Well Piping Leak Diagnostic FAQs

Water Leaks Out at Well Casing Top Q&A

I see water on the ground around our well casing and cap - is this a well casing leak?

Just this past week I noticed that the ground around my well casing and cap is saturated for the first time ever. Water is even puddling up around it. Is this a sign of a leak in the casing? - Tim B 10/9/11

Reply:

Tim:

Unless your well is an artesian one (or has been so flooded by local rains and rising groundwater that it has reached the well casing top) a saturated spot that is just around the casing suggests a leak in the well piping between the well and the building or a leak right at the pitless adapter at the well casing side.

I'd do some careful digging around the casing to see what you can find.

Our well head is leaking from the screen.

My water well sanitary head is leaking from the screen. I turned the power to the well pump off and turned on all the faucets so that the pressure in the system was drained off.

It's still leaking. What in the world is going on? On 2020-05-31 by Richard -

by (mod) -

Is this an artesian well?

by Richard - this is a "temporary artesian well" - water is rising up to the casing top

Nope, not usually. We had a really wet week, but wouldn't ground water stop at ground level? I'm afraid to dismiss this as a temporary artesian well but any other explanation for water rising with the pump off eludes me.

by (mod) - you should consider adding a well spool and possibly a drain

I agree that a temporary Artesian well condition is a likely explanation for water rising up and even out of the casing when the pump is off. If the problem is recurrent you may need to install a well spool.

We describe those at ARTESIAN WELLS, WELL SPOOLS

Watch out: Beware of groundwater leaking into the well casing if the casing is damaged or not properly sealed - that risks unsanitary well water.

But it's also possible that wet weather would cause a rise in the aquifer that supplies water to the well.

Help! water is leaking from my well and I can't fix it

Help! I have a well and a sprinkler system is next to it. I have water leaking from the well again. I’ve had 3 different companies out and they can’t seem to fix it.

The last company came out and busted cement around well because PVC that has conduit was leaking. He dug where PVC was underground and replaced it. Now it’s worse.

The first company said I had a leak from house to well and would have to dig up deck, concrete etc. to get leak.

I don’t think they’re right and the guy who dug by the well said he didn’t think they were right either because if that were so, the water and gravity would have flooded my yard. I don’t know what to do anymore.

Suggestions? I don’t have any skills but if I could tell someone what it needs, that would be great. On 2019-08-21 by Debbie -

Reply by (mod) -

Debbie

It would be helpful in guessing at where this leak occurs to know

1. exactly where your repair person dug and replaced PVC, and whether that was right next to the well or elsewhere

2. does the leak occur only when the pump (submersible, in the well it appears) is running ?

3. are there other wet spots in the yard between well and house or only wet right at the well

4. Has anyone dug deep enough to check for leaks at the pitless adapter where the well piping enters the well casing?

Review my discussion just above with Richard about a well that sometimes is flooded by a rising aquifer, turning a conventional pumped well into one that acts like an artesian well.

If that's your problem the well spool seal I describe above may fix the problem.

If however there is excessive water pressure you might also need to install a well overflow drain that routes excess well water to an acceptable drainage solution like the one I show here, adapted from Michigan's DEP..

Other solutions to this problem such as artesian well flow control using an elevated flow tank are at ARTESIAN WELLS, WELL SPOOLS

by Debbie

1. The first company’s employees dug around the sprinkler housing unit at first. Then they ran some sort of test from my pump (inside house) to well. Then they started digging about halfway between the well and the home (this was on the side of the house). After they did that, they said there was a leak between the pump inside and it was under the deck and concrete and they couldn’t fix it.

2. I don’t know if it leaks when the pump is off because I haven’t turned it off. I can't see anything except water on top of the dirt in the picture I sent.

3. There are wet spots only around the well and sprinkler system but it does include both areas.

4. I don’t think so but I checked the tickets and one said repaired leak and the other just said labor.

Here’s a bit of history. About two years ago, I noticed water was in the sprinkler housing unit (round plastic thing where the valve to turn on/off sprinkler is located).

Called sprinkler company, they came out and said it was the well. Called the well company, they came out and said it was sprinkler.

I turned off sprinkler and left it off the rest of the year. I turned it on last year and after it filled up again, I turned it off at the panel and left it alone. This year, the sprinkler was on, (as far as the valve) but I didn’t turn it on at the panel.

