Water well casing leak diagnosis & repair questions & answers.

Frequently asked questions & answers about how to fix a leaky or damaged water well casing; sources of casing repair tools, kits, methods, and experts.

This article series describes the diagnosis and repair of leaky water well casings.

Well Casing Leaks: diagnosis & repair of leaks in residential water well casings

Questions & answers on how to repair a leaky or damaged well casing, posted originally at WELL CASING LEAK REPAIRS - be sure to review that article.

On 2019-01-07 by (mod) - water standing around the well head

Amy

Take a look at the soil surface slope or grading around the well; if there is a depression around the casing that might explain water collection there.

It is also possible that some wells can be flooded by local rainwater, either entering from the aquifer ( normal) or entering the well casing from a leaky well casing side or top.

if the latter is going on, such a well may temporarily act like an artesian well, sending water up and out near the casing top or at a leaky pitless adapter if your casing uses one of those below ground.

Your plumber or well service company may want to open the well casing and inspect the entire casing for damage using a well bore camera.

Let me know what you're told and we can take it from there.

For air discharge at fixtures there are several explanations.

See details at AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES https://www.inspectapedia.com/water/Air_Discharge_at_Faucet.php

Certainly if there are leaks into the well casing from holes, rust, splits, bad piping connections etc. then the well water may not be sanitary.

Leaks into a well casing risk contaminating the well water with unsanitary ground water, surface runoff, and salts, fertilizer, bacteria, or any other contaminant likely to be flowing on the ground surface.

On 2019-01-07 by Amy

We have water standing around the well head but we have also had an abnormally amount of rain. The water is not standing in any other location of the yard which is concerning. Sometimes when using the water in the house we get a little air in the pipe. Is this normal for a well?

On 2018-11-1 by (mod) - repair a well casing hole 100 feet down

Kathy

Usually that type of damage can be repaired. Ask your well drilling and repair company about a well sleeve.

See WELL CASING LEAK REPAIRS

On 2018-11-10 by Kathy

We have a well casing that has a hole about 100 feet down, can that be packed/patched repaired?

On 2018-08-16 by Lou

Can you still have sediment and sand if you have a leak at the pitless or buried water line? Or is sediment a conclusive symptom of a leaking casing?

On 2018-07-26 15:41:36.323787 by Larry whitte

Thank you for the reply.

On 2018-07-25 22:09:48.718432 by (mod) -

Larry:

Sure using an insert with a pre-welded bottom seal, or more-easily, using concrete. Because concrete setting is a chemical reaction, concrete will set under water. But you'll want help from an experienced well driller in getting a foot of concrete at the bottom of the well. For a DIY you'd mix a very-dry bolus of concrete so that when dropped into the well it will fall to the bottom without over-mixing with water in the well.

Once the concrete has set you'll need to clean the well of residual concrete mixed in the standing water *(static head)

On 2018-07-24 20:36:08.294099 by Larry whitte

This is the real question i have a well that the bottom 20 ft hit a coal can I seal the bottom 30 ft and fix the problem?

On 2018-07-24 20:33:05.330296 by Larry whitte

I have a well that the bottom 20 ft hit a coal as Goodman i seal the bottom 30 ft a d attempt to force the problem?

On 2018-06-14 00:57:16.054018 by (mod) -

Chris

With the ducking and weaving disclaimer that i can't see inside your well casing from here, yes, usually you can repair a damaged well casing with one or more well sleeves.

On 2018-06-13 20:49:03.353228 by chris walla

I have a 42 Year old Residential Water Well in a remote part of Canada - the Property hasn't been used in over 25 years , due to that fact our property was used and abused by vandal's and squatters who striped our house and damaged our well casing 3 to 4 feet below the surface by those people running into the well Casing with there snowmobiles and pickup trucks, we got a report from the well company that put in the well and they said the well is still viable - would a resleeve of the damaged section work

On 2018-05-13 20:10:11.366220 by (mod) -

Tom

Thank you for the important Field Report, as it illustrates that such overpressures really do occur and that the pressure relief valve can do its job.

Still I would urge you to have your plumber inspect the system to find out what's wrong since over pressurizing a water system risks bursting a tank or pipe.

As I've pointed out, besides flooding a building, such a break can actually injure someone.

I suspect the problem is with your pressure control switch but of course it could be something else.

On 2018-05-13 15:41:58.990369 by Tom

A few days ago, as I was walking by the wellhead house, I noticed that the pressure release valve at the well head was gushing water intermittently. I installed a new pressure release valve and now there is only the occasional, very short spurt of water from the release valve outlet.

I had not noticed any change in the house's faucet water pressure but thought it best to check the water tank. It turned out my submersible well pump is cycling on and off at 40 and 60 psi every 44 seconds.

