Well pump running too often
Bob Vila would love this group, post #103,950
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Zephyr
2008-06-26 12:37:42 Well pump running too often
Hey folks
I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd times. Like first thing in the morning when I wake up, even though no water has been run for hours in the house, I might here the pump running. It will shut off after a few moments, and then maybe a little later turn back on. It acts as though water is being run, when as far as I can tell, none is. I can't find a tap anywhere that is leaking that might be causing a loss in pressure, and this includes shutting off all outside bibs as well. no leaky toilets or faucets, nothing seems to be wrong. I just hear that pump running at times when it makes no sense. anyone have any ideas? I have a softner and a small blue pressure tank, if that helps any. Honestly, I don't know that much about the internal workings of the well pump.
Author:
Date: Subject:
Wade Lippman
2008-06-26 15:50:00 Re: Well pump running too often
Do you have a pressure gauge somewhere you can check?
My pump turns on at 20psi and turns off at 40psi. With nothing turned on the gauge will very slowly decrease, indicating a small leak somewhere. I "think" it is in the backflow valve, and that is buried 3' deep, so I am not in a hurry to replace it. If you don't have a gauge, they cost less than $10. "Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > Hey folks > > I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has > worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd > times. Like first thing in the morning when I wake up, even though no > water has been run for hours in the house, I might here the pump > running. It will shut off after a few moments, and then maybe a > little later turn back on. It acts as though water is being run, when > as far as I can tell, none is. > > I can't find a tap anywhere that is leaking that might be causing a > loss in pressure, and this includes shutting off all outside bibs as > well. > no leaky toilets or faucets, nothing seems to be wrong. I just hear > that pump running at times when it makes no sense. > > anyone have any ideas? > > I have a softner and a small blue pressure tank, if that helps any. > Honestly, I don't know that much about the internal workings of the > well pump. >
Author:
Date: Subject:
RBM
2008-06-26 16:21:00 Re: Well pump running too often
"Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > Hey folks > > I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has > worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd > times. Like first thing in the morning when I wake up, even though no > water has been run for hours in the house, I might here the pump > running. It will shut off after a few moments, and then maybe a > little later turn back on. It acts as though water is being run, when > as far as I can tell, none is. > > I can't find a tap anywhere that is leaking that might be causing a > loss in pressure, and this includes shutting off all outside bibs as > well. > no leaky toilets or faucets, nothing seems to be wrong. I just hear > that pump running at times when it makes no sense. > > anyone have any ideas? > > I have a softner and a small blue pressure tank, if that helps any. > Honestly, I don't know that much about the internal workings of the > well pump. Unless you have a leak somewhere that you haven't found, it sounds like a leaking check valve. Try turning off the water at the nearest valve after the pressure tank. With the valve off, see if the tank looses pressure and causes the pump to run. If it does, in a relatively short time, replace the check valve >
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Date: Subject:
Oren
2008-06-26 14:32:43 Re: Well pump running too often
On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:21:00 -0400, "RBM" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >"Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message >news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... >> Hey folks >> >> I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has >> worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd >> times. Like first thing in the morning when I wake up, even though no >> water has been run for hours in the house, I might here the pump >> running. It will shut off after a few moments, and then maybe a >> little later turn back on. It acts as though water is being run, when >> as far as I can tell, none is. >> >> I can't find a tap anywhere that is leaking that might be causing a >> loss in pressure, and this includes shutting off all outside bibs as >> well. >> no leaky toilets or faucets, nothing seems to be wrong. I just hear >> that pump running at times when it makes no sense. >> >> anyone have any ideas? >> >> I have a softner and a small blue pressure tank, if that helps any. >> Honestly, I don't know that much about the internal workings of the >> well pump. > >Unless you have a leak somewhere that you haven't found, it sounds like a >leaking check valve. Try turning off the water at the nearest valve after >the pressure tank. With the valve off, see if the tank looses pressure and >causes the pump to run. If it does, in a relatively short time, replace the >check valve >> > I would look at the softener clock. If it re-generates at a set time; perhaps, the clock is not on the correct time (lost power). Set the clock an see if the pump still goes on....at wake up call. Then the OP would hear the pump run. Check the clock.
