# "milky" well water



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

howd said:


> I changed well pump and bladder tank because old tank was broken.
> 
> Water is "milky" in appearance from tap.
> 
> It will clear up if left sitting in container for a few minutes. All fittings seem okay and pump does not loose prime, but air gets into system evidently(?) Where is the problem? Anyone had a similar problem, or ideas? Help would be appreciated, I'm out of ideas. Thanks.


Remove the faucet tip aerator or go to a faucet that doesn't have one an d see if the water is milky then/there. If not then it is the air added by the aerator which is what an aerator is supposed to do.

If you still have milky, then the pump is cavitating because you bought a larger pump than you had previously (gpm and/or hp wise) or there is a suction leak of air between the pump to the well. Spray shaving cream on all suction fittings and look for it to dimple etc. wherever there is a suction leak. Many times a fitting can suck air and not leak water.


----------



## Mr. Green (May 1, 2010)

howd said:


> I changed well pump and bladder tank because old tank was broken. I used old check valve and some original galv fittings and pvc pipe for hook up. All screw joints were teflon taped, pvc glued, naturally. Water is "milky" in appearance from tap. It will clear up if left sitting in container for a few minutes. I never had anything like this prior to change. There is a softener in the system that appears to function properly. All fittings seem okay and pump does not loose prime, but air gets into system evidently(?) Where is the problem? Anyone had a similar problem, or ideas? Help would be appreciated, I'm out of ideas. Thanks.


Is it white from an outside tap, or the tap on your pressure tank?


----------



## justwater (May 12, 2010)

If it clears in a glass, my guess is a tiny suction leak. Do you ever notice the faucets sputter?


----------



## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

Do you have any kind of filtration system on your water? :huh:


----------



## howd (May 14, 2010)

Have cleaned aerators, no change. Water softener is only "filter" in system. I will try shaving cream on connections. Hope it works! Thanks all.


----------



## NHMaster (Dec 21, 2009)

Ya gots a suction leak. Suction leaks.... well they suck. Hard to find. Shaving cream may work, I listen while pouring a bit of water on the joint. There will be a slight change in the noise. Either way, tighten, check and re-tighten everything. then do it again.


----------



## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

Are we sure it's not a problem with the salt in the softner ? ? ? :huh:


----------



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

Alan said:


> Are we sure it's not a problem with the salt in the softner ? ? ? :huh:


A softener adds sodium to the softened water at the rate of 7.85 mg per liter per gpg of hardness removed. It is dissolved into the water, so this 'milky' can't be from salt in the softener. Salt is sodium chloride and a softener doesn't use or add any of the chloride to the water.

More likely than not, it is very teeny tiny small air bubbles in the water, added by the faucet tip aerator or an air suction leak on the suction side of a jet pump. Especially since he started having the problem when he replaced his jet pump.


----------



## NHMaster (Dec 21, 2009)

Well, we are sure it's not salt but you could have a suction leak in the brine line, valve assembly or valve head that will put micro bubbles into the system.


----------



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

NHMaster said:


> Well, we are sure it's not salt but you could have a suction leak in the brine line, valve assembly or valve head that will put micro bubbles into the system.


And if his softener had a suction leak on the brine line etc. his softener wouldn't be working right and he has said; "There is a softener in the system that appears to function properly.".


----------



## NHMaster (Dec 21, 2009)

Appears being the operative word. A very small suction leak will allow the softener to function while adding micro bubbles to the system. I figured someone with the vast years of experience such as yourself would know that. :thumbsup:
For the record though, I don't think it's coming from the softener either. I would be looking at the fittings that got disturbed when the pump was changed and the pump itself.


----------



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

NHMaster said:


> Appears being the operative word. A very small suction leak will allow the softener to function while adding micro bubbles to the system. I figured someone with the vast years of experience such as yourself would know that. :thumbsup:
> For the record though, I don't think it's coming from the softener either. I would be looking at the fittings that got disturbed when the pump was changed and the pump itself.


Those micro bubbles you mention, and all other air in a resin tank, they rise inside the resin tank and can't get out unless the water flow/gpm is very high through the softener. I thought a old plumber like you would know that air is lighter than water and rises up through water.:thumbsup:

Also, after brining where any air suction leak would be drawn into the resin tank, there is an upfow backwash with some control valves that would flush all air out the drain line and all control valves have a final rinse that can vacate the air and by then, there are no micro bubbles if there ever were any because most brine line air leaks cause visible bubbles.