When I turn my pump off at the electric panel, tank pressure drops to zero. When I subsequently turn it back on I can hear the tank filling with water and the light “snapping” noise of the tank bladder as the incoming water “pushes” it into it's 60 psi shape. Once it reaches 60 psi, and the pump switches off, the pressure in the tank immediately begins to drop. When it reaches 40 psi, the pump comes on again. I can hear no loss of air from the tank.

Given the above, I'm thinking that the pump, tank, pressure switch, and pressure gauge are operating correctly.

My first thought was that there must be a faucet running or some kind of continuous water loss in the house's pipes. I could not find such a “leak” so to be sure, I shut off the house valve next to the tank and turned on the pump. The pump came on, filled the tank to a pressure of 60 psi and switched off. The pressure immediately began to fall until it reached 40 psi and the pump turned on again. When I turned off power to the pump, the tank pressure fell to zero indicating that the water was leaving the tank, but with the valve off, it could not have been leaving into the house piping. I confirmed this by rocking the tank back and forth, which was very easy to do. Clearly at this point there is very little, if any, water remaining in the tank.

Could the cause of this issue be a faulty foot valve attached to the well pipe? The only possibility I can think of is that the water in the tank is rushing back into the well-head-to-tank-piping. Could this cause a short spurt of water from the pressure release valve at the well head?

I'm retired and on a low income. I'm hoping I can get directly to the cause without having to change expensive system parts in a step by step, physical process of elimination. I'm turning on the pump for very short periods only when we need water, hoping to save the pump.

On 2018-04-24 15:13:37.973868 by (mod) -

Thanks for the added remark SJ.

A burst water tank bladder will cause the water pressure tank to become saturated and will lead to well pump short cycling. That condition will not cause continuous pump operation.

When a pump runs continuously usually the reason is loss of water in the well - running dry will destroy most water pumps - but there are other reasons that a well pump won't stop.

The causes, diagnosis, and repair are detailed at WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.php

On 2018-04-24 14:52:58.544116 by Sjarpm

A few years ago that happened to my well, the pump would run and run. Ended up I needed a new water tank, the bladder had ruptured in the tank. Just an fyi in case.

On 2018-04-24 by (mod) - relationship of well casing leak to pump run-on or pump burn-ups

Thanks for the added remark SJ.

A burst water tank bladder will cause the water pressure tank to become saturated and will lead to well pump short cycling. That condition will not cause continuous pump operation.

When a pump runs continuously usually the reason is loss of water in the well - running dry will destroy most water pumps - but there are other reasons that a well pump won't stop.

The causes, diagnosis, and repair are detailed at WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.php

On 2018-04-24 by Sjarpm

A few years ago that happened to my well, the pump would run and run. Ended up I needed a new water tank, the bladder had ruptured in the tank. Just an fyi in case.

On 2018-03-11 by (mod) - pump was running continuously, well company thinks the well casing is bad

Nancy

I'm not clear on how a bad well casing (leaks dirt or contaminated water into a well) would cause the pump to run continuously. Ask for a clear explanation of how that happened.

"can't see the casing" ... is easily remedied by hiring a plumber who has a well bore inspection camera.

What you describe sounds like a well piping leak or a bad foot valve.

On 2018-03-11 by Nancy

A few days ago our water pump was running constantly. My husband determined when it cut off, the water tank was emptying, so the pump would come back on to fill it back up. As a temporary fix, he installed a valve on the pipe, so we can turn the pump on, open the valve and use water (which is clear and plentiful), but then once we are finished using the water, we have to close the valve and turn the pump back off.

When a local company came out to evaluate, they seemed to think the casing is bad and plan to replace it.

It will be a large expense and a huge mess and since they can't see the casing, I don't understand how they made their determination. Does this sound like an accurate assessment? Thank you!

On 2018-02-28 16:09:00.014956 by Dean Poore

I have a 4 inch schedule 40 PVC well casing. It has a total depth of 100 feet. I have a crack/hole in the casing at 30 feet from the surface. I have a well pump that has a 3 and an 1/8 inch outside diameter with a 1 inch PVC delivery pipe that is in the 4 inch well casing.

My problem: When it rains the rain water filters down thirty feet through the ground and leaks muddy water through the crack which runs down the well casing to my well water. I would like to sleeve this crack or sleeve the whole casing down to the water.

My other problem is if I sleeve the casing I must have enough room to pull my existing 3 and 1/8 inch outside diameter well pump up through the new sleeve in order for repair or replacement in years to come.

I have put a draw down seal or well blocker just below the crack but it has not worked very well as I still have red color muddy water seeping into my well water. Maybe I have another crack further down the casing I did not see when I put a camera down the casing.