Author:
Date: Subject:
JimR
2008-06-26 17:48:43 Re: Well pump running too often
"Oren" <Oren@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:f9286497863r1jacec6qmi2ovq71pbt1ai@4ax.com... > On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:21:00 -0400, "RBM" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >>"Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message >>news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... >>> Hey folks >>> >>> I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has >>> worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd >>> times. [snip] > I would look at the softener clock. If it re-generates at a set time; > perhaps, the clock is not on the correct time (lost power). Set the > clock an see if the pump still goes on....at wake up call. > > Then the OP would hear the pump run. Check the clock. That was my first thought also. The softener regeneration normally runs in the early morning hours and you sleep through it. You might also have a green sand filter, chlorine injection or other device that backflushes in the early AM. They're controlled by clocks that stop whenever the power is off, so after a few failures they run a few hours slow and the process starts at the same time you're waking up. They use water, which starts the pump, and probably continue to backflush through several pump cycles. In this case, all you have to do is reset the timers.
Author:
Date: Subject:
Zephyr
2008-06-27 05:21:47 Re: Well pump running too often
On Jun 26, 5:48 pm, "JimR" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Oren" <O...@127.0.0.1> wrote in message > > news:f9286497863r1jacec6qmi2ovq71pbt1ai@4ax.com... > > > On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:21:00 -0400, "RBM" <[email protected]> wrote: > > >>"Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message > >>news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > >>> Hey folks > > >>> I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has > >>> worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd > >>> times. > > [snip] > > > I would look at the softener clock. If it re-generates at a set time; > > perhaps, the clock is not on the correct time (lost power). Set the > > clock an see if the pump still goes on....at wake up call. > > > Then the OP would hear the pump run. Check the clock. > > That was my first thought also. The softener regeneration normally runs in > the early morning hours and you sleep through it. You might also have a > green sand filter, chlorine injection or other device that backflushes in > the early AM. They're controlled by clocks that stop whenever the power is > off, so after a few failures they run a few hours slow and the process > starts at the same time you're waking up. They use water, which starts the > pump, and probably continue to backflush through several pump cycles. In > this case, all you have to do is reset the timers. I checked the softner clock, it is set to the correct time, so I know its not running cycles during the day.
Author:
Date: Subject:
Zephyr
2008-06-27 05:27:13 Re: Well pump running too often
On Jun 26, 4:21 pm, "RBM" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Zephyr" <[email protected]> wrote in message > > news:943ee778-6af6-43a3-b59d-7f5952999ea7@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > > > > > > > Hey folks > > > I'm in Michigan and have a well setup that for the last 3 years has > > worked just fine. recently though the pump seems to run at odd > > times. Like first thing in the morning when I wake up, even though no > > water has been run for hours in the house, I might here the pump > > running. It will shut off after a few moments, and then maybe a > > little later turn back on. It acts as though water is being run, when > > as far as I can tell, none is. > > > I can't find a tap anywhere that is leaking that might be causing a > > loss in pressure, and this includes shutting off all outside bibs as > > well. > > no leaky toilets or faucets, nothing seems to be wrong. I just hear > > that pump running at times when it makes no sense. > > > anyone have any ideas? > > > I have a softner and a small blue pressure tank, if that helps any. > > Honestly, I don't know that much about the internal workings of the > > well pump. > > Unless you have a leak somewhere that you haven't found, it sounds like a > leaking check valve. Try turning off the water at the nearest valve after > the pressure tank. With the valve off, see if the tank looses pressure and > causes the pump to run. If it does, in a relatively short time, replace the > check valve > > > > - Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - Okay, I turned off the water immediatly following the pressure tank, I do have a guage inline before that valve. I can see that the pump kicks in at 40 and off at 60 religiously. As soon as the pump stops, it slowly starts to lose pressure untill the pump turns back on again. This is happening around every 5 - 10 minutes, and the pump runs for about 20 - 40 seconds to make up the difference. so, it sounds like the problem is in the plumbing outside of the house. I looked around for signs of soft spots in the ground or water soaked areas, but it doesn't look like its leaking into the ground. How can I investigate the check valve (s) ? |
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