Regardless, the yard started getting very wet and it spread out quite a bit. The lawnmower was leaving wet tracks at least 5 feet around it. I called the first company (detailed above) and after they finished digging, they said they couldn’t repair it and said call a high tech leak detector place since it was under deck and concrete.

Called high tech company, they didn’t want to do it because there’s a pool in the back yard and they said their equipment could be off by up to 5 feet. I called a second company and he came out and dug by the sprinkler system, down a few feet and repaired or replaced (?) PVC pipe with wires in it I think.

Then I guess that didn’t fix it so he said conduit and so he had to break concrete and repair/replace(?) it.

For a couple weeks, it wasn’t very wet that I could see but we also had rain and the sprinkler system was on. Now, the water is by the well and sprinkler. (See picture) I hope I’ve explained it where you could understand it. As you can tell, I don’t know much about wells, water, sprinklers, etc.

by (mod) -

Certainly it sounds as if the leak was not repaired and you were simply billed for the labor of figuring out where the leak is.

You might want to try a different repair contractor.

Leaks at pipe connections at the well casing

At my well the 2 plastic lines coming out are fine but they have metal fittings and one is now leaking.

I only have 4 inches of lines coming out of the casing.

Can i pull those lines out enough to cut the metal fittings(and the plastic pipe), install new plastic fittings and lose that 4 or so inches of pipe at the very bottom of the well.

Or should i just remove the metal fittings as carefully as i can, reinstall new plastic ones and then hope they make a seal?

It's an old well, which i know has not been serviced since I've owned the house (14 years) and from the look of it when i got the house i doubt it was serviced any time close to when i got it. On 2016-09-16 by Dennis

by (mod) -

Dennis,

The answer depends on how your well cap and piping are designed. Some well caps pass piping through the cap and seal around it with compressible rubber busings;

Others attach well pipe risers to a fitting that itself passes through the cap. If you like, use the page top/bottom CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos for comment.

Why is water dribbling out of abandoned "dry" well casing ?

My mom's well went dry a few years ago all power was shut off to it. Now water dribbles out of main hole were the casing and pump are there's a gage with a flip switch on it On 2017-07-20 by Tammy -

by (mod) -

Tammy

So perhaps the well has recovered and is currently functioning as what I call an occasional or intermittent artesian well condition;

But until you do a well flow test we wouldn't know how much water the well can deliver.

Solutions to handling this excess well water are at ARTESIAN WELLS, WELL SPOOLS and are also illustrated in the Q&A just above on this page.

Find and fix well leaking between casing and cap

While walking the property I noticed that our private well was leaking water between the casing and cap as though our well was to full and was spilling out the extra water. It has been a very wet winter, and our Spring has been rainy. Should be I be worried or can this be from a high water table. (Apr 8, 2014) Debbie

Reply:

Debbie I'd be a bit worried about the potability (safe drinking water) of the well water.

If spring runoff at or near ground surface is leaking into the well then the well water is not likely to be sanitary.

If spring runoff is filtering down into the aquifer and raising the level of water in the aquifer tapped by your well that might be OK.

Take a water sample and have it screened for bacteria. Let us know what you find.

Water Leaks at Piping Between Well & Building

Water gurgles up through the ground when water pump runs

This summer I had a well problem. It has been a very dry summer in upstate NY and suddenly I had no water . I had just had my shallow water pump replaced 8 months ago . So I called the pump company to come take a look . My well had filled with gravel and they blew it out and I put in a new submersible pump . Everything was fine for about a month and suddenly I noticed water around the well casing .

I watched and only saw the water gurgle up through the ground when the pump was running . Water pressure is OK. pump does not seem to be running when water is not in use . I called the company that installed the pump and suddenly he wants to jackhammer holes in my cellar floor . and replace all the pipe from well to house ( which now runs under the concrete floor.) It seems to me to be extreme as he has not even dug down to see where the leak is . He says it just makes more sense to replace all the pipe .

I have already spent a small fortune on this as it is .I Never had a leak until he installed the new submersible pump . My guess is it is leaking right at the well where he connected it and seems as if this would be an easy fix without jack hammering a concrete floor .

This floor is in a storage room / workroom that has all been nicely refinished and it is also the support for a Florida room built above it . I am just not sure what to do here . I am a widow and on my own so any advice would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks in advance ! On 2016-09-19 by Darlene -

Reply by (mod): Three examples of leaks in water lines between well and the building

I agree completely that we want a diagnosis in which we have some confidence before we start hacking, chopping, and pouring money into the ground. Take a closer look at the suspected well pipe leak point.