At any rate I would like to sleeve the whole pipe if possible. that would be the answer. Is there a thin wall plastic sleeve that can cover the crack yet leave me enough inside diameter to slide my 3 and 1/8 inch pump out? If you have any suggestions or know of any body who can help please advise me. Dean poore, Murray Ky. (270) 436-6458.

On 2018-02-11 by (mod) - dirty water leaking into the well around the black poly pipe

Micky

I may not have a correct understanding of exactly where the leak is occurring, but it sounds to me as if you are well needs a new pitless adapter

On 2018-02-11 by mickydugan

I have an old bored well. There is dirty water leaking into the well around the black poly pipe that takes water to the house. What is the best way to stop the leak.

On 2018-01-18 by (mod) - chances that driving or logging near a well would damage its casing

Julie,

The chances that driving or logging near a well would damage its casing depend on

- the casing material (plastic is more likely to be damaged than a steel pipe)

- how close to the well equipment was driven (a few feet - more likely)

- how heavy is the equipment

- the soil properties: softness, compressability

Driving over land near a casing that is already cracked might indeed stir up mud that might find its way into the well

Driving over land near a well casing that is un-damaged should never send mud into a well. A properly-installed well casing is sealed against surface and subsurface runoff entry specifically because such water is almost never sanitary

You should

1. have your well water tested for contaminants

2. have the well casing inspected for damage (well companies use a well camera lowered into the well)

3. based on the above, if the casing is intact, then it may be appropriate to choose a treatment system. But I would NOT install such a system just to treat the muddy water and sand before knowing that we don't also have to treat for bacterial or other contaminants.

The well inspection should tell us if the problem is best addressed by a filter. For example if the water pick-up (or submersible pump) is too close to the well bottom all that might be needed is to raise the pump a few feet in the well.

Then see WATER FILTERS, HOME USE https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Filters.php
You'd choose a filter size and type depending on what needs to be filtered. If the water is sanitary, then a filter cartridge that is large enough (for your water usage volume and the level of sand contamination) that you don't have to change it too frequently.

On 2018-01-18 by Julie

We have a similar situation to your well disruption. When the land behind us was recently logged, we had a couple days where the water was very brown and filled with sand. The disruption to the ground I suspect affected the aquifer.

The company that owns the land suggests that we have a cracked casing, and that they couldn't have had anything to do with it. I think that it is too much of a coincidence. It settled down when they stopped, but we continue to get sand clogging up the washing machine. What kind of sand filtration system do you suggest?

On 2017-12-11 by Terri White

I was told I am not responsible for the huge water hole in my backyard in my subdivision. HOA denies responsibility either. So does many others!

We now have a huge hole in my backyard becoming deeper. Can see the pipe shooting out water. No one seems to be responsible for this and I am in a subdivision, not even HOA.

On 2017-11-09 18:48:26.498034 by (mod) -

Anon,

I am embarrassed to even pretend that I could be smarter than an on-site well expert, but based just on what you say, drilling a whole 100 ft or more deep well and installing all new well equipment just to replace a leaky well pipe sounds a bit extreme. I'd want to hear that there was some other reason to take such an expensive step.

I cannot give any reason that pulling a well pipe up to repair it and then putting it back into the well would be expected to cause a premature pump failure.

I and other readers would very much appreciate hearing some factual basis and reasoning that your contractor can offer for his/her advice.

Call another well contractor or plumber with well repair experience, and ask they why not pull the pipe and replace or repair the leaky section.

On 2017-11-08 12:13:01.997799 by Anonymous

My submersible well has a discharge pipe leak about thirty feet down in the well. Thepump is locaterd approximately 100 feet down. The contractor has stated that it would be best to go ahead and replace my well pumpbecause it is 8 years old and the disturbance of pulling up the pump to fix the discharge pipe willlikely cause the pump to fail prematurely.

On 2017-11-02 03:13:31.084123 by (mod) -

Diana,

there are so many variables to am answer to such a general question that I can understand that a well person would be nervous about giving you any kind of an estimate. I don't know what sort of leak, in piping, in casing, the well casing materia, well depth, need to pull the well pipe and pump, etc.

If the repair involves nothing more than pulling the well piping and foot fell for pump, pushing a repair sleeve to an appropriate depth in the well and installing it, and putting the well piping back, we still could be looking at $100 or more in parts and 5 times that or considerably more and labor

On 2017-11-02 00:42:09.381703 by Diana

Can you give me approx. cost of a small leak in well

On 2017-07-06 13:52:27.275600 by (mod) -

Your concern is reasonable and the crew chief has confirmed that their work could affect or da mage your well.

