well questions, having problems.

Hears The Water · #1 10/09/05, 12:32 PM

Hi all, I was hoping someone here could help me. I have a well here where I live. There are two outside spigots, a "wash house" that has a washing machine, a sink and toilet and then my house that has a kitchen sink, a tub, toilet and sink in the bathroom. We have been having problems with the pressure and problems with the fixtures not working, but that is yet another thread. Just now Johnnie told me that there was little chunks of green algae in the spigot nearest the house. I had him turn it on and run some water into a bottle for me and there where little chunks something green in it. Ok, now I am freaking out! Of course this happens on Sunday when I cannot call anyone. Is there any danger in us drinking the water? I just had a glass of water about an hour ago and there wasn't any algae in it, I wouldn't have drank it. I am wondering if there is just something growin in the spigot its self. Is there any kind of filtration on the lines in a house? I need to add that the outside spigots are actually about three foot off the ground at the head of a pipe and they look like pumps. I am sorry, I don't know the correct term. I think I am going to go look on my faucet and see if it is trapping anything yucky. Can algae hurt you? Like I need something else to freak out about. I would think that algae would need light to grow, so it couldn't be in the water could it? It would just be growing in the opening of the spigot wouldn't it? Not having a good day here, and it looks like it is getting worse. I appreceate any help y'all can give.
God bless you and yours
Debbie

ace admirer · #2 10/09/05, 12:49 PM

well you are correct algea must have sunlight. what type of well do you have? dug, bored, drilled? is the cover in place?
on the pressure problem, what type of pump do you have, above ground, above ground/jet, submursable. what type of storage tank do you have? air/bladder or non-bladder? sorry for all the questions.

.if it were me i would lay off drinking the water till further investigation....i would still use water for other/washing,,,to investigate if flushing all lines and valves seems to help.

Hears The Water · #3 10/09/05, 09:49 PM

Ok, thank you for responding. I am afraid that I am not much help. I don't know that much about wells. Our pressure tank is in a seperate building, the well house. There is a small pressure tank in there and big pipes that come out from it to the head which is in the cement floor of the well house. A couple of years ago when the pump gave out the people that came to fix it had a big crane kind of thing that pulled out several lengths of pipe. I don't know if this answers you questions or not. The farm here is over 70 years old and I have only lived here for the last five years. The pressure tank is only about three years old. The faucet in the kitchen is a single, center handel. It won't shut off without lifting up the whole thing, faucet and all. The pipes have been singing for a couple of months or so. We have very little pressure. I plan to call the management company tomorrow and ask them to send someone out. But since I have not seen any algae in the house I am going to assume that it is ok to wash with it. I did buy drinking water though. I am only planning on living in this house for three more weeks it would figure that something like this would happen. I appreceate any and all help.
God bless you and yours
Debbie

ace admirer · #4 10/09/05, 10:15 PM

ok well, i'm going to make some guesses based on what you have said..if they used a crane, you probably have a submusable pump (if electrical wires go down into the well casing, it a submursable type). since you have a small tank, i'm guessing its an air/bladder tank. since your pipes have been "singing" for the past few weeks, i'm going to guess that maybe the bladder is cracked and leaked its air charge into the water lines. the air may have caused the noise.

the outside faucets you mentioned are hydrant type. when you shut off the water, a little valve is opened under ground to allow water in the valve upright to drain down below ground level to prevent freezing. still don't have a clue about algea.

check pressure on tank with an auto type tire gauge as someone opens a valve to use water. it should read around 30 to maybe 50 psi even with water in use. if you notice a quick drop in pressure at the gauge , then a fairly rapid increase (as the pump turns on ) suspect bladder crack. check into this fairly soon as a failed tank will make the pump cycle on and off rapidly and increase the likely hood of burning up the pump.

rambler · #5 10/10/05, 03:07 PM

Ace has the same guesses I would make. This would assume a 4-6 inch pipe for your 'well' with a smaller, 1 inch or so, pipe inside it which is your supply line with wires following that small pipe to the bottom, with a pump attached to the bottom of the pipe.

The algea could easily be growing on the tip of your hydrant, just inside the exposed part of the pipe where the water comes out. Especially if that hydrant has a very slow leak, to keep it moist, but not enough to wash 'stuff' away. Likely not an issue at all, but I'd check it out too be4 drinking it.

--->Paul