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well pump issues

Jack_9
Jack_9 Member Posts: 11
OK, here we go again. I know this is the wrong forum to post this thread on, but, this is the only place I feel I may get my answer from. Last week I posted a thread asking about a well pump problem. I pulled the pump and found that the impeller had seized due to crystals that formed on the pump and about 25' of plastic well pipe. The old owner said he replaced the pump twice (last time 2yrs ago) for the same reason and last time raised the pump 30+/- ft because he felt it was lying in sediment. Since I pulled the pump I have spoken to three retired plumbers, 2 counter salesmen from two supply houses and one testing facility that tests water quality for new home owners, banks, etc. None of the people I spoke with have seen anything like it and have different theories on whats causing it, one theory suggests encrustation, but that doesn't explain how the minerals become crystalized on the pump and pipe, another suggests that because the well is deep 300'+ the old pumps may have been undersized and overheated causing the minerals to crystalize, but that doesn't explain how the 25+/- ft of plastic pipe is affected also and the fact that the well never ran out of water. And finally there's polarization, a possible break in the sheathing leaving one or more wires exposed or some magnetic ore causing a magnetic field thereby causing the minerals to crystalize, plauseable but, that dosen't explain the plastic pipe. PLEASE I NEED HELP. I spoke to a well driller, but before I could finish my sentence he said redevelop the well, didn't even look at the pump...

Comments

  • John Felciano
    John Felciano Member Posts: 411
    hmmm

    I've pulled loads of well pumps.I'm not really sure what you mean by crystals,did ya take any pictures?Are we talking about Iron deposits or something elase?

    Have you had your water tested?
    What part of the country are you from?
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    i helped some guys this summer with this problem...

    there water quality is just well...so, what to do. ? i am not a" well man " :) however i am a Shallow well man :) i removed a bunch of pipe, pumped the water off tried to figure draw down ran hundereds of gallons out of it ,told them to re configure the filter system lose the tank, flush the house, flush the water heater , install a outside hose bib, flush all the fixtures, suggested that they follow this procedure every spring of running the water off all day long and do it every year..then i suggested they get the Ice Brothers on the telephone and ask them about the aquifer the well is drawing from....and then ask them if flushing with a sully screw or back flushing or both would help.
    the Ice bros say nuh uh....there have been earth quakes over the years nad there are a host of minor technicalities besides it being going into winter at the time.
    well....that all ia can offer. i am not a well man *~/:)
  • toearly_2
    toearly_2 Member Posts: 78


    > OK, here we go again. I know this is the wrong

    > forum to post this thread on, but, this is the

    > only place I feel I may get my answer from. Last

    > week I posted a thread asking about a well pump

    > problem. I pulled the pump and found that the

    > impeller had seized due to crystals that formed

    > on the pump and about 25' of plastic well pipe.

    > The old owner said he replaced the pump twice

    > (last time 2yrs ago) for the same reason and last

    > time raised the pump 30+/- ft because he felt it

    > was lying in sediment. Since I pulled the pump I

    > have spoken to three retired plumbers, 2 counter

    > salesmen from two supply houses and one testing

    > facility that tests water quality for new home

    > owners, banks, etc. None of the people I spoke

    > with have seen anything like it and have

    > different theories on whats causing it, one

    > theory suggests encrustation, but that doesn't

    > explain how the minerals become crystalized on

    > the pump and pipe, another suggests that because

    > the well is deep 300'+ the old pumps may have

    > been undersized and overheated causing the

    > minerals to crystalize, but that doesn't explain

    > how the 25+/- ft of plastic pipe is affected also

    > and the fact that the well never ran out of

    > water. And finally there's polarization, a

    > possible break in the sheathing leaving one or

    > more wires exposed or some magnetic ore causing a

    > magnetic field thereby causing the minerals to

    > crystalize, plauseable but, that dosen't explain

    > the plastic pipe. PLEASE I NEED HELP. I spoke to

    > a well driller, but before I could finish my

    > sentence he said redevelop the well, didn't even

    > look at the pump...



  • toearly_2
    toearly_2 Member Posts: 78


    Papi

    Have you had the water tested ?
    You need to know what is in the water before you can come up with a solution to your problem.

    After you find out exactly what is in the water you can then look to others for a cure.

    David
  • jerry scharf_2
    jerry scharf_2 Member Posts: 414
    Test the crystals

    I know nothing abot well pumps, which makes me perfect for contributing useless distractions. :)

    When you send in a water sample, include some of the crystals and have them analyzed as well. Even if you've had it sampled before, take a fresh sample and the crystals, and send them to a good lab. If you know what's in the water and what's coming out, you can start to make a better guess. Also make sure you know the exact depth at which the crystals form in the plastic pipe.

    What's the flow rate through the pump at the end of a cycle? Where in the pipe depth do the crystals form? Does that correspond to a geologic change (top of the aquafer, different rock, etc. ?)

    A long shot on the broken well casing idea. There is a tool called a TDR that is used for testing coaxial cables, and it can measure the length of the cable. Maybe you could kluge this onto the end of the casing and see if it can find something strange at the depth of the pipe crystal formation.

    From my random college studies, I was fascinated by crystallography. Even slight temperature changes can cause minieral deposits to form. You would have one temperature change when the pump runs and then turns off. I would expect a second change at the top of the aquafer. Could these produce the crystals you see? I sure don't know. The assay of the crystals would rule this out if the solubility constant was low.

    jerry
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