I would get ax n independent expert to photo document the condition of the well and report in writing on

Well flow rate
Static head position
Water quality
Casing condition

Before nearby work begins

On 2017-07-05 21:58:28.549680 by Susan Proctor

I have a very good encased 100' well that fulfills all needs for 27 years. I live on top of a mountain composed of a lot of rock near Little River canyon in Alabama. Recently, new developers have convinced the water board to bring city water here (i will not be tapping in, of course). However, they will be breaking rock (not blasting) with heavy equipment and laying pipe 20' deep 10' from my well. I am concerned if this will cause damage to my well, casing, or facets to my aquifer. The crew chief of this project has been by to speak with me but said he doubts it, but can not guarantee anything. Thank you for any advise.

On 2017-06-19 22:51:19.752153 by Lisa Nickell

A lady backed into our well head cover and moved it. Losing pressure in bladder and now pump comes on alot. How do we know for sure if the well head is cracked

On 2017-06-19 03:12:52.109523 by Bj

Abundant water

On 2017-06-19 03:11:19.179669 by Bj

Our 8 inch steel case will has a band and water but is silty when the ground water is high either from rains or flood irrigation or adjacent fields with river water
Well is in shed on slab never under water

On 2017-05-06 16:40:32.129404 by (mod) -

Bill,

Because an Artesian well, by definition, sends water to the surface under its own pressure, it is often necessary to install and internal seal inside the well casing below the wells top cover. One term for that seal is a well spool. If your well has begun leaking out of the top I suspect that that seal is either missing or has failed.

On 2017-05-04 09:46:11.512416 by Bill

Have a new artisan well. Driller installed a run off pipe from well to a small brook near the well. The well is 185' with well casing, with casing to 130'. The pump is at 160'. The runoff pipe seems to be working but still have water bubbling out of ground around the outside of casing.

I know this is not right and what should be done with the problem since the water is flowing in the yard and
causing a wet wet area? Also the runoff pipe is close to the top of the ground. Can this freeze in the winter and cause the casing to split?

On 2017-04-21 21:32:56.014374 by (mod) -

Watch out: wet electrical wiring and connections risk death by electrocution. Be sure your electrician checks the safety of the wiring. (Why are there wires and a pump on an artesian well?) Don't try just sealing the wires.

Next: it sounds as if your well is missing an internal bore-well spool or seal that is intended to prevent water from rising up and out of the well bore.

On 2017-04-21 10:20:10.274076 by Paul

I have an artesian well. The overflow pipe runs into a lake. When the lake water level is high the overflow pipe is under water. As a result water comes out the top of my well cap vent causing a mess on my lawn.

That is the case now, but the water isn't coming out the vent it's coming out under the cap where the wires go in??? Why all of a sudden is water coming out there? Is there a seal of some kind that typically prevents this?? Thanks

On 2017-03-02 16:36:16.865959 by (mod) -

Curn

It sounds as if even with a deep well the total water quantity or flow rate is inadequate.

A different possibility might be a damaged well casing and dirt falling into the well - as you suggested, via crack or opening.

Why not find a plumber with a well inspection camera so we can put the end to arm-waving speculation.

On 2017-03-02 16:34:58.496357 by (mod) -

Marylnn

I don't know but I'd look for a leak in the well piping or a failed check valve.

On 2017-03-02 14:47:24.784033 by Marlynn

I just replace the pressure tank was shut the well off now I have water around the well casting what does that mean

On 2017-01-19 01:12:18.813970 by Curn

We had a new well dug almost a year ago (3/16). The well had to be dug 500 ft to reach good water. Since then we have had intermittent issues. Sediment, mud and sand continues to come through the pipes to the house.

Again, it is intermittent and not constant. Two or three times we have had no water to the house but there is water at the well. This was resolved by back flushing each time. We believe there was sediment lodged in the pipe and the back flush loosened it and released the flow of water.

The problem is that we cannot get the well driller to respond to our calls and emails when the issue is occurring. When he does call 2-3 weeks later, the issue has resolved itself. He contends that he cannot help us if the problem is not happening at that moment.

He seems to miss the point that he does not call us back when the problem is occurring. The point here is the problem is intermittent. We have had the water tested a couple of times and there is bacteria in the water.

We follow the recommendation but we continue to have bacteria.

Everything we have found in our research if there is a crack in the casing, the sediment issue should not occur intermittently.

We had a hydrologist from the state licensing division come and take a sample from the well and it was perfectly fine. The hydrologist stated that if the casing was cracked or the screen was insufficient or absent the water sample would have shown at that time. Any advise or other ideas of possible issues would be greatly appreciated.

On 2017-01-04 02:04:58.986203 by (mod) -

Anon:

Is this an artesian well? If so, usually there's well spool - a type of plug - in the well to prevent water from rising to the casing top.

