I have low water pressure. We are on a well. When I go outside and stand near the
Well, it sounds like air is coming up from the well. What could it be?

Do you mean low water pressure or low water volume? Are you getting air out a faucet? Hold a paper towel or napkin next to where the well pipe comes out the casing to see whether the air is coming out or going in.

I am so unfamiliar with plumbing, wells, all of it. Not sure what casing you are talking about. All I know is when we turn the shower on the water dribbles out, then later it appears to have a normal flow. When I go out and stand by the well pipe that comes up out of the ground, it sounds like air swirling around, almost what your gas furnace sounds like when it fires up, but it is continuous. If you can please explain in terms that a female, that is not familiar with all this, can understand what to check.
Thanks so much for your time.

The casing is the big pipe that goes into the ground and a smaller well pipe goes inside the big pipe. The big pipe is to keep ground from closing in the hole. The smaller well pipe is the one that is use to pump water out. Kind of sounds like your pump is pumping air instead of water. If it is, the air would have to be coming from somewhere, that is down the casing from the surface.

I hope not because that means your water table has dropped below the level of your pump (assuming a submersible pump).

I assume that you only hear this noise when the pump is running. I can think of no reason why air would be coming out of the well and this is the only reason I can think of as to why air would be going in..

MC, let's get familiar with how your well works. When water is used, pressure begins to fall and, at some point, a little grey box called the switch senses low water pressure and responds by turning on the pump. The pump sends water to the pressure tank (large metal container, probably blue) where water is stored for use. As more water goes into the tank, pressure increases to the point where the switch responds again by turning the pump off. Then, as water is used and pressure falls, the cycle is repeated.

Your pump is in your well. HK has rightly pointed out that this sound you hear could be because the water level in your well has fallen to about the same level as the pump. So, the pump is now sucking in a little air in addition to the water, which would make the swirling sound you hear. It would also explain why there are times when you have very little water.

The next time you have very little water pressure, go to the pressure tank and locate the pressure gauge. See what it reads and get back with us.

This site gives you some pics of the various parts.

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/p...nk/replace.htm

I turned off the pump last night and turned back on this morning. I have checked in the crawl space for leaks and found none. Now the water coming out of the faucets is not clear but light brown to a darker brown. The water pressure sits at 80 but when I turn the faucet on it goes down to about 75. Since we have not had a lot of rain here this summer, could this effect the water level in my well?

I had another thought. The sound you hear is probably not air.
It is more likely that the noise is the sound of water leaking out of a pipe joint inside the well. As the pump pumps water up the well pipe, water sprays out and hits the side of the well casing, making the noise. This makes a lot more sense than air.

The rain should not affect your well unless you have a very shallow well, only 20 feet or so deep.

Your pressure is to high. Your pressure should be about 60 when the pump is turned off. Should drop to about 40 before pump turns on again.

Show us some pictures of you well head, the tank, the pressure gauge and the switch.

Thanks jlisenbe and hkstroud. I had someone come and check my well and not only did the pipe into the well have a split in it I had to have my tank replaced as well. Everything is working fine now. Thanks for all your help and information. I now know more about wells, pumps, switches, gauges than I did a week ago!! I'm glad you both tiik your time to help me with this>

Thanks for letting us know how it worked out. HK hit the nail on the head!