[wengang1]

Last week I posted about the well not pumping into the house (moderator, please don't bury this post under the old one).

Today I finally got the blockage in the line cleared out using my air compressor, but I'm utterly confused about what/how the system works.

When I was working on the well, I saw where the pitless adapter was, and I dug down to it on the outside of the casing and cut the water line to ensure it was flowing.
When I first tried to clear the line (water wasn't reaching inside the house), I kept expecting bubbles to come up in the pool of water inside the hole I dug.
When it finally cleared today, there were plenty of bubbles, but not from the supply line as I expected.
The bubbles were coming from inside the well casing!
I currently have the water line severed just outside the casing.
Some small amount of water is running out from the pitless adapter into the hole, but the line that I thought was running from my well to my house isn't even part of the equation.
Can there be a second line going through the well casing and running into my house? I only saw the one pitless adapter.

I do have water at the barn in the other direction from the house but I assumed the water line must have a TEE somewhere underground going to house and barn.

In short, how can air that I'm pumping from the line under the house that I took off my pressure tank be blowing bubbles inside the well casing?

Thanks.

 

[rjniles]

There is a joke in the pipe in the casing down to the pump.

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

 

[wengang1]

Is that choke?
From where I am, there was only one line coming out of the well (that I can see), and I severed it in two just outside the casing. The line it used to be connected to goes underground.
I don't see where the line under my house connects to the well. I would have assumed it was that one line off the pitless adapter, but it can't be if bubbles are coming up inside the well casing when I pump air into the line under the house. The severed line beside the well that goes underground has no bubbles or anything indicating movement.

Water is definitely pumping out of the well when I turn it on. It's coming out at a rate of several gallons per minute.
But the line under my house that I assumed was coming from the well is dry and silent when the pump turns on.
The pumped water is pouring out through the stub of pipe on the adapter and into the hole I dug.

I know the line under the house is the line in from the well because I personally plumbed the whole house and it's the one and only supply line into my system.
But the only explanation I can figure is that it comes out of the well casing at some other point. Or is that impossible?

 

[joed]

If you turn on the pump and water comes out the stub that is your water supply Unless there is another line coming out of the casing somewhere else. You should be able to see the connection if you shine a bright light down the casing.

 

[wengang1]

I just spent two more hours on this. I think that has to be the case. I'll have to pull everything up tomorrow and get another look. The first day, I siphoned water out of the well until I saw the adapter.
It is possible that there is another adapter further down.

On another note, I went ahead and coupled that line back together, and it's pouring out about 20 feet down the yard. Maybe that was a failed line and they went further down and put in another one. But I would think they would cap that one to stop it leaking. Maybe the water level wasn't reaching that high before. Wish I understood wells better and didn't have to learn in a state of emergency trying to get the water flowing into my house.

 

[wengang1]

YES! There is a second one on the other side. I can't see it, but I sent a straight pipe down into the water and tapped on it. I'm a little jammed up with the pitless adapter, though. When I was moving it up and down over and over the other day, something must have happened. Once I took the T tool out of the adapter, I couldn't get it to thread again. I tried both ends of the pipe, but it just isn't threading. I may have bent the threads the other day from tapping on it. The steel pipe is ok, but I'm guessing the brass doesn't hold up as well. I tried to loosen the big nut with a channel lock, but it was in too tight. I guess it will be safe to spray pb blaster on the outside of the well casing to loosen it. Then I think I can rig something to keep it all from falling into the abyss. I might just have this resolved tomorrow (said that every day this week!).

 

[wengang1]

Houston, we have water!
I went a couple of rounds with the brass nut outside the well casing, and decided it would be worth trying the T tool again. On the 300th try, it threaded. I pulled it up and turned it around, and with my son holding the flashlight, seated it beautifully. The leak I heard previously was a small bit of the o-ring inside the adapter sticking out. I pressed it back in.
Then I had the arduous task of cutting a piece of well pipe off the brass TEE on the pressure tank and forcing a cleancut section of pipe back on (with a heat gun).

Pressure is building up as air leaves the system. I just flipped the water heater breaker back on.
And I DO need a hot shower tonight.


I don't think I mentioned it but I broke down earlier in the week and called one of the name brand companies to come figure this out, but he couldn't figure it out.
His idea was to run a whole new well line. No charge for the suggestion.
I'm glad I (we) got this done with a lot of sweat and very little money!

Thanks all for your help on both threads.

 

[joed]

hooray for you.

 

[gthomas785]

Interesting and glad you figured it out.
I wonder if the second line is an overflow drain to keep the well from becoming pressurized? It's weird that it would terminate randomly in the yard though.
Could also be an old line that was abandoned.

 

[wengang1]

Interesting and glad you figured it out.
I wonder if the second line is an overflow drain to keep the well from becoming pressurized? It's weird that it would terminate randomly in the yard though.
Could also be an old line that was abandoned.

I'm wondering the same thing. I had planned to put a plug in the line, but now I'm thinking that was the purpose. It's possible that the line ran out to a wet runoff on my land at one point, but maybe cracked/collapsed. It's now terminating on the gravel road up to my barn.

 

[jmon]

Nice ending. Glad everything worked out for you wengang. Nice job!! and you saved a ton of $$$ by having patience and being persistent.

 

[gthomas785]

I'm wondering the same thing. I had planned to put a plug in the line, but now I'm thinking that was the purpose. It's possible that the line ran out to a wet runoff on my land at one point, but maybe cracked/collapsed. It's now terminating on the gravel road up to my barn.

If it's busted underground I would at least put a check valve on it to keep surface water from flowing into your well.

 

[de-nagorg]

If it's busted underground I would at least put a check valve on it to keep surface water from flowing into your well.

Good idea.

ED