On Oct 12, 3:10*pm, gwandsh wrote:
This weekend we did a shock on our ~350' well to address some iron
bacteria issues. *Followed instructions carefully, adding measured
amount of bleach and recirculating well water via garden hose back
into the well head. *Then we ran each faucet slightly untilI we could
smell chlorine, turned it off, turned off the well circuit, and let it
sit for the night.

The rest of the process was to run things out via hose the next
morning, so as to not compromise our septic system. *However, when I
got up, I found that our pressure tank showed 0 psi. *When I turn on
the well circuit, I can hear the pump humming, but no water gets
delivered to the pressure tank.

I took off the well cap again and powered the well circuit. *I can
hear "activity" in the well, not just the distant vibration or hum.
With the echos and such, it is impossible to tell what that sound
really is.

It seems to me that somehow I have lost the seal prime on my well pump
(or have a hole in the delivery pipe) that is preventing the water
from being delivered. *Anybody know of a way to diagnose this issue
without special equipment? *I believe the pump is at least 300' deep,a
nd has worked flawlessly for years.

Thanks all for the good input. I appreciate knowing something about
the possibilities when I finally reach the well contractor. I have a
couple of calls in to him, but it is a small town rural area and he
doesn't seem to be getting his calls. Possibly he has gone hunting
and did not leave an "out of office" message. It is a weekend place,
so service calls mean time off work, yada yada.

To clarify a few items:

1 - I first suspected the mechainical relay in the pressure switch. I
opened the box and cleaned the contacts. They seem to be working
fine, at least they are getting the pump turned on.

2 - I did check the power at the well head. I did not have a voltage
meter, but used a simple outlet tester (pencil style chirper) to
determine there was juice in the line. If somehow only 110/120 was
getting down to the pump, is it possible it would only pump partway up
the piping?

3 - We have high iron content in the water (partial reason for the
treatment). I wondered if there had been a small leak in the steel
pipe (yes it is steel, at least the top few sections that I have seen)
that might have been plugged with oxidized iron. Perhaps the bleach
then dissolved or loosened the "plug" enough to cause it to open?

4 - To the responder that concluded the pump is shot... I guess
anything is possible, but when my car doesn't start I don't
immediately shop for a new car ;-)

5 - I was having a tough time figuring out how the pressure could have
gone to zero in our system - at least a reason associated with the
well failure. Sounds like the two events need to be researched
separately. As for the valve that prevents the water from flowing bck
from the pressure tank to the well - is that something I can access
and check myself? 'Fraid I have no clue about that unless it is
integrated into the pressure tank?

6 - to the person who asked about the strength of the bleach used: We
used a standard 5.5% product, mixed with water. According to our well
report we have about 200' of water in a 6" column, and we used 8 cups
of bleach. I guess that could be an overdose if the water level had
dropped, but I have no reason to suspect that is the case.

Thanks again