Else I suspect a leak in well piping or a leak at the pitless adapter. In that case you'll need to dig to find and replace the damaged component.

On 2017-01-03 14:40:00.279777 by Anonymous

we have a 5" well drilled 45 ft water leaking from around the casing any sujestions on how to stop the flow of water arond casing

On 2016-12-20 00:19:27.160575 by (mod) -

Jennifer:

I am by no means smarter than your onsite expert, but I'd be curious about leaping into drilling a well because of a whistling sound and air in the water.

IF an investigation of the water level and flow rate (search InspectApedia.com for WELL FLOW RATE) shows that this well is performing inadequately then yeah, steps to either increase well yield or drill a new one (a new pig in a poke as well) are appropriate.

But if the investigation shows that there is casing damage or a failed vent or snifter valve, those are repairable at a much lower cost.

External superficial rust is normal on casings. If a casing is bad throughout, collapsing over considerable depth, for example, that may not be repairable.

I'd sure like to see some objective facts before deciding on what's the right repair. Maybe a well inspection using a camera + a flow test are in order.

On 2016-12-19 19:03:54.190305 by Jennifer

Hi there! We have had a lot of air coming into our water supply in our home so we called a well expert to come investigate. Our pump and pressure tank are all working well but there is a whistling sound coming from our well casing in our backyard.

The plumber/well expert told us that there is something leaking in our well and that he would suggest drilling a new one since it is a very old steel well that is rusted. I'm wondering if a crack in the well cap would cause the extra air to come into the water supply or if it would be coming from the well casing itself.

Our well cap is cracked on top and the well is old and rusted steel. We have no idea when the well was drilled but our home was built in 1988 and we just purchased it in August 2016. Please advise on whether a new well is needed or if there is another, less expensive option. Thanks for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated!!

On 2016-12-16 by Roberto Salvi - problems in wells in Saudi Arabia

Good day to everyone

I am send this message with the hope to get help in solving a problem which is becoming more and more serious.

We are facing a casing corrosion/abrasion in several water Wells at pump installation depth; that is, it looks like that the ESP is the main cause of casing damages.

Above and below this depth casing is integer.

Three Wells have been already inspected with camera and there is little doubt that sand inflow comes from perforated or even missing casing portions !

Other four Wells are having the same problem (sand pumping) but not yet camera inspected.
Important: Casing failure within 2 to 5 years from production start.

Well and pump main data:

TD: 500 m (1,640 ft)
Bottom 150 m (492 ft) screened with 7” wire wrapped SS-316L screens and with gravel pack.
Casing (cemented): 16”, API J-55, 75 lb/ft

Pump depth: 300 m (984 ft)
Pump motor size: 12 1/2”

Pump Power: 300 HP, Variable speed
Pump construction material; Stainless Steel 304

Pump column pipe: SS-304, flanged, but not centralized !
Daily Pumping time: 8-12 hours at 2,270 lt/min to 3,000 lt/min (600 gpm to 800 gpm)

SWL: about 250 m (820 ft)

We suppose one or a combinations of the following reasons to be responsible of casing corrosion/abrasion:

1. Stray currents (caused by a partially grounded pump phase or other source of current)

2. Eddy currents (casing temperature increase caused by pump motor magnetic field)

3. Galvanic corrosion (with pump in contact with casing, hot-spot)

4. Pump vibrations (with pump in contact with casing, hot-spot)

5. Increased water flow velocity between pump motor and casing (increased rate of corrosion and abrasion if water contains even some small amount of sand).

6. Lightning

Has anyone experienced such a phenomenon before ?

In the Web there is lots of papers about pump corrosion/abrasion but we cannot find anything regarding casing damages caused by pump.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

Roberto Salvi
Hajjan Drilling Co. (Water Well Drilling Contractor)
Saudi Arabia

On 2016-07-01 15:59:27.396641 by (mod) -

Mike there are different well cap designs; older compression caps that seal at well casing top by compressing two steel plates against one or more thick rubber gaskets may have had pipes that extended through the cap and were sealed by the gasket. Perhaps that's what you have.

Other fittings screw right into the cap top and can't just be pushed sliding through. Use the page bottom CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos and perhaps I can comment further.

Or a pitless adapter may send pipes out through the side wall of the well casing. In that case the well piping is suspended from the underside of the in-well pitless adapter fitting.

On 2016-07-01 14:42:29.076260 by mike cortese

what holds up the pipes at the well cap in a 2 pipe system? pvc elbow is leaking (4 feet underground). elbow is very close to cap and may need to cut it flush w/cap. Can I pull piping up a couple inches to attach new elbow?

