Well Parts Questions

Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mrelmo

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
3
Location
Buffalo
OK I had 1 company drill the well, and a plumber install the pump and make connections 2 years ago, should have one company do it all. So when the well kicks on I get orange sediment that my 5 micon does not stop 100%. So I installed a second filter, little help. So I need to talk to the plumber and ask several questions. Is there a second check valve and is there a "torque arrester"on the pump this is the item I don't know is the correct terminology. I have read the thread about start up sediment and hammer effect. Also does the second check valve have to be installed vertical.
 
The experienced experts will be asking for more details such as depth of well etc.
The torque arrester reduces the 4" pump from bouncing around in the 6 inch pipe when starting & stopping.
There should be only the check valve within the pump.
 
The well is 32 feet deep 6 in casing, softner anything else? Seasonal usage
 
The orange sediment may be rust. A 5 micron will capture some but not all rust. The rust can be from iron in the bedrock or from the exposed steel casing. If it is rust there is a lot and that would require a different water treatment system. Have the water tested and consult a water treatment company.
 
Is this a well for irrigation use or potable water? The geology of your area will affect the composition of your water. In our area, wells need to be over 400' deep for potable water use, and metals, including heavy metals, are common in a shallow well. New well construction avoids the use of steel for the lining and parts of the well other than the pump. Using bleach to "shock" a well can initiate corrosion (rust).
 
Potable water. The well is 20 feet from a lake that is a gravel pit. , The casing was welded as they drilled it.
Raw test hardness 27gpg, iron .8ppm, ph 7.5, sulfer no, tds 470, no iron bacteria.
After softner o hardness, , .6 iron ppm, ph 8.0, tds 460. I will have new test this coming week. I have to talk to the plumber to see if he installed a second check valve after the pump. I spoke with the driller and with out looking at it he thinks the water is back feeding and the iron is in the plumbing.
 
We don't drink it, we bring bottle water for consumption and cooking. But use it for everything else.
 
The test results you shared show iron still present after treatment. That is most likely what your seeing. Depending on your softener and it’s resin type the iron from the well will shorten its life as well.
 
Did the person who drilled the well or the person who installed the pump have you flush the well for a period of time, or for a certain amount of time for several days in a row? Did they originally treat the well? (probably required) And how do you iron results compare to results for others in that area? (A county or state department responsible for well inspection should have some reference information.) The softener isn't removing much iron. It may require some trial and error to adjust the settings to your needs, but the rep. at the technical support number for the manufacturer should be able to provide some insights.
 
In spring when we open up we put a gallon of bleach down the well and let it sit for 5 or 6 hours than run it through the system untill all the smell has dissipated from all faucets. Dropped off new water sample for testing and waiting for results. But they do not test for bacteria so I need to take a sample to the county to test for bacteria. I have heard that iron breaks down into bacteria is this correct and can someone explain this.
 
For the volume of water in a a 32' deep well, that sounds like enough bleach to dissolve any metal in contact with the water.
 
Test results are in
Raw Water Hardness15, Iron 1.2, TDS 415, PH 7.5
Finished (after filter and softner) Hardness 0, Iron 0, TDS 608, PH 8.0
Also the county did a Coliform (Bacteria) results are negative

So the only question I have now is TDS, the company testing said those numbers ar in relation to PH and their testing. Can I get a litttle bettter explanation on TDS
 
My tap water has a 7.0-8.0 ph and a TDS of about 75 on the 700 scale.
 
After googling TDS after a softner it appears that an excessive amount is in the water, that is what I get out of it, maybe I am reading it wrong. I am thinking about backing off on the softner a little to see if that changes. Am I correct that salt will increase a TDS reading?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top