Calling Mike Finley, or anyone else: plumbing nighmare

4678 Views 25 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Fence & Deck, Sep 2, 2009

Fence & Deck

Discussion Starter · Sep 1, 2009

Ok. I know a little bit about decks, but not too much about plumbing.
As some of you may remember, I moved 1 month ago to a farm just north of the city. It might have been a mistake, as I just didn't realize the enormity of what we need to do. For one thing, at my old house, we had no grass to cut becuase I hate doing it. Now I have 6 acres of it!

Anyway, we had a professional inspector go over the house before we closed and he tested, amongst other things, the water pressure. So did I, although he used a guage and I just flushed toilets. The house showed 60 PSI pressure, and there was no fall off.
Since we moved in, however, it's gotten worse. After flushing a toilet, the rest of the house has no pressure. At All. You cannot get water from a tap to wash your hands. This has lasted anywhere from 3-10 minutes, then it's sort of ok. 20 minutes later, you have great pressure for about 10 seconds, then it falls off. Taking a shower is a joke.

Today however, we woke up to....nothing. No pressure whatever. Not even a drip.
The guy we hired to connect my son's mobile home says it's the UV filter on the water purifier. The inspector came back and says the pipes are blocked. My lawyer says sue. Someone else says we need a new pump.
All I want to do is be able to flush away the remains of my morning consitututional, and then wash my hands.

We have a well, which was tested, and a septic, which was emptied in March.

Any thoughts, or advice?

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

angus242

· #2 · Sep 1, 2009

Stone Mountain said:
All I want to do is be able to flush away the remains of my morning consitututional, and then wash my hands.

Hand sanitizer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure what someone over the internet can do for you. If you've checked everything you can think of, you need to have a pro come take a look at it. Sure that's not what you want to hear but plumbing is kind of a hands-on thing.

If it were my house, I'd be calling my plumber sub and then possibly lawyer next.

Good luck!

The Coastal Craftsman

· #3 · Sep 1, 2009 (Edited)

2

It could be a few different things. Blocked filters/valves. Something using a high demand of water in your area like a farm. If im correct 60psi is about 4 bar which is ok water pressure and it should be hard for it to drop off so quickly. Perhaps an accumulator so that the time you are low on pressure and flow rate it can keep it topped up. There's just so many reason for the drop of in pressure that you really need to find the problem first then decide how to go about it the best way. You dont get any type of stone particals in your water by any chance? or it could be something as simple as your well pump. Might be worth checking the simple things first.

I also just remembered that a HO i went to a few month ago had a well system with an accumulator and the diaphragm had torn and they wernt getting the boost or pressure they were used to. If you do have an accumulator an easy way to check it is to let a tiny bit of air out of the tank and see if water or air comes out. Most of the time when they have failed the diaphragm will let water bypass and exit the valve.

Might look something like this and valve should be on top.

See less See more

Reactions: 1

bradgunn

· #4 · Sep 1, 2009

Since there are no plumbers responding, what the heck!
Between Angus and his lawyers and my GC credentials, let's give it a shot.

Back when we were on a well, some neighbors had the pressure tank thingy (I'm trying not to sound too technical) rather like the inside of toilets in the better gas stations (you've looked inside those, right?).

Your symptoms sound like my neighbors' complaints; check it out.

Good luck, and lets hope someone who knows something will pick up.

(I would recommend Handyman99, but I think he does mostly electrical.)

Plumber_Bill

· #5 · Sep 1, 2009

Stone Mountain said:
Since we moved in, however, it's gotten worse. After flushing a toilet, the rest of the house has no pressure. At All. You cannot get water from a tap to wash your hands. This has lasted anywhere from 3-10 minutes, then it's sort of ok. 20 minutes later, you have great pressure for about 10 seconds, then it falls off. Taking a shower is a joke.

Today however, we woke up to....nothing. No pressure whatever. Not even a drip.

Does the pump run? No check the breakers or fuses.
Is there pressure on the gauge. You mentioned great pressure for about 10 seconds. Did the gauge go down to 0 (No water then a little later start up again)? If so the nipple below the pressure switch could be blocked. Turn off any electric before you touch anything. I assume that we are talking about a submerssible pump and not a jet pump. Could be a capacitor or a relay, if the box is on the surface. If it's a 2 wire pump then there would be no box everthing is down the well. Pull the pump!

Best thing you can do is get a pump man on site. This is not a DIY project.

ChrWright

· #6 · Sep 1, 2009

Stone Mountain said:
Ok. I know a little bit about decks, but not too much about plumbing.
As some of you may remember, I moved 1 month ago to a farm just north of the city. It might have been a mistake, as I just didn't realize the enormity of what we need to do. For one thing, at my old house, we had no grass to cut becuase I hate doing it. Now I have 6 acres of it!

Anyway, we had a professional inspector go over the house before we closed and he tested, amongst other things, the water pressure. So did I, although he used a guage and I just flushed toilets. The house showed 60 PSI pressure, and there was no fall off.
Since we moved in, however, it's gotten worse. After flushing a toilet, the rest of the house has no pressure. At All. You cannot get water from a tap to wash your hands. This has lasted anywhere from 3-10 minutes, then it's sort of ok. 20 minutes later, you have great pressure for about 10 seconds, then it falls off. Taking a shower is a joke.

Today however, we woke up to....nothing. No pressure whatever. Not even a drip.
The guy we hired to connect my son's mobile home says it's the UV filter on the water purifier. The inspector came back and says the pipes are blocked. My lawyer says sue. Someone else says we need a new pump.
All I want to do is be able to flush away the remains of my morning consitututional, and then wash my hands.