----------



## NHMaster (Dec 21, 2009)

I said it was possible, not probable and IIRC on a different forum a while back, you said the exact same thing to the exact same problem :whistling2: sooo, lets move on and address the real problem, which is a suction leak in the system.


----------



## Bob999 (Mar 4, 2010)

Doesn't appear that the original poster is around so this may be moot but I think it is important to know whether the milky appearance occurs when water is drawn from the pressure tank or only from a faucet after the softener.


----------



## austin1880 (Jun 4, 2010)

My stepfather is having a similar issue with "milky" water so I was put in charge of possible solutions, hence my visit to this forum. No plumbing changes here, this started upon returning from a short vacation. The water clears up after sitting for a few minutes in a glass on the counter so it's definately air. Only occuring in the laundry room ( first stop after the pressure tank ) and kitchen ( second in line ). Removing faucet aerators does not clear this up. Bathroons further downstream are not having this problem. Well pump is a double line jet thats been in service many years. Tank is galvanized and has no bladder, he adds air as needed when the system becomes waterlogged but has not had to add air recently. Thanks in advance for any and all help...
Ed


----------



## NHMaster (Dec 21, 2009)

Two words ------- SUCTION LEAK -----------

Try using shaving cream on the joints with the pump running. If you have a leak the sound will change and you will see the shaving cream suck into the joint.


----------



## austin1880 (Jun 4, 2010)

Thank you...


----------



## austin1880 (Jun 4, 2010)

NHMaster said:


> Two words ------- SUCTION LEAK -----------
> 
> Try using shaving cream on the joints with the pump running. If you have a leak the sound will change and you will see the shaving cream suck into the joint.


 
Okay, tried the shaving cream trick and found nothing. Pulled the pump and piping and replaced piping down to the foot valve. No difference, What is the "diaphragm" looking device attatched to the outlet side of the pump and what does it do? The pressure switch is connected to this thing but I have no idea what to call it. It's approximately 3 inched diameter. 

Ed


----------



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

It's probably a pressure regulator valve but I can't say fer sure 'cuz with your description I can't see it without a picture.


----------



## austin1880 (Jun 4, 2010)

Gary Slusser said:


> It's probably a pressure regulator valve but I can't say fer sure 'cuz with your description I can't see it without a picture.


 
Thank you, I appreciate the advice. I'm trying to get him to replace that jet pump with a submersible but he seems reluctant, and yet he still doesn't like the air bubbles in the water so I dont know what else to do. And the truth is, replacing the pump may not solve the problem, depending on where this suction leak is. Replacing the piping below the pump didn't solve the problem so we are looking at everything else (again ) and didn't know what this device was, I will try to get a picture posted if need be. I wonder what the chances are that this leak is between the pump and the tank, or even beyong the tank into the house ? I assumed ( probably incorrectly ) that this leak had to be on the intake side of the pump, hence the pipe replacement below the pump

Ed


----------



## Mr. Green (May 1, 2010)

The only time I saw this happen, it was from the hot water tank.


----------



## Gary Slusser (Sep 16, 2008)

If the tank is out in the yard and there's an under ground line to the house, yes the leak could be there.

Run water until the pump comes on and shut it off so you start with full line pressure for each of the below.

Shut off the water at the tank to the house and watch the gauge over say 30-60 minutes and see if the pressure falls. if so the leak in on the well side. 

If not, then open the valve, and don't use water but check the gauge again as before and if the pressure fell, the leak is on the house side.

Yes post a picture.


----------



## sheepyhead (Dec 15, 2010)

What fun this is! I keyed 'milky well water' into the internet and there you all were.

At the weekend, I had a burst pipe in my studio. Ugh. Horrid mess. About a year ago, a pressure pump was placed on this gravity fed system from the well. This is one feed line from the well. Today we found a leak further down on the same system, in another barn which was obviously causing the pump to stay on.

In the house today, (a separate gravity feed totally, from well to house) suddenly the water has turned milky with a browny tinge, which doesn't clear when left in a glass. We are thinking that the malfunctioning pump (and a leak) had caused the well to drain. On checking, the 'men' say that it looks milky in the well and a normal height. Hopefully it will clear. The water comes up through rock and is about 12 ft deep.(No problems for 20 years).

Ideas please.

Thanks


----------