On 2016-06-24 18:16:27.364023 by (mod) -

Well Jeff you may be lucky to have an artesian well - search InspectApedia.com for ARTESIAN WELL to read details.

Many artesian wells include a well spool - basically an internal seal part-way down in the casing to stop water from overflowing up out of the well casing cap; if your well was built that way the well spool may have failed.

I'd very much like to see some sharp photos of the well casing / cap with water overflowing and could then comment further. Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send me pictures.

keep me posted.

Daniel


Denison:

Sure there are well screens to keep gravel out of the jet. Ask your local well service company for help; you'd need to

- pull the piping

- repair the damaged section of pipe

- replace or install a well screen at the foot valve

On 2016-06-24 17:46:55.818812 by Jeff

Water is flowing from the water well cap cover, like a water fountain. Please suggest what broke?

On 2016-03-17 15:06:12.980144 by Denison Carlos

I have a drinking water well (24 years) with a partial screen rupture due to the jet from a hole in the riser pipe. Do anybody know if there is a screen sleeve to prevent the filter gravel penetration?

On 2016-02-29 00:21:29.407553 by (mod) -

Yes Bob but before doing that, check with your local well drillers who know how to repair a cracked casing by installing a well sleeve to seal the hole, split or crack.

On 2016-02-28 22:58:18.692019 by Bob

I have a 2" well 80 ft to the water; that may have a hole in the casing. Can I put 2 smaller pipes in the 2" casing and get water at a lower volume? If so can you tell me what size small pipes to use, one smaller than the other maybe? Thank you for any help. My e-mail is benderbob01@comcast.net

On 2015-12-05 22:05:50.692590 by (mod) -

Davod

I agree with your guess; ask your well driller to drop a camera down the well to inspect the casing; the good news is that often repair of a cracked casing is possible by inserting a well sleeve.

I've also had sediment show up in an old well with a long history of good behavior following nearby road blasting. The rock fissure system feeding the well was permanently changed and even though the well water level didn't change the water entering the well in its lower portion - below the casing, became muddy; we had to install a sediment filter system.

On 2015-12-05 18:38:51.313899 by David

19 yr old well, 25 gpm been great. Past year or so getting enough sediment to clog filter wihin a week. Problem happens seasonally when not using well much (I have a ground-source heat pump that runs off well).

So not present during Summer, occurred during Summer-Fall transition, now winter water clean as can be. I'm guessing I have a casing break relatively high? Note when you pull top of well you normally see water (good producing well). Is my diagnosis close?

On 2015-09-24 20:51:39.485706 by (mod) -

Often leaks can be repaired as described in the article above.

On 2015-09-24 02:26:32.356709 by Anonymous

I have what looks like a leak in my casting 30 feet down can this be repaired?

On 2015-09-01 15:46:03.922561 by Anonymous

I have a VERY old well. I've been told the casing is giving away. What are my options?

On 2015-07-10 19:04:55.580100 by (mod) -

I am thinking similarly to you: a leaky foot valve or a leak in well piping anywhere between the tank and the well bottom.

For convenience I start by checking and tightening the immedialy accessible pipe connections (air leaking in may not show up as a water leak out of the piping) .

On 2015-07-10 15:40:10.160670 by Josh

Hello great web site! My well pressure will pressure up to 60 PSI then cut off. The pressure will slowly go down to about 30 PSI then the pump will come on and pressure back up to 60 PSI. This all occurs even after I cut the water off to the house.

My water is not brown or dirty. I am thinking the leak is between the well casing and the pressure tank. I cannot see any leaks. Any advice for me?

On 2015-06-08 21:49:35.162750 by (mod) -

Jim

If you have an artesian well then there is a well spool or seal in the well intended to keep water below the casing top - that may be leaking.

If your well is not an artesian well then it may have become one, worse, it may be filling up with groundwater leaking into the well under pressure. Be sure to have your water tested for potability.

On 2015-06-07 20:43:15.724940 by Jim

Water is trickling out the edge of my well casing cap. The cap has a gasket that may be failing, but why would water be coming out at the top of the well casing?

On 2015-06-07 01:18:14.012990 by mike

my well casing is full of water what does this mean.

On 2015-06-07 01:10:15.225950 by mike

my well casing is full of water what does this mean.

On 2015-05-19 22:07:07.536690 by (mod) -

Tim and other readers, please Use the "Click to Show or Hide FAQs" link just above to see recently-posted questions, comments, replies

Question: how do I re-line or repair a leaky, damaged well casing: my well is a 2-inch diameter bore

2017/05/31 Darrell said:

I have a satrite msn 6 2 stage one line 1 hp jet 326 feet deep 2" out side case that was put in between the late 40s early 50s that I believe has a hole in the casein can I reline it?
This question and reply were posted originally at WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET

Reply:

Darrell,

Certainly there are well casing repair kits, basically a sleeve that is inserted into the well bore. You wouldn't re-line an entire well bore in most circumstances.

