Woke up yesterday to no water. After checking pressure tank, power, pump wiring. I thought the pump was on the way out or junk. Was on the way back upstairs and saw this puddle. Which wasn't there when I came down to the basement. Hmmmm.... Switched the breaker to the well pump back on and came out to look. Yup, water coming up from the ground. My backhoe dug the trench out while I was at work. 2 well pipes in the trench. Whoever put the new one in just followed the old one. Found the leak and marked it. Off to the big box store and got what I needed. The pipe was on top of a jagged rock. I think it got sliced when they put it in and over time slight friction and the water pressure did it in. After going to the store got the problem fixed. Just an average Tuesday in PA.
You are probably right, it happens on city water mains too...best practice is to lay the pipe in a bed of sand, then cover it with sand before putting dirt back in the hole. That polyethylene does get brittle/weak over time too though...doesn't last forever. Glad to hear you are back up n running with minimal downtime and expense though...other than maybe the cost of fueling your backhoe back up
Glad you caught it and were able to fix it but, How'd you get your backhoe to dig a hole all by itself?
Glad you mentioned the about the sand. I thought about doing that and was going to ask about it. I just said backhoe, please dig that trench. And he did. It was good practice because he starts his job with a commercial mechanical contractor soon and they're sending him to school for plumbing.
