If it doesn't then you know it's the switch. If it does and you still have problems, it could only be either the tank or pump.