But a 2-inch O.D. well bore is so small I'm doubtful that you can re-line it. Are you sure we've got this dimension right?

We discuss repairs to well casing leaks at inspectapedia.com/water/Well_Casing_Leaks.php WELL CASING LEAK REPAIRS

Please take a look at that article.

If you can get a well camera down the well bore, that's where to start. You want to know the location (depth from ground surface) and nature of the damage.

The repair sequence is to use a swage to push a deformed casing back into proper round cylindrical shape, then a well casing repair sleeve - a metal (or other) liner is pushed into the well to the proper depth.

I looked for sources of small-diameter well casing repair sleeves and report on:

T.D. Williamson sells steel repair sleeves for damaged well casings in sizes 2" to 48" in diameter. I'd contact the company about the ability to fit one of their sleeves into your well casing once we have accurate measurements of the inside diameter of the casing.
As we have readers world-wide and you didn't mention your location I'll include several contact numbers for the company, as they have locations world-wide.

T.D. Williamson, Inc., Website: http://www.tdwilliamson.com/
North & South America: +1 918 447 5000
Europe/Africa/Middle East: +32 67 28 3611
Asia Pacific: +65 6364 8520
Offshore Services: +47 5144 3240

Well packers and even pumping sealants down to a leak location are other well casing leak repairs but those are more-likely not going to be suitable for a 2 inch residential water well casing damage repair job.

An example of these more-sophisticated well casing patch systems is the XPatch Expandable Casing Patch - described in two PDFs I will include below.

Keep me posted on how you progress as what you find will doubtless help other readers as well.

Well Casing Repair Kits

• Owen Oil Tools, X-Span® TUBING/CASING PATCH, [PDF] Owen Oil Tools, 12001 CR 100, Godley TX 76044 USA Tel +1 817 551 0540, Website: www.corelab.com/owen also provides well casing patcy systems such as the company's X-Span Tubing/Casing Patch, retrieved 2017/05/30, original source: http://www.corelab.com/owen/CMS/docs/Manuals/patch/MAN-PAT-005-R04.pdf
• TIW, XPatch® EXPANDABLE CASING PATCH, [PDF]TIW Tools, from TIW Corporation , 12300 South Main St. Houston, Texas 77035
  Tel: 713-729-2110 Website: http://www.tiwoiltools.com/ retrieved 2017/05/30, original source: www.tiwoiltools.com/Images/Interior/downloads/xpatch.pdf
• TIW, 2T-XPatch® WELL CASING REPAIR SYSTEM [PDF] retrieved 2017/05/30, original source: op. cit.

Question: indications of a well casing leak

(Feb 22, 2014) Joe Mattioni said:
I have a problem with our well water getting a brownish tint to it a day or two after a heavy rain. I have done a cursory inspection of the casing down to about 30 feet with a camera. The well is 450 feet deep with (I am told) about 40 feet of casing.

I am NOT seeing water enter the casing, but noticed that the interior is very corroded with sheets of rust peeling from the inside of the casing in a few places. The pitless adapter has peeling sheets of rust all the way around it.

Can you tell me if this is a sign of a casing leak?

Reply:

Joe I'm not sure but the thick flaking (exfoliating) rust is more than just surface rusting and could be hiding well casing leaks that show up as rusty water when there's a lot of rain; the casing's job is to keep surface water out of the well.

You might get more insight by having the water tested to identify the type of sediment and coloration in the water; from there you probably need a well repair company to take a look at the casing. If the casing is actually perforated or cracked then repairs are needed.

Depending on the extent of damage, if the casing is found to be shot and leaking there are repair methods that can often salvage the well.

Question: leaks at an artesian borehole well

(Apr 5, 2014) Anonymous said:
how to fix leakage around the base of a free flowing artesian borehole of 180 meters

Reply:

Your well service company may need to replace a seal inside the well casing. The seal prevents the water from reaching higher in the borehole than designed.

Question: sudden appearance of sand in well water

(May 7, 2014) Brett Wells said:
my well sudenly pumped alot of sand up into my system. It then stopped working. originaly it was 100' deep i figured this out when I dropped the 60' of pipe in and had to fish it out. I since replaced with pvc. pulled the pipe out and found the coupling had come apart fixe that lowered back in but it stopped.

I pulled it out found the valve at the bottom full of sand and dirt at least 1' into pipe.