We have a well, which was tested, and a septic, which was emptied in March.

Any thoughts, or advice?

Submersible pump or jet pump?

Could be:
Pressure switch
Pressure tank
Pump

Water softener was allowed to run extended without power or salt
Sediment filter not changed

Lots of possibilities.

LJSMITH1

· #7 · Sep 1, 2009

It's most likely your well pump. Either the controller is smoked, or the well pump is done - or both. I had my Gould submersible well pump (only 13 years old) crap out last year. 250' down in the hole...what a job to pull it out, uncoupling 20' lengths of PVC, getting soaked...I replaced the pump and controller. All is "well" ...hahaha thats a pun!:thumbup:

bradgunn

· #8 · Sep 1, 2009

BCConstruction said:
It could be a few different things. Blocked filters/valves. Something using a high demand of water in your area like a farm. If im correct 60psi is about 4 bar which is ok water pressure and it should be hard for it to drop off so quickly. Perhaps an accumulator so that the time you are low on pressure and flow rate it can keep it topped up. There's just so many reason for the drop of in pressure that you really need to find the problem first then decide how to go about it the best way. You dont get any type of stone particals in your water by any chance? or it could be something as simple as your well pump. Might be worth checking the simple things first.

I also just remembered that a HO i went to a few month ago had a well system with an accumulator and the diaphragm had torn and they wernt getting the boost or pressure they were used to. If you do have an accumulator an easy way to check it is to let a tiny bit of air out of the tank and see if water or air comes out. Most of the time when they have failed the diaphragm will let water bypass and exit the valve.

Might look something like this and valve should be on top.

Sure, after you read my post!

The Coastal Craftsman

· #9 · Sep 1, 2009

bradgunn said:
Sure, after you read my post!

How does your post have anything to do with my post?

Mitch M

· #10 · Sep 1, 2009 (Edited)

I am not a plumber and I have not dealt with a well in over 20 years so I am not going to suggest anything. It does sound like the pump though.

Good luck Stone Mountain, I hope you get it fixed without any major problems.

But for curiousity, several have said call a lawyer. Who are you going to sue?

Fence & Deck

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 1, 2009

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the input, and will look at everything.
However, my son called a plumber, wh came over 2 hours ago and discovered the U.V. filter was clogged. He took it out, replaced it with a new one, and lo and behold: problem solved. The filter was $7.00, the plumber: $150.00
Apparently this filter should be replaced every 3 months.
I will send my thanks to the previous homeonwers for not telling us all about the house and all its little quirks and secrets.

The Coastal Craftsman

· #12 · Sep 1, 2009

At least it was an easy fix. Filters are great until they clog. Think ya self lucky ya well didnt go dry or pump didnt fail. Now that could have gotten expensive.

mics_54

· #13 · Sep 1, 2009 (Edited)

what the heck is a UV filter? Oh I googled it...nevermind

The Coastal Craftsman

· #14 · Sep 1, 2009

UV filters are sometimes used to kill microorganisms.

Basicly ultraviolet

Mike Finley

· #15 · Sep 1, 2009

Hope you are getting your answers Stone, this isn't up my alley. :thumbsup:

Paulie

· #16 · Sep 1, 2009 (Edited)

Stone Mountain;. For one thing said:
www.phbconstruction.com[/URL]

bradgunn

· #17 · Sep 1, 2009

BCConstruction said:
How does your post have anything to do with my post?

Well, I read your post, which sounded knowlegeable, but I posted my thought about the "pressure thingy".

Then you remembered about the accumulator and revised your response.
It's the timing, see? But since we were both wrong, I'm not going to pursue this.

But at the end of the day, this about Stone Mountain who asked for help, and got it, if only from his son. Kudo's to the GC's who tried to help, to the few who said call a plumber, and to Mike Finley who sat it out.

skymaster

· #18 · Sep 1, 2009

Stone: Since you now know the filter failure can put you out of business, either you or get the plumber back and run a bypass loop for that filter. IF it does fail some stupid oh dark thirty stormy morning, just bypass it and you will have water and time to fix or replace the filter.:whistling:shifty:

The Coastal Craftsman

· #19 · Sep 1, 2009

bradgunn said:
Well, I read your post, which sounded knowlegeable, but I posted my thought about the "pressure thingy".

Then you remembered about the accumulator and revised your response.
It's the timing, see? But since we were both wrong, I'm not going to pursue this.

But at the end of the day, this about Stone Mountain who asked for help, and got it, if only from his son. Kudo's to the GC's who tried to help, to the few who said call a plumber, and to Mike Finley who sat it out.

By pressure thingy you mean an accumulator! which i posted about before you even posted your comment! I also told him to check his filters/valves. The part i posted after your comment was the pics of the accumulator. Seems you are a little confused and yes i am a plumber by trade :thumbsup:

dayexco

· #20 · Sep 2, 2009

massive drop off in pressure......water logged pressure tank, bad pressure tank switch....if it was as abrupt as you claim....there is a difference between volume and pressure....you need to find out both at the failure mode....that will answer a lot more questions for you. i've seen the well pitless adapater units on the tank leak, i've seen the pipe hanging the pump leak, but......if it allows it to build to 60 lbs pressure, and shut the pump off, you either have a terrible restriction somewhere. i'm babbling after 3 bud lites here....you need to find out your volume/pressure issue....that will answer a lot of questions.

BTW....do you have any outside like yard hydrants that are served from the pump before it hits the house? if your volume/pressure there is good, it's something in the house.

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

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