So today really started out about as normal as a Thursday can get. And it was normal until about 11:45 when Beth called informing me that the well pump had been running constantly for on the order of two hours (at least). She had noticed very low water pressure and then the all-familiar hum when the pump is running. This is not normal nor good.

I guessed that it was the pressure tank that had finally failed that was the cause of said problem. Okay, so we got two years worth of use out of said pressure tank with a slightly ruptured bladder — not bad, right? But it would have to be replaced. So I instructed her how to shut off the pump for now (it could be turned on manually to get water when necessary) and I’d deal with it when I got home.

So I swung out of work around 2:30 and made my way home. Upon arriving, I more or less immediately went to the basement to check out the situation and figure out what’d have to be done to remedy it. So I kicked the pump on and noticed it’d only pump up to about 18PSI. No more, no less. So I kicked off the pump and noticed the pressure drop within seconds to 0PSI. Hmmm…

There’s no water leak inside, no obvious air leak inside, but it’s not holding any pressure whatsoever. This is most definitely not good. Just to be sure, I checked the pressure of the pressure tank to discover that it was at 25PSI (it should be at 30, but with the slight rupture and two years’ time I’m not surprised it was 25). Regardless, that obviously wasn’t the cause of this problem.

So I went outside to inspect some stuff. No obvious sinkholes or really wet terrain, but I also couldn’t hear any obvious leakage when listening down the well casing when the pump was shut off. More perplexing stuff.

So it was time to call some people who deal with wells. I didn’t get through to the first place (closest) on the several atttempts made — it was always busy (so I presume someone may have been doing some dial-up Internet stuff) — so I called another relatively close place. Immediately spoke to someone, but was informed that all of the technicians were out and would have to get back to me later in the day about the problem.

No problem, really. It wasn’t an absolute emergency (since the pump still operates and moves water), but it’s a hell of an inconvenience. Anyway, a few hours later I get a call and after a brief (six-minute) discussion, the guy thinks that there’s likely a leak below the water line but above the check valve in the casing (which is why there was no wet ground and no obvious leaking sound).

So someone will be out tomorrow morning to check it out. It’ll involve lifting the pump (which will be neat to see) I’m pretty sure. I just hope that the guy is right and that any leak is in the casing itself and not underground. Digging up the yard is not exactly on my list of things to do (not to mention that Gopher State has to be called for a locate since there are electric and telephone lines running on that side of the house somewhere — which means at least 24 hours (could be 48) before we even are able to dig)…

We shall see what happens. Not exactly the most fun thing to have happen, but it could be much worse (like a dead pump), because we would then have no water which is an entirely different situation.

So that’s how my day has gone. Eesh. Ah well. At least we’ll presumably have the situation resolved tomorrow sometime and be back to normal again.

Until next time…

“In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it’s the exact opposite.”
– Paul Dirac (1902-1984)

–MZ