I checked the water level with a string and weight it was about 25'but the hole was now only 52' deep I lowered 40' of pipe back in primed the system it seemed to work but suddenly stopped so

I pulled the pipes up enough to lower a string back in and the water level was at 40' does this mean my well has collapsed and I need to drill a new one ?

Reply:

Hi Brett. Indeed it sounds as if the well casing has been damaged, perhaps by rust perforation, if not collapsing then allowing sand to enter the well. A second concern is that if the casing side has failed in one or more places the well would no longer be assured of remaining sanitary.

Surface or high level groundwater leaking into the well casing contaminates such a well.

Sometimes the well casing rusts and perforates at a single site (near the top of the static water head). In such cases it's sometimes possible to repair the casing by inserting a sleeve sealed to the well sides.

In that case a well restoration company may be able to repair the well and pump out sand and soil from the well bottom, restoring the present well. If that cost is significantly less than drilling a new well I'd give it a try.

Call well drillers in your area asking who has the necessary expertise to diagnose the problem and propose a repair.

Keep us posted. What you learn will assist others.

Question: North Georgia deep well problems: Georgia clay vs rust

(June 14, 2014) Robert Micheals said:

My wife and I bought some property in the north Georgia Mountains. The property used to have a small cabins that we believe was built in the 1970's. The small cabin has been demolished but the drilled well is still there. I hire a well company to test the pump We showed the motor was pulling around 7 amps. But we could not get any water up. We decided to pull the pump up and inspect it ourselves. The well pump was about 200 feet deep.

The inlets of the pump are covered in what looks like Georgia Clay (maybe its rust?) The well casing does appear to have a good amount of rust on it and the pump and well have not been used for the past 20 years. We don't have a lot of money to dropped into the well

Do you think this sediment around the inlets could be caused by the well being static for so many years? Or could this be a sign of a casing problem?

Reply:

Yes, a cracked casing can send additional mud into the well as can leaks around the pitless adapter, or if the casing top is buried, leaks there.

Any of these are important to repair not just for the mud but because the well sanitation is no longer reliable - the water may be unsafe to drink if surface runoff is leaking into the well.

Question: well sleeves

(Sept 25, 2014) Lorrisa Singh said:
Was wondering what mechanisms you use to sleeve the wells..
How do u install the well sleeve?

Reply:

The sleeve is selected to match the internal diameter of the well and must also be able to pass the submersible pump (if used) and foot valve and piping. It is inserted into the well at proper depth and mechanically expanded against the casing sides. The procedure is described in the article above.

Question: slow leak at or in well

(May 10, 2015) Jan McWhort said:
We have a water well that has developed a slow leak.

Over the past 4 months the water has leaked from the well and now covers about 100 ft by 100ft. area. The water is about ankle high. We have had 3 different companies look at it and no one can tell where the leak is. I think its at the well casing but I don't know. I need help.

The water pressure doesn't seem to have changed but it needs fixing. Is there anyone out there that can help me.

Reply:

Jan

You may need to call well repair companies from a wider area to find an expert who can help with the well leak you describe. There are several possibilities that will need to be investigated in order to determine what repair is needed.

But indeed there are procedures for finding the point in the well casing where there is damage - if that's the problem - and often the well casing diameter permits the insertion of a well sleeve that repairs that section.

As long as the well recovery rate or rate of water flowing into the well is sufficient, you won't notice the leak as a reduction in water pressure. Water pressure is produced by your well pump not by the well itself

Question: mud problems in our water well

(May 11, 2015) donna said:
replaced well pump in Oct 2014, now filter is packed with mud and needs changed very frequently, low water pressure

Reply:

Donna:

Ask your well company or plumber for help: start by checking the height above well bottom that the pump is installed; if the well pump is too close to well bottom it may be picking up mud that can be avoided.

Other solutions: an improved well screen, or the discovery and repair of a crack or damage in the well casing that is allowing soil to fall into the well.

Question: is the wet area around our well casing a sign of a leak?

19 May 2015 Tim said:
I was digging nest to my well head today and discoverd some muck or more like light green ooze next to the the pvc pipe. When I dug down a bit deper I have found more. It all seems to be concentrated on one side of the pipe. Is this a leak?

Reply:

Tim:

I would dig enough to find the answer to that question. Certainly a leak at the pitless adapter or well piping near the casing is possible.

If it were groundwater I'd not expect it to be just on one side of the casing.

Use our email found at the page bottom CONTACT link to send me photos of what you see.

Tim said:
My well is 185' and I have not noticed any problems in the past. The house and well were constructed in 2006. The pipe going down is PVC.

Reply: all the more reason to look for a leak.

...

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• WELL CASING LEAK REPAIRS
• WELL CASING LEAK REPAIR FAQs
• WELL CAPS & COVERS for well casing cap sealing and venting requirements
• WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS

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