1. A leak in a submersible pump water line:

A common cause of wet spots above a well line between well and the building it serves is a damaged pipe or loose pipe connection in a submersible well pump water line anywhere from the pitless adapter at the well casing to along the buried pipe between well and building to the wall where the well line enters the building itself.

2. A leak in the well pipes inside the well casing

A leak in side the well in the riser pipe may never show up above ground but you may see a reduction in the rate or pressure of water delivery to the building.

Watch out: a leak in those well pipes could be present without seeing water at the ground surface, especially in cold climates like northern Minnesota or Alaska where the well line, placed below the frost line, might be buried at a significant depth below the ground surface. The water in the photo below was from a deeply-buried well line in Two Harbors, Minnesota.

The leak was not evident until the contractor dug down to the buried pipe.

3. Leaks in either of 2-line jet pump water pipes:

A second common cause of water coming up from the ground near water pipes between well and building is a leak in the pressure line OR in the return line in a two-line jet pump installation.

The 2-line jet pump sends water under pressure down into the well where it passes through an ejector / venturi to bring more water up through the return line.

Since both of those lines are under pressure, a leak in either water line can send water to the ground surface.

Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us some photos for comment.

 

How do I find where the well pipes are leaking?

Several readers have asked this question:

For the last several weeks we have noticed there is a slow leak coming out top of the ground connection to our deep well out front. Could this be a result of all the rain we have been having throughout the summer? We have been saturated with rain all summer. Thank You, Betty (Sept 24, 2012)

...

I noticed this morning there was water entering from the casing that contains the electrical and well water supply line.

The water is not coming from the water and electrical lines, but from the casing they are contained in. We have a submersible pump in a 80' well. What could this be. We had a very dry summer but a wet fall. hopefully just rain water - Patrick Oct 1, 2012

...

I have researched your site and thanks for all the useful info. My 180 foot deep submersible well pump does not shut off, and the water pressure builds to only 22 pounds. The water pressure in the house is weak. The 30-50 pressure switch was changed, and the pump was changed, and the in the well pipe holds pressure.

However the problem still exists. The pump installer said that there must be a leak in the 40 foot plastic pipe between the house and well, but there are no obvious wet spots, and the sub soil is like concrete with poor drainage. (The pipe does go under a gazebo.) There are no signs of leaking water anywhere.

Water pressure holds at 22 lbs over night. There is no water running in the house and I have tried it with the shutoff to the house closed. Could it be a different problem? There have been no previous problems for 30 years.
How can I determine exactly where the leak is? Do I have to dig up and replace the entire line from the building to the well, or can I pull the pipe through the basement and feed it back to the well? Do you have any suggestions? Thanks. (Oct 10, 2012) Mike

Reply: More points to detect leaks in well piping: pitless adapter, electrical conduit, anywhere along the piping run

Betty:

Water around the well casing is often from a well pipe leak or pitless adapter leak at the point of passage of the well piping out through the side of the well casing; typically we take off the well cap for a look and usually have to dig down to the pitless adapter to start inspecting to find the problem in the piping.

Of course in a few cases there can be some other water source, but the discovery of water specifically and just around a well casing points usually points to a piping leak.

Patrick:

On occasion leaks into the well pump wiring conduit occur from abnormally high water inside a well casing; more often it's an underground water leak into the casing interior; One reader described an odd case of fans causing negative pressure indoors enough to "suck" water into the wiring conduit.

Mike,

Please check out the article titled WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING where we offer diagnostics for a well pump that won't stop running - there is our most complete list of things to check.

You've already tried some reasonable things;

But if the well recovery rate is very poor, or the well is going dry, then the pump may be running without obtaining enough water to reach cutoff pressure; this is particularly so if there is equipment such as a special tailpiece in the well that is designed to recycle water through the pump (to keep a submersible pump from burning up while running dry) when there is simply not enough water in the well.

Given that you are NOT seeing any pressure drop when the system is shut off, I don't suspect a bad foot valve nor a leak in the well piping, so I'd not start by digging up piping; rather I'd investigate the water level in the well.

(CHECK that pressure gauge to be sure it's giving a true reading; if the gauge sticks then it could falsely say that the pressure is not falling when in fact it is.)

