This is a problem I've had on and off for about 6 months (since I've lived here). We are on a water well, 530ft deep. When the pump is ON, everything works great. When the pump shuts OFF (reaches cut off pressure), there is air/gas that comes out of the hoses/fixtures. It is a LOT of it. It doesn't seem to have an odor.

When the pressure drops below the cut in pressure, and the pump kicks on again, the air/gas stops, and the water runs as normal. And when it cuts off again, the problem resumes.

I had the plumber who plumbed the house come out and he had no clue what it could be. He'd recently installed a water pressure gauge and thought perhaps it was what caused it. So he removed it. A week or two later, the problem stopped. Then a few months later I put my own pressure gauge in and everything seemed fine, until another week or two after that when the problem re-appeared again. Is it possible putting a water pressure gauge in the pump house is causing some sort of cavitation that creates air pockets?

The only other thing that coincides with this problem is that both times, the problem started roughly a month after "shocking" the well with chlorine/bleach. Is it possible that this gas somehow from the bleach reacting with something in the well?

Anyone?

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Originally Posted by liberty_hill

The only other thing that coincides with this problem is that both times, the problem started roughly a month after "shocking" the well with chlorine/bleach. Is it possible that this gas somehow from the bleach reacting with something in the well?

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Hi Liberty_Hill,

What is your procedure for "shocking" the well? How much bleach are you using and what type?

I have a friend that at times will have natural gas come out of solution (something like when you open a soda bottle and CO² bubbles out of the liquid). There is no odor, but it is flammable. He has a device inline that has some type of float in it that vents this gas outside. It works something like a boiler system air bleed, but puts the bled off gas in a hose that vents outside.

Regards,

Eric D

Like Eric ask, what is the procedure for "shocking " the well. I would also like to ask why. It is my understanding that a low concentration of chlorine/bleach bleach is used in a new well or new pipeing system to kill bacteria in side the pipe. Not a periodic or maintenance thing. Are you in the habit of doing this on a regular basis? Take a look at this site and note the effect of chlorine/bleach on tank bladders.

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Based on the fact that you do not have the problem when the pump is running and providing the water, I am not inclined to believe that you are pumping any type of gas or air from the well.

From you description I think you have a leaking or ruptured bladder. That is assuming that you have a bladder tank. Normally you might not notice a leaking bladder until
You realize you have a water logged tank. Some how the collapsing bladder is forcing air(which shouldn't be there) trapped inside the bladder into you pipe.

Installing, removing then replacing the pressure valve probably meant draining and recharging the tank. That would be the thing that caused a change in the air coming out the faucets, not their existence on the system.

I suppose the easiest way to check for a leaking bladder would be to turn off the pump, close the input valve and drain the tank. Open a faucet and try to charge you tank with air. If the bladder is good you should be able to establish and hold a pressure. If the bladder is leaking all of the air should come out the faucet. Depend on the size of the leak you may or may not be able to establish a pressure. But if there is a leak you should eventually loose that pressure out the open faucet.

I don't see the chlorine/bleach having an effect a month later but I do see it having a immediate negative effect on the bladder. Perhaps it caused a temporary softening of a brittle bladder. A leaking bladder tank should act just like a tank without a bladder in most cases. It appears that yours just developed a leak in just the right place to force trapped air into you pipes. Probably did it just to confuse you.

Fixed it. Turned out it was the check valve on the water treatment system was letting air go backwards into the system. Replaced the valve and problem went away. Thanks for the help!