Water leak underground,help.

[Alchad]

Good point, will check the borehole pump, as it is located in a field 500 metres away from the holding tanks to see if it is also running continiously.
It is difficult to see usage at the holding tanks as there are electrical trigger floats on the holding tanks that activate the borehole pump when they need replenishment.

Dont suppose you have the borehole pump electric metered? Those things can use A few KWh. If you do have a largish leak your electric consumption may have gone up a fair bit.

 

[som farmer]

Sorry to not have explained clearly, we have a borehole that pumps water to holding tanks, no problem there. Then booster pump from holding tanks to the network system of many pipes to troughs in fields and various buildings including farm house, about 30 different end points. The system was installed by previous owner, no plans and no markings on the valving system.
The booster pump was fine for years, running and then shutting off until water needed, there is a 300 litre pressure vessel after the pump.

Now the pump just runs continously and does not reach pressure of the previous 3 bar, now running at 1.3 bar which is really too low for the whole system.

our pump wore out, and needed to be replaced, so we had to connect to the mains, for 10 days, that was a shock.

and gave us the reason why the pump needed replacing, as well as the high reading on the elec meter, for the pump. Went out and bought a load of stop cocks ! Replaced some pipe with 50mm.

some of the problem was friction in 32mm pipe, making the pump work harder, some sediment in the pipes, and a few tanks dribbling over, all added up, still not certain we haven't got a leak 'somewhere', but have made a big difference.

 

[puppet]

I like the Leak Detective on Facebook. Deals with a lot of leaks around swimming pools in expensive houses but also seems to find them under patios and kitchen floors.
If you can start finding some pipes to isolate it would help.

 

[br jones]

Get listening stick and try to survey the ground,

 

[workin f nowt]

No need to check borehole pump just look in or listen to holding tank. As I posted before my system is like yours pumped out ground through filters into tank then boosted out. My booster pump can run constant if pressure in vessel(bladder tank) isn't sufficient these can loose pressure or burst therefore not having pressure to build against. I'm no expert on it but have learnt alot from the people who installed it to reduce callouts. Mine was running continuously a couple of months ago and if there was a leak the bore pump would not be able to keep up but tank was full it was the pressure in the pressure vessel that needed replenishing.
Hope this helps

 

[paulthefarm]

No need to check borehole pump just look in or listen to holding tank. As I posted before my system is like yours pumped out ground through filters into tank then boosted out. My booster pump can run constant if pressure in vessel(bladder tank) isn't sufficient these can loose pressure or burst therefore not having pressure to build against. I'm no expert on it but have learnt alot from the people who installed it to reduce callouts. Mine was running continuously a couple of months ago and if there was a leak the bore pump would not be able to keep up but tank was full it was the pressure in the pressure vessel that needed replenishing.
Hope this helps

Thank you very much for the suggestion, will get plumber to check pressure in the pressure vessel.

 

[workin f nowt]

Thank you very much for the suggestion, will get plumber to check pressure in the pressure vessel.

Needs doing without water in system as in turn pump off and allow pressure out at taps or ball valve. Not wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs but I didn't know this when I first started with it and like you I inherited the system.

 

[Lakesdigger]

Needs doing without water in system as in turn pump off and allow pressure out at taps or ball valve. Not wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs but I didn't know this when I first started with it and like you I inherited the system.

For a very rough clue if you knock on the vessel with your knuckle and it sounds solid it's likely full of water, if this is the case press the schraeder valve in and see if you get water or air out. No water or air/very little air you might get away with a recharge if you get wet its fooked. As you say if it needs recharged it needs to be done with no pressure in system but also needs set to suit system operating pressure.

 

[paulthefarm]

Thank you everyone for pointers and suggestions, I checked the pressure vessel today and lo and behold water came out instead of air, so suspect that the rubber bladder is split or leaking, will get replacement pressure vessel 400 litre. And see what happens.

 

[workin f nowt]

Thank you everyone for pointers and suggestions, I checked the pressure vessel today and lo and behold water came out instead of air, so suspect that the rubber bladder is split or leaking, will get replacement pressure vessel 400 litre. And see what happens.

Better than digging for days then finding it was the pressure vessel