Reader follow-up

By digging, I found the small leak in the pipe from the house to the well, which caused the pump to continually run. Because the submersible pump was replaced as well as the house pipe, do I add bleach to the well? If so how much?-Mike (Oct 10, 2012)

Reply:

Mike, see WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE

Pump Runs When We're Not Using Water: sign of a leak in well pipes ? Water comes out at well top?

We have a well. The submersible pump cycles often and when the pump is not running it sounds like water is still running through the pipe.

Could it possibly be a check valve or should we be looking somewhere else. We have looked throughout the acreage for any possible water leaking and have not found anything. (Oct 11, 2012) Jeff

I pulled the lines up form our well and found a hole just above the foot valve and replaced that part, then I put everything back together.

I went in the house to prime the pump but it wont fill up I keep pouring water down the hole but it just keep draining down. (Nov 4, 2012) Debra

I noticed whenever doing laundry or someone showering (water pressure inside is fine) however water is coming out of the well pipe at the same time as the inside water is running. The seal on the top is broken but I still want to know why the water is coming out the top? Not a lot of rain for past two weeks now. (Nov 23, 2012) Tracy

I have a vacation home that has a well. When we leave we shut the power off to the well. The past couple times we visited an area approx 5 feet away from the well head has the ground saturated in an area approx 20x20 leaving the area a muddy mess.

There are no other signs of saturation in the area. We do have a drainage ditch to the east of the well for run off water from the mountains but that is dry. We last visited there the first weekend in Dec 2012 and there was a full month since our last visited and the well was shut off at the breaker box as we always do when we leave, the area was all frozen over leaving crunchy grass. Any ideas what this could be?

Could the well be leaking? The inlet into the house house is 40" below ground and while looking into the well head the water line is approx 36". Thanks for any help (Jan 4, 2013) Jim

With in the past month we have noticed small partials in our water. As of yesterday we now have dark sand coming out of all our facets and toilets. I turned off the water softener and bypassed it.

Our pressure was sluggish but now seems to be fine. I also ran the outside facets for 30 minutes hoping it would help to clear the line,it didn't wok :( I have spoke to a few well companies and each have given me different opinions. What do you suggest. (Feb 21, 2014) Deborah Rock

Reply: leaky foot valve vs. other well pipe leaks

Deborah,

From your description of having trouble filling the well pipes to re-prime the pump I suspect your first problem was a leaky foot valve in the well.

But water squirting out at the well top sounds like a second problem that could be a leak at the pitless adapter or at the well piping at the well casing top.

If your foot valve repair left a loose or leaky connection in well piping that could explain why the second problem has appeared.

Here's a more-complete explanation:

We start by separating two very different classes of well piping leaks

1. Foot valve leaks or check valve leaks allow water to run backwards from the building and pressure tank into the well. When the water pressure drops, as long as there is electrical power, the pump runs and restores pressure. Often we suspect this when the pump seems to run when no one is using water. See our detailed diagnosis and repair for this

at WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES

and at WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING

Watch out: if this is your problem, when power to the pump is left off for a time, such as during a power failure, the pump may lose prime and when power is restored you'll still be without water.

2. Other leaks in the well piping between building and the submersible pump or foot valve in the well can also lose prime when the pump is not running (and can also cause intermittent water pump cycling on and off) and might even create a wet spot in the ground near or downhill from the well pipes if they're not buried very deep.

I doubt I can be as astute as on-the-scene folks, but a leak in the well casing itself is also a possibility; similar problems can occur if the water level in the well has dropped, and I've also seen this problem result from nearby blasting that upset the aquifer.

At my lab property in New York we had a shallow drilled well that performed beautifully for 50 years; then the town changed the path of a nearby road, a step that included days of blasting rock. The well continued to deliver water but the water quality was permanently changed to high-sediment. The solution was to install a high capacity particulate filter.

I think a good step would be to take a water sample from as close to the well source as you can (like at the pressure tank) and ask the lab to report on sediment or other contaminants.

Let's figure this out before doing something expensive that may not have been the best step.

How to Find and Fix Well Pipe Leaks that Show up in the Yard

I have a well system and the 4 inch pipe in the yard is leaking a very small amount of water from a hole in the pipe.

Looks like the hole is for drainage. Hole size is 1/2 inch. Is this caused by high water table or a possible crack in pipe. My pump is not running any more than usual. Only when we use water. (June 4, 2014) Bryan

Hi I was wondering if you could help. There is water coming out the sides of the my well pipe outside.

