# How much to get foot valve in well replaced?



## Shadow11

I have a drilled well with a submersible pump of some sort. Im not sure of the depth. My water tank is leaking back into well, and causing the pump to turn on every couple of minutes. Assuming i have a bad foot valve, what can i expect to pay to get it replaced by local well company?


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## calibob1

You could just put a check valve in before the pressure tank. Your pressure tank might be water logged.


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## Milkman

Shadow11 said:


> I have a drilled well with a submersible pump of some sort. Im not sure of the depth. My water tank is leaking back into well, and causing the pump to turn on every couple of minutes. Assuming i have a bad foot valve, what can i expect to pay to get it replaced by local well company?



If you have a leak topside there isn't a reason to assume you have a problem with the equipment in the well is there?   Shouldn't you shut off the power and fix the topside leak(s) before you go pulling out the pump?


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## jimbo4116

Milkman said:


> If you have a leak topside there isn't a reason to assume you have a problem with the equipment in the well is there?   Shouldn't you shut off the power and fix the topside leak(s) before you go pulling out the pump?



Probably is "water logged" meaning the air is leaking from the tank.  If it was the foot valve it would have to prime up every time it cut on.

Should have a pressure gauge and valve on the tank or plumbing to re-pressurize the tank.  Pressure should not fall below 40 psi and the pump should cut off at around 60 psi I believe but that is from memory.  

Would certainly check out the tank plumbing before pulling the pump to replace a foot valve.


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## dug714

you can put air in the tank from a compressor, if its water logged this will fix it.


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## Shadow11

calibob1 said:


> You could just put a check valve in before the pressure tank. Your pressure tank might be water logged.



I read about this and was thinking about it, but a lot of people say it can cause "water hammering", and can also cause the pump to lose prime.


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## Shadow11

Milkman said:


> If you have a leak topside there isn't a reason to assume you have a problem with the equipment in the well is there?   Shouldn't you shut off the power and fix the topside leak(s) before you go pulling out the pump?



Do you mean in the house, or in the pipe from the well to the tank? I have a shutoff valve between the tank and the house, and with it shut off I still lose pressure so I know it isn't a toilet or anything inside.


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## Shadow11

jimbo4116 said:


> Probably is "water logged" meaning the air is leaking from the tank.  If it was the foot valve it would have to prime up every time it cut on.
> 
> Should have a pressure gauge and valve on the tank or plumbing to re-pressurize the tank.  Pressure should not fall below 40 psi and the pump should cut off at around 60 psi I believe but that is from memory.
> 
> Would certainly check out the tank plumbing before pulling the pump to replace a foot valve.



I will look at this when i get home tonight. Hopefully thats all it is. It is a pre pressurized tank and there is a pressure guage. It cuts on when it gets down to about 30 psi, and cuts off at around 50 or 60. In about 2 or 3 minutes it has already leaked back down to about 30, making the pump come on. If I try to run my water spicket outside wide open, it will cause the tank to completely run out and lose pressure within a minute or two. There is a some type of pressurized switch at the inlet of the tank, and I have to switch it about half way, and hold it there for several seconds til the pressure gets built back up to about 30psi, before I can use it again. 

Does this still sound like it could be getting water logged?


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## CPage

You should already have a check valve between your well pump and your tank and they are usually just before the tank.  If the check valve is working fine it may be the tank.  Those pre pressurized tanks have bladders in them and you may have a small leak in the bladder causing you to lose pressure, if that's the case you need a new tank.  How old is the pressure tank?


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## jimbo4116

CPage said:


> You should already have a check valve between your well pump and your tank and they are usually just before the tank.  If the check valve is working fine it may be the tank.  Those pre pressurized tanks have bladders in them and you may have a small leak in the bladder causing you to lose pressure, if that's the case you need a new tank.  How old is the pressure tank?



If it is a bladder tank this is more than likely the problem and the solution if the pump cuts off and comes on almost immediately when you open the hose bib.  Assuming you have a gate valve between the pump and tank fill the tank till the pump cuts off, close the valve and cut the power to the pump.  Turn on the closest faucet if the pressure in the tank dies almost immediately it is the tank bladder that has ruptured and the tank has no air to create back pressure.


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## cowhornedspike

If you shut off the tank outlet valve and it still drops then the inlet check valve is probably leaking back.  I addition to that if a single outside spigot can drain the pressure faster than the pump can replenish it you probably have a pump problem or possibly a restricted pump inlet of some sort down in the well.


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## CPage

I would be willing to bet that the bladder on the tank has a leak.  There should be an air valve to check the actual air pressure around the tank, there should be a label on the tank somewhere stating what the pressure should be as long as the weather hasnt worn it away.  If you can't keep a certain pressure within 2 psi after the well has cycled a few times and turned off, its the tank.


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## Shadow11

I got home and drained the tank/checked the air pressure and it was low. I put air in it and got it up to about 28 psi but i had the same problem. I looked again and there is no check valve of any kind between my tank and where the pipe exits my basement. I also noticed that it is taking longer to fill the tank up than it did about a week ago.

Anyway i went outside looking for muddy/damp places on the ground between the house and well, and sure enough it is soggy around the well. I took the cover off the well and i can hear what sounds like air spewing out somewhere. I had just did this same thing last week but didnt see any signs or hear anything. I guess the hole has  gotten bigger since then, and at times it must be spraying it against the cap and making it leak out somehow. I dont get it. This has been going on for a few weeks now and i have been out to the well a few times, but this is the first time i have found anything. I guess the cold temps got to it and it has gradually gotten worse???

Anyhow, its a lot worse now than it was even when i left this morning. Does anyone know if it will be ok to turn the pump off until i can get someone out here? Will i lose prime at the pump, and if i do lose it, is it a big deal to get it back?


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## nc dawg

How deep is the well? Do you have two lines goin down in the well or one?


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## Shadow11

I dont know exactly how deep it is. I remember my builder telling me it was a good well and i was getting a good gal/min ratio. I would say it is average, but i just dont have a number.

There is just one line.


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## nc dawg

ok one line is a submersible pump.I had the same problem with the pump cycling, my problem was the check valve had failed.Your problem sounds like  a hole in the line down in the well.


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## calibob1

Go ahead and turn it off, the good thing about a submersible pump, it doesn't lose its prime as long as the water is over the pump. I think nc dawg is right, you've got holes in your draw tube.


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## Shadow11

I went back out there last night and raked some leaves back. There is about a 4'x4' cement slab that surrounds the well, and i could see the water bubbling up right next to that slab. Apparently, the leak is on the outside of the well, somewhere near where the pipe goes into it. It looks like there has to be an elbow somewhere there, in order to get it pointed toward the house. Im thinkn its probably going to be at that elbow.


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## Shadow11

I got the shovel out this morning and spent about 3 hrs digging out a cave under the cement. There is a brass fitting connected to the well, and there is pvc pipe connecting to it. Then there is a pvc elbow and about 10 inches of pvc pipe going straight down. Then, another elbow connects the pipe going to house/tank. There is a hairline crack going about half way around the pvc pipe where it connects to the brass fitting. 

I guess i will leave it to the plumber from here. Ive got him a good hole dug to get down in there and do his thing. Should be fairly easy for him. Im just glad it wasnt the foot valve. No telling what that would have cost. Im still unclear as to why some well companies do foot valves at the pump and others do check valves at the tank, and even a few say its ok to use both. Seems like check valve would be the way to go.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I learned some stuff!


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