simka2 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 For those of you who have a well, please brain storm with me. Last week when I moved the horses out to this property I filled waters and started watering the yard. The pressure tapered and was gone. Everything was on as far as the well goes, but the water just stopped. Called the landlord and he got someone out the day we moved in, Sat. They had to replace the dohickey that turns the pump on. Everything has been fine, till today. Did 3 loads of laundry and started to water lawn. Started to lose pressure again. Now there is no water. Went to the tank and the psi level reads 0. There is no noise coming from the well. What is going on? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 My mom is on a well system with horses. There is no way she could do 3 loads of laundry in one day, and they've never watered their lawn. They would run out of water. Perhaps a deeper well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 We have a well, and we can't water the lawn or even the trees, or we won't have water for the house. I guess I should be thankful that my kids don't bathe much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Alright someone needs to tell me these things! Will the tank fill back up? I guess that is my question. And how much can I use in a day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I'm inclined to think the pressure tank is shot...? We don't have horses but can run laundry, water the garden, run the dishwasher, and showers all at once and don't have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Simka I have been on a well with horses as well but you should be able to do everything you need to do IF you have an adequately producing well. If it is too shallow and not pulling up enough water it will go dry before it gets more water. This is potentially dangerous as it can burn out your well pump unless you have a safety switch that turns off the pump as soon as it detects that there is not enough water...which could be exactly what you are experiencing. However, if the well is deep and productive enough, then the issue could be the pressure tank. Do you know where your pressure tank is located and can you find out if there is any "activity"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 fwiw our well is 400 feet deep. we have a 5000 gallon storage tank that the well fills up and we draw from that. maximum amount of water usage a day: no more than 3 loads of laundry. much better if only one a day, or two max. no more than 2 loads thru the dishwasher a day. no more than 20 minutes of showering a day. we have no lawn. the chickens are on an automatic waterer. that's it, that's all. it may be that you are draining the tank/well faster than the water will regenerate. it helps me to do one load of laundry first thing in the morning, every morning, and another early afternoon if necessary. hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoftwinboys Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 It could be the well just doesn't have many gallons per minute to fill your need. We have one well that if we run it for about 45 min it will run dry for a couple of hours. The well pumps about 1 gallon a minute of water that then fills the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 This answer depends on a lot of things. We have a well but are lucky that it is fairly shallow (70 feet) and recharges quickly, so we do not have a very big backup tank. We've managed never to run out of water in the five years we've been here, but we the most we'd ever use with it in one day is a couple loads of laundry, the dishwasher, and a couple showers. (no horses and the chickens don't need much :001_smile:). However, we have had issues where a pump goes bad at a bad time (like right after a week-long camping trip) and it's a day of dirty until the pump repair guys can come out and fix it. In a previous house where we were growing up it was a neighborhood well system (6 houses on one deep well) and we did have to be careful how much we used. If I were you, I would find out some of the details of your well system (how deep it is, how big your tank is, etc) and then be more careful with your water use, you may need to spread out your heavy-use times somewhat. After a while you'll get a feel for how much you can use within a few hour period--but in the meantime, talk to the pump company when they come out to look at it this time and see what they recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Because putting in a well is expensive, most of the time they are set up for only so much water. If you use more than that and/or if it is a dry time of year, your tank may indeed go dry. Refilling depends on the characteristics of your well. Space out your water usage, and it may work better. Hope it does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I would think you'd have to be very, very careful because TX had that long drought. I'm surprised to hear how people have to alter their life because they have a well. We can do anything I've ever done on city water with no issue. I can run the dishwasher, do laundry all day, wash the car, water the lawn, everyone can take a shower. We've never once had an issue, even in a drought. We don't usually water our lawn because we have a large lawn, but we do water our gardens and I have several of those. We have filled our pool, too, but we do give the well pump a break every couple of hours or so. Why is having horses any different on well or city water? Just because you have to fill the trough? I wouldn't be surprised if you are having issues because of the extended drought. Your issues may not go away until you get some soaking rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) Sounds like the pressure tank, which in turn