Well Problem-Off topic but please help!
rooferman
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am having a problem with the water supply to my house. I believe the plastic supply line from the well to the house has developed a leak. An educated guess tells me it is leaking where it comes throgh the block foundation wall. It is just a slight leak but still causes the pressure to drop which in turn causes the pump to run more than it should. Water runs along the pipe into the basement. The entry point into the foundation is below a deck! Very tough to get to. Plus is it about four feet down from ground level.
Long story short………………is there a sleeve repair kit that will keep me from having to dig this up? It looks to be about 1 1/2 inch OD black plastic pipe. The pipe runs about 60 feet to the well which is a submersible. Thoughts?? Help. You guys have been great in the past…………….tell me there is a miracle kit. Mike L.
Replies
This is not off topic at all.
And the solution may be easier than you think.
-If- you are willing to go down a pipe size. (Or two.) AND you are able to get at both ends of that pipe before it heads down the well...
If you can get at both ends, cut off a section at both ends. Then thread a 1" or 1-14" pipe through the existing.
If that is the same black pipe I think it is, the new pipe should easily slip right on through the old one.
Probably best to work from the outside, into the basement.
Run water through this new pipe, to clean out all the gunk it is going to collect when it scrapes the walls of the old pipe.
Easiest way I can think of to do this is to put a hose to standard pipe adaptor on the end of the pipe that is in the basement, and run a garden hose from that, to a drain, or outside. Then connect the well end of the pipe as normal, and run the pump until the water that comes out the hose is clear.
Now use fittings to adapt to the new pipe size on both ends, and Bob's yer uncle !!
Or use a pvc pipe as a sleeve inside the black pipe. The metal pipe will provide protection against physical damage. "Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I may be wrong but I believe the black pipe he is using is the stuff that comes in the big 100 foot coils.Sliding a size or two downward of the same pipe through the original, should be fairly easy.
Everybody is born a hero.
I have no idea why I assumed it was a metal pipe. Well, maybe I thought that a metal pipe could have corroded a pinhole, whereas a plastic pipe would not coorode. Whatever. I'll go back to sleep now."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
It is black plastic 1 1/4" OD pipe. I am sorry for the confusion. I think it may have rubbed a wear spot as it goes throught the block wall. The pump starting and stopping creates some vibration thus wearing on the pipe. I have seen this before. This is my guess. It is just a tiny leak now.............but it isn't going to get any better!! Mike L.
It is black plastic 1 1/4" OD pipe. I am sorry for the confusion.
That means it's 1" pipe. You may not be able to sleeve it with 3/4" because the OD is probably too tight a fit.
If it turns out that you have to replumb the entire line, I'd advise you to use better quality pipe than that rolled black poly pipe.
Good night Alphonse.;o)My own bedtime isn't far off.
Everybody is born a hero.
Thanks for the sleeving idea. I was thinking that would be the fix but I was/am worryied about downsizing. The existing is the black pipe that comes in long coils. It is 1 1/4" OD. I guess I would be sleeving with 1" or 7/8" pipe. It sounds pretty straight forward and way easier than digging up the existing and hoping I am right as to where the leak is. Any other words of wisdom? Thanks for your help. Mike L.
Make sure what the pipe size is, if the outside diameter is around 1.5 inches it may be 1.25 inches inside diameter. There is a possibility you could dig it up beyond the deck and insert a 1 inch pipe from the basement to the point were you dug the pipe up and hook it up with a reduced fitting.
Alot of houses only use a 1 inch line from the well you should still have plenty of water volume.
If you get it dug up turn it on and make sure the leak isn't farther away from the house.
Trying to determine what type of pipe you've got...what kind of fitting is installed on the end of the pipe? How is it fastened?
I would not be surprised if there is someone out there who can pull a new 1" line thru your existing, but I bet it's not a DIY job. I have hired this done with sewer lines where old clay pipe has collapsed and new plastic is pulled thru, using a steel cable connected to a metal "nose cone" pulled by a hydraulic winch. The new pipe follows behind as the nose cone splits open and spreads the old line, creating enough room for the new. Google for "pipe splitting" or "pipe bursting" if you want to see how this is done. Maybe a plumber or water line contractor in your area would take a shot at it. They would probably bring a backhoe just in case...
So, it is a submersible pump. I'd pull the pump (and pipe) up out of the well and check that first. A more common scenario is that as the pump turns on it creates torque and twists/vibrates the pipe inside the well casing and eventually the plastic pipe rubs through someplace within the vertical well shaft. The electrical wire going down to the submersible pump is sometimes a victim of the same movement - again, it wares against the well casing until the insulation is worn through.
Another possible scenario is that the check valve at the top of the submersible pump is bad or just has some #### in the gap. :-)
Regarding the idea of sleeving the inside of the existing pipe, you don't want to go smaller than 3/4" (ID) unless the pipe is rather short - like maybe 100' including the section that is down the well - which is rather doubtful.
BTW - in modern times the outside of the water supply pipe is often sleeved where it goes through the foundation. How old is this set-up? Must not be too old with the black plastic pipe. What's inside the foundation where the pipe enters the house perimeter? ie: Is it a basement, crawl space or what?
Lastly try Googling for "water well pump loses pressure" of similar.
The set-up is about 15 years old. Yes, it is sleeved as it goes through the block wall. The 1 1/4" pipe runs through a larger diameter tube (Black Plastic Pipe) as it pentrates the wall. This is where I am getting a slight leak of water back into the basement. The well pressure tank is in a full depth basement. The pump runs up to 50 psi and shuts off. then very quickly drops to about 30psi and stays there until water is run somewhere in the house. Then the pump kicks on again almost right away. This leads me to believe my problem is right near the foundation penetration.
Thanks to all for your help. I will figure this out. Mike L.
Beenthere, donethat.
In my case, it was drainage coming in from the moisture dripping off the roof, thru the deck boards and saturating the soil.
It waz wimmin's work taking off the decking, digging out a big hole while squeezing thru the deck joists, going down about 4 to 5 ft, cleaning off the foundation wall (inside and out), and waterproofing the opening with hydralic ceement, tar, and a sheet of heavy poly.
But the pipe was fine. Never leaked again.
That sounds like a preassure tank problem, the seepage is another.
Do you have a bladder type tank ? Is the check valve inside right befoere the tank or out in the well?
I have a bladder type pressure tank. The check valve is right before the tank. I am going to drain the system tomorrow night and check the pressure in the bladder. I think it is suposed to be 30psi. I think you may be right.....the little bit of seepage is a separate issue. You guys are smart!!!!!!!!!!! I will let you know what I find when checking the bladder pressure. Thanks again. Mike L.
Our local well driller uses clay bentonite to plug the sleeve after he runs the water line through it to keep ground water out. The bentonite will absorb water and swell when it is wet. Is your pressure tank on the water system original? Have you ever drained it? This may have a fair amount of sediment in it after 15 years reducing the capacity causing the pump to cycle more frequently.
"Is your pressure tank on the water system original? Have you ever drained it? This may have a fair amount of sediment in it after 15 years reducing the capacity causing the pump to cycle more frequently." ...bdeboer
Now there's a point worth remembering.