You can see the grass is greener around the pipe and is soft and wet. This occurs only when the well pump is on. If I poke a hole where I see the water coming out you can see more water coming out. When the well pump goes off it subsides. Is this a pitless adapter leak? (July 8, 2014) James

Reply:

James,

Indeed I would excavate and expose the pitless adapter to look for a leak there or in well piping at or near that location.

 

Our artesian well, pump runs for too long at a time and water is leaking into our cellar

We have an artesian well. A month ago, the water pump started running for extended periods of time.

A day later , water started cascading into the cellar through the chimney opening where our exhaust pipe for the pellet stove exits the house.

That opening in the foundation wall is approximately - 3 ft to the left of and 3 ft higher up on the same wall where the well pipe comes through the wall and connects to the water pump.

Turning off the switch to the pump stops the cascading water (in time). Turning the switch back on, there is enough time to fill the kitchen sink and toilet tank, before water starts cascading again.

The water pipes shake violently while low pressure water trickles into the dishpan. The shaking is a new issue.

My son has dug a hole next to the house where we expected to find a faulty pipe, but it seems to be buried beneath a large slab of concrete - possibly footings for an old brick chimney.

Water begins to come through the dirt beneath this concrete and fills the bottom of the 6 ft hole he's dug. We assume the pipe problem is on the outside of the foundation wall.

Is there a way to work around the water and fix the problem once located? Or is this something professionals will have to be paid to do?

Should we assume our water is contaminated because there is a break in the line? (Apr 6, 2014) Kathy

Reply: water leaking into the basement from the chimney base when pump runs: water leak is outside the foundation

Kathy,

Kathy, I've been thinking about your question but remain puzzled. As an artesian well delivers water without a pump, I am guessing you're using the pump to boost pressure in the water system.

Water pouring into a basement from a chimney base is something I've seen before - the hollow chimney base may extend below ground, accumulate water from any nearby leak or water source until it finds its way into the building.

You can see a photo of this sort of event at the top of our article at

CHIMNEY DAMAGE by LEAKS & FROST 

In your case the leak may be right inside the wall - water can travel horizontally in a concrete block wall, or outside the wall.

If you are not in a freezing area you'll probably be able to jury-rig a temporary water line bypassing the point of leakage, cutting into the line before and after where you think the leak occurs.

See WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING

Water Leaks at Electrical Conduit for Well Pump Wiring

Water is trickling out of wire conduit at top of well casing

We have a submersible pump water is trickling out of wire conduit at top of well casing not sure what the problem is. On 2016-09-29 by Steve

Safety warning by (mod) -

Steve

Watch out: What you describe sounds unsafe, risking electrocution (death) hazards if water has as it appears, begun to leak into the interior of an electrical conduit.

Chances are a wiring seal or conduit seal has failed.

But there can be other problems such as a temporary artesian well condition that is sending water up to the top of the well casing.

For safety it would be best prefer to shut off the system and call for repair by an experienced pump installer.

Water runs into our basement through the well pump conduit when it's raining

During a heavy rainstorm, the pipe that holds the well pump wires and goes into the basement had a leak like someone turned on a faucet.

What could be going on? Is it surface water or water from the well overflowing? We have had a lot of rain the past few months here in Virginia.

Could it be the water table is that high and the well is overflowing? On 2019-05-05 by Tiffany

Explanation and advice by (mod) -

Tiffany

We have seen this problem before: water gets into the conduit that carries pump control wires to the well.

It is most-often surface runoff leaking into the conduit either at the well head, along the conduit route, or near the building where the conduit enters through the foundation wall or up through the slab.

You'll need to find and seal the leak point with suitable plumbing fittings.

The easiest solution which I do NOT recommend is to use a wet-applied pipe sealant to the open end of the electrical conduit. Not only is that not a long term reliable repair it could be unsafe to leave the pump's electrical wires under water at your basement wall.

Instead I'd prefer to find the opening in the conduit that's taking in water. Most-likely that's at the other end of the conduit, at your well. Find and seal that point.

 

How do I fix water leaking up the electrical wire conduit at my wellhead?

I have water leaking up the wire conduit at my wellhead. It isn’t from the casing itself but is coming up the adjacent tube where the wires that feed the pump come up from the pressure switch.

Can’t figure out how it’s leaking in to there.

No water is coming out of the other end into the pressure tank put. Absolutely none of the well repair companies in this area are willing to come look at it so I’m on my own going on 2 weeks with no water! On 2019-08-19 by Steve -

Reply by (mod) - identify the source of water leaking up the wire conduit at the wellhead.