can burn out the pump. Ask me how I know. We spent the last year adding air to ours. Our neighbor ran 50 hoses full on 24/7 (in AZ). Yes, she's not sane. She finally got her own well. But we ended up constantly adding air to the bladder and it finally burned out the pump. That was two weeks ago. New pump, new bladder. All good. We don't water anything full on. We trickle. So instead of completely filling, we'll trickle it overnight. We'll also do a couple loads a day. Edited November 4, 2011 by alilac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Alright someone needs to tell me these things! Will the tank fill back up? I guess that is my question. And how much can I use in a day? there is a little doohickey lever n the side of the pressure gfuage box. you may have to lift and hold it until you have pressure. If there is no lever, close the breaker for the pump, or you will burn out the well. It sounds like the aquifer that feeds your well is low. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 The well guy is on his way. What questions should I ask? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 The well guy is on his way. What questions should I ask? Find out how much water useage for your well is too much. Find out if the pump is burned out. Find out if it's just the bladder or pressure pump gone bad. Find out where your shut off valves are. Once you find out what's wrong, you may want to shop around. We saved half by calling someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 We have a well and have never had issues, but it is very deep. We can do laundry, multiple loads of dishes, water trees, plants no problem. We have had to get a part replaced once in the past 6 years but it wasn't that much. We have also had issues with ants tripping our well switch. And we have had frozen pipes in the winter. Thankfully that thawed. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I would think you'd have to be very, very careful because TX had that long drought. I'm surprised to hear how people have to alter their life because they have a well. We can do anything I've ever done on city water with no issue. :iagree: I think the drought is your problem. When we lived in Jersey and there was a drought, the city water was low and there were all sorts of restrictions. If the pump has a safety shut off, you should be able to turn it back on after a few hours/days depending on your water table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 no experience of well water, but we have tank water ( from the rain, collected off our roof). We had new neighbours shift in. they were from the city. they watered their lawn, and wondered why the pump quit after an hour. they had pumped their water tank completely dry. They had used up all their water, with no understanding about how fast a pump can empty a tank of water. they were use to unlimited water. My in-laws in Canada have well water, on an old well. They have never been able to water the lawns at all, they check the level of the well before they do any loads of washing, and in the summer they even check the level of the well before having a shower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 they check the level of the well How do they do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 The well guy is on his way. What questions should I ask? Also ask how many gallons is your reserve tank. If he can tell (he might not be able to) ask the depth of the well, what the drawdown and recharge rates are, and the well's screened interval. This latter stuff is information needed to make a determination if you should drill the well deeper--but you'll need to ask a hydrologist about that, the pump guy probably can't help with that but he might know who can. (I'm a geologist in my professional life and work with a lot of hydrologists, but unfortunately we don't have any Texas offices or I'd give you a contact.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 How do they do this? There's a gizmo they put down the well (often called an "e-tape") that will make a sound when it hits water and then you know the depth based on how much tape reeled out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Simka I have been on a well with horses as well but you should be able to do everything you need to do IF you have an adequately producing well. If it is too shallow and not pulling up enough water it will go dry before it gets more water. This is potentially dangerous as it can burn out your well pump unless you have a safety switch that turns off the pump as soon as it detects that there is not enough water...which could be exactly what you are experiencing. However, if the well is deep and productive enough, then the issue could be the pressure tank. Do you know where your pressure tank is located and can you find out if there is any "activity"? :iagree: We don't have horses, but do have a somewhat extensive garden. Many wells are too shallow (so, only a few tens of feet, for instance, below the water line). Our well is sunk to near the bottom of the acquifer; so, we have plenty of water and pressure. The other thing you can do is go online and look for the test wells in your area. Just make sure they draw from the same water source your well does. Have your landlord check the pressure tank, too, and any other filters which may be attached to it (salinator, chlorinator/dechlorinator, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Because putting in a well is expensive, most of the time they are set up for only so much water. If you use more than that and/or if it is a dry time of year, your tank may indeed go dry. Refilling depends on the characteristics of your well. Space out your water usage, and it may work better. Hope it does... :iagree: MIL on her ranch would have her well direct water up to a large capacity tank up high on a tower. She could run many loads of laundry, swimming pool, spa, showers, garden watering, etc. We never had restrictions for use. I am curious if there is a storage tank for Simka? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I would think you'd have to be very, very careful because TX had that long drought. I'm surprised to hear how people have to alter their life because they have a well. We can do anything I've ever done on city water with no issue. I can run the dishwasher, do laundry all day, wash the car, water the lawn, everyone can take a shower. We've never once had an issue, even in a drought. We don't usually water our lawn because we have a large lawn, but we do water our gardens and I have several of those. We have filled our pool, too, but we do give the well pump a break every couple of hours or so. Why is having horses any different on well or city water? Just because you have to fill the trough? I wouldn't be surprised if you are having issues because of the extended drought. Your issues may not go away until you get some soaking rain. :iagree: Our local area lake here in North TX is 14-15 feet below level. Most likely I would suspect Simka's well is below average too. Still recommend the storage tank tho'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 no experience of well water, but we have tank water ( from the rain, collected off our roof). We had new neighbours shift in. they were from the city. they watered their lawn, and wondered why the pump quit after an hour. they had pumped their water tank completely dry. They had used up all their water, with no understanding about how fast a pump can empty a tank of water. they were use to unlimited water. My in-laws in Canada have well water, on an old well. They have never been able to water the lawns at all, they check the level of the well before they do any loads of washing, and in the summer they even check the level of the well before having a shower. We have rain water too! We use it for drinking mostly. This summer we has a crack in a pipe and lost 1/2 our tanks but we don't have a pump so we had no pressure. We were so glad when Texas finally got some rain. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 No storage tank ;( the well guys are prety sure it is a mechanical issue and did not seem to think I caused anuthing. There is a running creek in the property so I am reasonably sure the water table is good. I had to leave and take ds to soccer practice so here's hoping it is all fixed when we get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 :iagree:Our local area lake here in North TX is 14-15 feet below level. Most likely I would suspect Simka's well is below average too. Still recommend the storage tank tho'. Lake Travis is 41' below normal seasonal level. :svengo: Fortunately, our well does NOT depend on Travis' level. The storage tank is a good idea if the landlord is willing to bear the expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 How do they do this? They look in and see where the water level is, there are rings that the water comes up against. According to DH, It is a shallow dug well, not a bore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 We have rain water too! We use it for drinking mostly. This summer we has a crack in a pipe and lost 1/2 our tanks but we don't have a pump so we had no pressure. We were so glad when Texas finally got some rain. ;) Oh, that would be terrible! We don't have a pressure pump ( just the neighbours do) we pump up to a header tank, and have gravity pressure in the house. the low pressure helps conserve the water:001_smile: Our tanks are overflowing at the moment, and we are meant to have more rain next week. luxury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 Water!!!!! Woo hoo! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Water!!!!! Woo hoo! :D :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 There's a gizmo they put down the well (often called an "e-tape") that will make a sound when it hits water and then you know the depth based on how much tape reeled out. They look in and see where the water level is, there are rings that the water comes up against. According to DH, It is a shallow dug well, not a bore. I'm guessing this wouldn't work for my 900' deep well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I'm guessing this wouldn't work for my 900' deep well? Wow, that is a deep well! The beeping E-tape would still work as long as the line is long enough to reach the water (they come in different lengths), because the beeping bit is on the reel itself up with the operator, not down inside the well. There are other types of e-tapes and water level sensors (more expensive, of course) that have a light or computer link-ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 n/m I just saw that it's fixed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 n/m I just saw that it's fixed! Yes it was fixed. Then I walked out this morning to an overflowed septic tank!!!!! Good gracious! :tongue_smilie: turns out there was an issue with one of the toilets that has been constantly running. I am going to know this house inside out before to long. Septic guy just left and landlord is still tinkering around the place. I am slightly terrified to wash, run or flush anything. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 We never run out of water, or either of our parents- all on well water. Our well is 300+ ft deep, neither of our parents have wells that deep though. Dh's grandparents used to have that issue but their well was very shallow. However, considering the cost to drill one and a deep one at that, I'd be hard pressed to redrill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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