Bad outcome, getting it right

Monday after I got off work, I began to empty the well pressure tank so that it could be replaced. That took about thirty minutes. Once the tank was clearly empty, Trace and I began cutting lines. At that point there was not turning back. I had a pretty good idea how to line things up to install the new tank and keep the water softener inline, but for some reason, I changed course as we began the installation. Because of the change of plumbing, I had to run to Wiley’s Hardware in Chico and pick up extra parts. I got there only minutes before they closed. Trace and I continued the installation and had made the final hookups a little after 9 pm. The moment of truth. I turned on the well with the valve to the house closed.

The pump immediately overpressure and the overpressure relief valve opened spraying water in the cover I had on the outside part of the well. We removed the cover on the well outside and I knew immediately what was causing the problem. I had plumed everything backwards, but we were committed and what we had would work if there were no leaks. That was the second disappointing surprise. Once we opened the valve to supply water to the new tank, the brass tee below the tank leaked from one of the ports machined into it. I shut off the pump very angry and very discouraged. To remove that one piece of the system required the new tank to be cut out of the system and be laid down on the floor. A complete failure  In order to have some water available in the house overnight I filled four five-gallon buckets from our second well and called it a night. The mass of line and fittings we just spent hours installing would all need to be cut out and redone.

It took me a while to calm down, but I eventually got there and once I got my brain engaged versus my emotions, I knew what I needed to do and how to do that. I was so bothered that I did not get to sleep until about midnight and I woke up at 2 am unable to go back to sleep. So, from 2 am to 4 am I listened to the Bible and more than caught up to my Old Testament reading. Knowing I would be in no shape to teach the class scheduled for that day, I sent a message to my supervisor letting her know I would need to take a sick day. I dozed from 4 am to 5:30 when I woke again ready to make things right and by the time Wiley’s opened, I had confirmed the list made earlier that morning. New parts in hand, I began to replumb the system.

I had spent the early morning hours removing everything Trace and I had installed and recovering as much pipe as possible. Even still the installation took me until a little after noon to complete. Again the moment of truth. I turned on the well pump and a line blew off at the bottom of the tank. I had missed gluing that joint even though I thought I had looked at every joint two and three times each. I corrected that oversight and waited thirty minutes to try again. Another leak. This time at the bottom of the pressure switch. I shut off the pump, removed the wiring to the pressure switch and tightened it one revolution and rewired the switch.

When I turned the pump on, the leak was worse. Pump off, wires pulled once again, I removed the pressure switch and found the fitting that attached the switch to the nipple was badly split. I got the switch from the original tank and installed that. I restarted the pump and things began to pressure up – all the way to full system pressure. No leaks. Success. That was at 1:30 pm. I thanked the Lord I had not taught the class and tried to complete the rework of the system with a late afternoon start. I was exhausted, but we have a new, very large pressure tank on our well. Praise the Lord!

I still have electrical issues to deal with in the coop because of the rat’s love of the plastic insulation on the wiring, but that is not as critical a task as getting the well in service. So, with one problem solved and checked off the list, I am down to bout one hundred and fifty or so more problems to be attended to on the farm. At least, we are never bored.

Because I missed teaching the class yesterday, the class scheduled today was moved to Monday. So, I have a day to catch up to the administrative portion of my duties in the follow to classes we teach.