Steve my vision from down here on the other side of the immigration-wall is limited so I can but guess:

• is there an electrical conduit connecting a submersible pump wire to the well head that is connected at the well casing top or side?
• is well water rising in the well casing due to a temporary artesian well condition that sends well water up through the casing to the conduit and through the electrical conduit to its other end?
  
  If so and if you're seeing what you're sure is well-water coming out of the conduit then either there's a below ground leak into the conduit or the well itself is a part-time flowing artesian well whose water level has reached up to and is flooding the conduit.
  
  Watch out: working on this you could very easily be shocked or killed.
  
  Any exploring you do to follow the conduit and wiring should be done with power OFF at the electrical panel.

Followup by Steve

Thanks for the reply from over the wall! Yes, the electrical conduit connects to the sub pump at the top of the casing.

It is definitely not an artesian well and the leak only occurs when the pump is running. After thinking all day I came up with the same thought that the underground pipe is leaking and entering the conduit that’s close by. I guess there’s some digging in my future?

by (mod) -

Damn.

The observation that the conduit fills with water only when pump runs is diagnostic. I'm assuming the conduit extends only to the casing - normally within the casing the wiring is simply taped to the pipe dropping down to the pump.

So yeah water's leaking in to the conduit; it's quite possible that the installer ran the wiring and the well pipe in the same trench.

Let us know what you find as it'll certainly help others.

Watch out: Keep in mind that soaking the wiring is unsafe, especially if there are unprotected electrical connectors such as simple twist-on connectors or "wire nuts", risking wire damage, shorts, and dangerous electric shocks.

How to fix water leaking into basement at well wiring conduit pipe

I have 2 plastic lines coming from the basement floor/sidewall.

One is the water feed and the other is a 2" black plastic pipe which contains the electrical lines.

When the pump is turned on this pipe leaks continuously. Is there a way to fix this and does it cause my water pressure to decrease?

Thanks Brian - 9/16/12

Reply:

Brian,

Indeed if water entering the electrical conduit for your well pump is seen only when the pump is running, it sounds as if there is a cross-leak somewhere in the well piping system, and indeed I'd want to fix that not only because it's wasting water and reducing water pressure, but because you may be soaking electrical wiring that expected to be protected in dry conduit - a possible short or shock hazard.

Usually well pump wiring (presuming you've got a submersible pump) travels from building to well casing head in conduit, and enters at the top of the well casing. From that point usually the wiring is exposed, taped to the well piping as it descends in the well down to the pump itself.

I SPECULATE that you might have a different conduit connection OR an artesian well whose water is rising above expected level and flooding the conduit. I'd start investigation by turning off power to the well pump for safety and then opening the casing cap to see what is going on with wiring and conduit at that end.

Keep me posted on what you find (photos would help) and we may be able to offer more suggestions.

Follow-up: Why is water pouring out the electrical conduit in the house.

I just had a problem of water pouring out the electrical conduit in the house. Had to leap over the water to shut off the breaker. I know the conduit and water line run inside a tube of piping and I thought maybe the water line somehow came off the fitting at the well casing.

I dug down to the casing and found the line somehow came off and filled the tube and the conduit that ran with it was open in the tube so the water took the path of least resistance and went out the conduit because the holding tank wasn't letting any water in.

I slit the casing for the conduit so I could put a bucket under and collect water by turning the breaker on and off to get water for the toilet and dishes and washing up till I fixed the piping. The hole was about 4 ft x 4 ft x 4-1/2 ft deep.

Reply:

Brian

You were right to shut everything down immediately as there is a possible electric shock (electrocution) hazard.

We have had other reports of a similar problem - well water pressurizes the electrical conduit line between the well casing and the building - for example when a normally-pumped well temporarily acts like an artesian well because of abnormally high water tables during a storm or area flooding.

But your case is a bit different - if I understand accurately a broken pressurized water line at the well sent water into the conduit. Thank you for this field report as it may help others diagnose odd water leaks out of electrical conduit serving a submersible pump well system.

Reply:

Brian

You were right to shut everything down immediately as there is a possible electric shock (electrocution) hazard.

We have had other reports of a similar problem - well water pressurizes the electrical conduit line between the well casing and the building - for example when a normally-pumped well temporarily acts like an artesian well because of abnormally high water tables during a storm or area flooding.

But your case is a bit different - if I understand accurately a broken pressurized water line at the well sent water into the conduit.

