Well pump running at night

[rileyjo]

My well pump is having a hard time holding it's prime, but only at night. Why?

It is a half horse pump. The well is 80 feet deep and located about 60 feet away. The line is buried under the driveway. There was no problem last year.
Last night about 1am, the pump began running for about 10 seconds and shutting off. It did this every minute for about 3 hours. I got up and went into the basement to check on it. I couldnt anything odd so I filled up the woodstove nearby and went back to bed. The pump was its normal happy self during the day.

Tonight it's doing it again. This time its about 2 minutes apart. These last 2 nights have been our first decent cold nights ... 20*F at night and around freezing during the day. I have never seen a pump behave like this. Is it because the ground is beginning to freeze?

[rambler]

Something is leaking, and your air tank doesn't have the right amount of air in it - waterlogged.

Check out your expansion - air tank. Is it a bladder type with an innertube sorta in it(the innertube ruptered on you), or is it just a galvanised tank with air in the top, water in the bottom (you need to add air as it slowly disolved into the water over the months and needs more air)?

Then you need to find if the foot valve is leaking back into the well, or if there is a tiny leak somewhere along the way.

Can be something else, but that is what comes to my mind.

--->Paul

[rileyjo]

This is odd, it ran all night again and now that dayight is here the pump is quiet.

I suspect a waterlogged tank is the reason for the short cycling. The system is ancient and the old galvanised tank looks as weary as I feel. I just cant figure out why the pump is active at night....could it be that the house is cold when I get home late at might and that is messing with the pressure sensor? I will leaving a space heater on tonight for the evening and see it that helps.

[Gianni]

Look for leaks at the toilets. Put some food coloring in the tank at night and see if the water in the bowl is clear in the morning. If there is a gauge on the pump/tank turn the power off to the pump and see how long it takes it to drop. You are getting flow somewhere. No stock tanks or outside lines? The worst case is a leak in the line from the well to the house.

[Cabin Fever]

Could it be that it is also happening during the day and you just don't notice it? For instance, if a faucet is dripping I will notice it in the still quiet of the night but will never notice the noise during the daytime.

[fordy]

.................Find the circuit breaker and turn the Pump....OFF , otherwise you'll be purchasing a new motor and pump ! Call the well man and spend whatever $$ to get it fixed . Whatever the problem IS , IS making the pump run and shortening it's service life considerably . , fordy

[spiritrider]

If the little line to the pressure switch freezes it will cycle the pump.

[agmantoo]

Is this a submersible or above ground pump?

[rileyjo]

And tonight it's not doing it at all....I got busy with chores and didnt put a space heater downstairs before I left for work. The pump is located in the basement and the lines run thru a limestone wall that is a foot thick (house built in 1877). The lines run about 4 feet below ground level and we havent had frost reach down that far yet and it probably wont, never has. The outside temperature is the same as the last 2 nights. This pump is very loud and I hear it clearly during the day when it runs. My water pressure is fine.

This is all very bizarre. I will have the Farmerman next door come over to look at it this weekend. He has a compressor so maybe we can perk up the galvanized tank.

[oeb2]

Check for a tiny, intermittent leak in the water closet's ballcock float valve, check the tank air, and insulate the stand pipe for the pressure switch. Other than these, look for leaks at fittings which may loosen when pipes contract in the cold, etc. Lastly, of course, trace the integrity of the entire system. Good luck with this!

[seagullplayer]

My money is on a toilet leak, them things can come and go one time the flapper can fit perfect the next time it leaks, they can even leak for a while, then seal back up.

The food coloring idea sounds like a good try, if you don't have any food coloring, might try some orange cool-aid.

[rileyjo]

Everything is still quiet and running fine. I will give the toilet a drink of grape juice tonight and see what happens.

[Oggie]

Just a guess: