My Well Pump was kicking on & off every 20 minutes (like clockwork) because of a slow drop in water pressure. I had a Well Contractor come out who found no leaks in the pipe and replaced all of the couplings and also replaced the Check Valve on the well pump which corrected the problem for 2 or 3 days but now we have exactly the same problem.
I Have three Questions:
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If the check valve is good on a well pump, & no leaks in the pipe going down to the check valve on the pump will there be water in the pipe as you pull it up.
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If a bad check valve has been replaced and the water pressure was good for two or three days after replacing the Check Valve and then had the same problem as before the Check Valve was replaced. Then is it more likely that the pressure rating for the check valve was less than for the water pump or is it more likely that the new check valve was defective or could there be another issue that is causing losing water pressure and having the water pump kick on every 20 minutes like clockwork.
- How critical is it for the well pump to cycle off & on every 20 minutes? Is it an immediate problem that has to be fixed or is a week or two not a big issue.
Also to answer the Question from "HoneyDo" "Did the Contractor test the pump" I did not see him test it, although he did check the Check Valve and thought that it was best to replace because of the wear and tear on the spring although he said that he was surprised that externally it did not look that bad.
Best Answer
Depending on conditions in your well or the care of your well contractor, the check valve might have gotten something (new, or old) caught in it. You could certainly try running the well flat out for a while to attempt to dislodge/flush that out.
It sounds like your contractor couldn't find the issue and just threw parts at it. i.e. "replaced all the couplings" is "fixing what hardly ever breaks."