Thank you for this field report as it may help others diagnose odd water leaks out of electrical conduit serving a submersible pump well system.

 

Other Water Pipe Leaks Causing Pump or Well Trouble

Need help finding leak in sprinkler system water piping

Need help hopefully in guiding me to what I must do next. We have a 500 gallon well with an above ground pump.

There is two on/off valves one for to small homes and the other for a sprinkler system that waters about 2 acres.

The pressure to both homes is at 72 PSI. Then when I turn on the valve for the sprinklers it drops to 30 PSI and I can hear the water running through the large steel pipe like it is trying to fill up the tank.

So, I allowed it to run for over an hour yesterday turned it off and walked to locate a super wet area.

No Luck tried again today letting it run for another hour nothing no where - I am at a lost.

The sprinkler company wants to re pipe the 2 plus acres for $10,000 !

I am so frustrated due to this was a rental property for 8 years and this sprinkler system was in great condition and watered with fantastic pressure .

So somewhere along the line they turned it off and never ever communicated there was an issue. We are repairing and a bit of Remodeling to sell, and now this happens . On 2019-05-29 by Steph

Photo above: lawn sprinkler system head and piping at a Tucson, Arizona home. - Ed. [This is not Steph's system discussed above, it's here to help recognize lawn sprinkler system components.]

by (mod) Before re-piping the whole system let's find the blockage or leak or a closed valve

Steph

Before replacing the sprinkler system I'd certainly want a more thorough diagnosis of just what's going on, since we may be confusing different possible problems:

1. High water use rate when running the sprinkler system and a low flow water well. It's quite common that sprinkler systems can run so much water that the pump will run continuously, but that doesn't mean it's delivering water!
2. That 500 gallon water storage tank - if that's what you mean - is a compelling clue that the actual well flow rate is very poor - perhaps just a gallon a minute or even worse.

So if you are running out your water tank the system could run for days trying to re-fill the tank or worse, burn up the pump UNLESS there is a pump protection switch or tailpiece installed.

Lawn watering system pump can't reach cut-off pressure

I need help identifying a problem with my lawn watering system. History follows:

- Tech details deep well system approx. 90ft deep. 1 hp system with pressure switch 30-50. System worked well for 10 years.

A few months ago, the system started occasionally not shutting off because it would not attain the cut off pressure necessary after use. On 2 occasion it happened at night resulting in damage due to boiling. I have tried the following over several weeks:

• I changed pressure switch with no change in symptoms
• I replaced the air bladder and also ensured multiple times that it was inflated to the proper psi which is 2 psi below the cut in pressure of 30 psi
• A close inspection of the whole system indicates that there is no substantial leaks (except possibly in the well itself which I can't inspect.
• When the problem of occasionally not shutting off continued, with the pump running, I adjusted the pressure switch lowering the cut off pressure from 50 psi.
  
  At about 45 psi that system shut off. However 3 weeks later the problem reoccurred. Again, I back off the pressure switch a bit more and the pump shut off. In another 3 weeks the problem reoccurred. This time the damage from boiling over damaged the pump casing itself and the whole pump was replaced.
• With the new system installed, the problem remains. The pressure will build to approx. 42 psi. I am reluctant to back the pressure switch off since that seems to only temporarily fix the issue and I do not want to ruin the new pump.

The current pump pumps fine except that it won't turn off, when unplugged the pressure falls more rapidly than in the past bleeding off to 0 in about 3 hours. Since I now unplug the system when not in use, I lose prime over night.

Any ideas greatly appreciated. I suspect I have damage or clog in the well itself but would like to get outside ideas if there is anything else I can do. Thanks in advance 8/19/14 Steve

Reply: leaks in sprinkler system piping can prevent water pump from reaching CUT-OFF pressure

Steve,

Indeed water delivery problem complaints seem to be increasing among our readers who use watering and irrigation systems, perhaps as global warming weather patterns, increased use of pumped water from various aquifers, and increased use of watering and irrigation in dry seasons have been dropping the water level in many wells.

If your well water flow rate is diminished that could explain why the pump is unable to reach shutoff pressure - waiting for the well to recover the pump keeps running.

The risk is damage to the pump that can also reduce it's ability to reach cut-off pressure. Lowering the cut-off pressure slightly gives temporary relief but as well water flow rate diminishes and pump deteriorates the problem returns.

With a new pump installed and confidence that there are no leaks I would be SURE to install a pump controller that includes a pump protection circuit that will shut off the pump if it's running dry or hot or drawing improper current. Some pump protection switches require manual reset, others not.

There are also well tailpieces that can protect a submersible pump against running dry. In the More Reading links above see

WELL PIPING TAIL PIECE

and

see this article on pump protection switches: WATER PUMP PROTECTION SWITCH

 

We lose water pressure when we run the lawn sprinklers

I have a water well that holds pressure, and runs great, but sometimes when the sprinkler system is on it will get to a certain station and I will lose pressure. I can turn the power off for about 30 seconds, and then back on and it will work fine for a few days.

Just wondering what could be causing this? When it is not in use it holds pressure so that ruled out a leak in the pipe. 5/25/14 WPT

Reply:

WPT

If powering off and back on for just 30 seconds restores water I don't think it's a well flow problem; more likely a failing pressure control switch or switch sensor.

Can I install a shutoff valve as part of repairing a well pipe leak?

I have leak under the driveway in the inlet pipe from the well to the tank. I have the breaker off so it is not cycling the pump and don't notice the leak at this time.

The plumber wants to install a shut off valve at the well and then replace the pipe under the drive way. He wants to do this because he said there will be water continuing from the well even if the pump is off. Is it necessary to install the shut off valve? (Aug 19, 2014) Rose

I have almost the same problem as Rose (Aug 20, 2014),but the leakage is in the outlet pipe from the pump to the house. We cannot make the pipe dry and cannot fix it because the pipe continues to drip water from the pump even after the pump is totally turned off. Please help.

FYI I installed my Sanyo jet pump with PVC pipes in 1984, so it is already 30 years old now. (Nov 17, 2014) Etta Azhari

Reply:

Rose

I would follow the plumber's advice. Most fellows have enough work to do that the don't recommend something unless they see a reason. I can't see your set-up and am reluctant to second-guess the plumber. Perhaps your well is an artesian one.

Etta:

You'll need to drain the pump, dry the wet parts, then after the repair, re-prime the pump.

But Plumbers can fix a wet pipe using pg any of several methods including freezing and soluble plugs as well as newer plumbing fittings that do not require soldering.

 

Help! dogs are digging a wet spot by the well and the ground is sinking

Hi there, We recently moved into a barn apartment that has had a water well for about 20 years now.

This summer we adopted a few dogs and saw that they were digging next to the well. What I thought was at first a hole they dug was mushroomed out about 2-3 feet deep under the initial hole. So in essence the ground is sinking in that one spot.

My question is what would cause this and how do I fix it. I don't want a giant sinkhole to open up and swallow my dogs.

The well has a 6-8" PVC tube coming out of the ground about a foot. Is it possible this tube somehow got a crack in it. How do we fix it? Thanks (Dec 3, 2014) Wade

Reply:

Wade I don't have enough information to be confident about what's going on, but digging next to a well might disturb well piping if it was shallow-enough, causing leaks, soil subsidence and sanitation worries.

If you live in an area prone to sinkholes, see

SINKHOLES - IMMEDIATE SAFETY ACTIONS 

Else some cautious digging is in order.

Wade said:

I think digging will have to wait until next year as winter is upon us in the near Chicago area. I'm not exactly sure how a well works.

What should I be looking for. The apartment I'm in was empty for a few years so the water probably didn't run during that time. Is it possible some water froze in that PVC tube that goes in the ground? If so how do people repair stuff like that.

Reply:

Split sections of PVC pipe are cut out and replaced using plastic or brass or stainless steel connectors.

I'd be looking for leaks at the well casing, at the pitless adapter that permits well piping to exit at the side of the well casing (which should be below the frost line in your area) and for leaks in the well piping itself.

I'd also watch for ground water ponding in a doggie-dug-hole that has nothing to do with the well.

If your pump is submersible (in the well) you might see water squirting out of a piping leak at the dog hole when the pump is running.

Also I'd look for a valve I forgot to open, sand clogged valve or pipe, or a low water problem that showed up during use of water to wash the filters.

Air Leaks In to Well Piping

Is it possible to have an air leak in a water pipe without leaking water.

Is it possible to have an air leak in a water pipe without leaking water. On 2016-10-26 by Anonymous -

by (mod) - Yes

Yes, Anon, depending on piping routing, pump type, and other factors.

EG: I've seen well piping leaks on the suction line of a one line jet pump that draw air in but that do not push water out.