Vacuum in the well?
 

I was sitting on the porch drinking my coffee Saturday, and had the laundry going in the washer. When the well kicked on I heard a slight whistle, comming from the PVC well cap. The cap is a snug fit but this time it was hard to remove and when it finally popped off there was a suction sound.

Should there be a vent in the well casing or the cap? There are 4 narrow and shallow vertical grooves in the PVC about 3 inches long where the cap fits. Maybe these grooves were put in place to allow air into the well as water is being pumped out?

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

My well head has a 1/2 pipe threaded hole in the metal plug to fit a vent or plug, I have a 180 degree pipe in that spot with a sintered bronze end on it to let air in or out but not let dirt in. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Re: Vacuum in the well?
 

Had I not heard the whistle I would have never given it any thought. Common sense tells me it needs a vent.

This well has been in place since 1995 and there was nothing more that the grooves in the pipe.

The 180 deg fittings will do the trick. Thanks.

Just for the hell or it, what could happen if there were no vent? My casing does't go the full length of the well, so maybe that vacuum could have caused more problems? Collapsed wall perhaps?

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

I don't know if it would collapse a well but vacuum creates a powerful force.

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

I'd say the external pressure creates a powerful force

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

Two years ago I removed the rubber bladder that was inside the well caseing because it had a hole in it. It was replaced with a standard pressure tank. I also removed the water softner.

I installed a filter at this time. At first it collected a lot of gritty particals like sand, since then the filter has been collecting a lot of brown stuff. The softener tank may have been filtering these particals, but I didn't open it to see what was it it.

I am thinking that the vacuum has been pulling water thru the ground with more force and bringing loose particals with it. It may not have collapsed the well but maybe weakened the wall.

From what I read in the papers from the well driller, the PVC liner does not go the full depth of the well, just under half way.

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

77,

You might look for info in water-well links like the one below. Something like
a Chilton's car manual for the well.

A possibility is that by removing the rubber bladder inside the well, and with winter temps, the air inside the wellbore is cooling sufficiently to cause reduced pressure (like a balloon exposed to cooler air).

Troubleshooting Water Well Problems
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$departm...nsf/all/wwg412

Re: Vaccum in the well?
 

vent equalize pressure inside of well casing ,make PUMP work easier,you do not want vacuum inside of well casing,especially when casing is old it can develop pinholes and suck shallow water table