John Hanson
New Member
Hello all! Very long story, please bear with me...
We bought a house in the mountains two years ago as our first home, and our water system became an issue last summer. We don't actually have a well, but water is pumped from a ranch below us to an in-ground cistern. It is buried into the side of a hill; and originally it was only about 2 inches from the surface at the shallowest point. There was a 3-foot section of precast concrete placed as a riser over the manhole to keep the hill at bay, but it was mostly above ground. Prior to the start of our problems, I had never messed with any of it and knew nothing about it.
We were several states away when we recieved a phone call from our in-laws that our water system manager was searching for a leak and discovered our cistern was overflowing. They had the recommended contractor come out and he determined the mechanical float valve was done. He replaced it a couple days later, and other than the riser making things very hard for him, it sounded like there were no issues.
When we got home, our system manager came out to tell me that our manhole could no longer seal, there were critters getting under the riser to the manhole, and we were to cease drinking our water until a new hatch could be installed and our cistern cleaned. Our water tests during the sale had passed, but the previous owners of 30+ years had apparently never addressed it, because things were nasty.
Had the contractor out again, and he removed the riser, pulled the old hatch, and installed a plastic septic hatch and cover. He left the riser off, saying we didn't need it, and mentioned that the incoming line was well above the frost line and probably freezing & thawing quite a bit without anyone noticing. I asked if this was a problem we needed to address, and he made it sound like it wasn't. We cleaned the cistern ourselves, and aside from the float valve he had just replaced jamming open during re-fill and the cistern overflowing out the hatch, there were no other immediate issues.
We went all winter without any problems until we discovered it was overflowing again this weekend. We know it was doing so for at least a week, but my gut is telling me far longer, maybe all winter. Instead of pushing through the manhole seal like the first time, it actually pushed out where the incoming line connects to the fitting molded into the cistern and broke the bond of the sealant around the new hatch. From what I can figure out on my own, the float (4" stainless on a 10" rod, I believe) on the new valve doesn't seem to be buoyant enough to completely seal the valve on it's own, and even if it does seal, any lateral movement of the float breaks it. The Piston seems loose, but the rubber seals seem to be in good shape. I've called the contractor and have yet to hear back from him.
So my questions... Could freezing have expanded the valve and made it too loose to reliably seal? Could it even have frozen if it couldn't seal to begin with? If the valve needs replaced, is there a specific brand/model to look for, and should I look for a bigger float or just a longer arm? And are there any issues I should take up with the contractor? I feel like my own ignorance is to blame, but my wife is out for blood.
This is all pretty overwhelming, any an all input is appreciated! Thank you!
We bought a house in the mountains two years ago as our first home, and our water system became an issue last summer. We don't actually have a well, but water is pumped from a ranch below us to an in-ground cistern. It is buried into the side of a hill; and originally it was only about 2 inches from the surface at the shallowest point. There was a 3-foot section of precast concrete placed as a riser over the manhole to keep the hill at bay, but it was mostly above ground. Prior to the start of our problems, I had never messed with any of it and knew nothing about it.
We were several states away when we recieved a phone call from our in-laws that our water system manager was searching for a leak and discovered our cistern was overflowing. They had the recommended contractor come out and he determined the mechanical float valve was done. He replaced it a couple days later, and other than the riser making things very hard for him, it sounded like there were no issues.
When we got home, our system manager came out to tell me that our manhole could no longer seal, there were critters getting under the riser to the manhole, and we were to cease drinking our water until a new hatch could be installed and our cistern cleaned. Our water tests during the sale had passed, but the previous owners of 30+ years had apparently never addressed it, because things were nasty.
Had the contractor out again, and he removed the riser, pulled the old hatch, and installed a plastic septic hatch and cover. He left the riser off, saying we didn't need it, and mentioned that the incoming line was well above the frost line and probably freezing & thawing quite a bit without anyone noticing. I asked if this was a problem we needed to address, and he made it sound like it wasn't. We cleaned the cistern ourselves, and aside from the float valve he had just replaced jamming open during re-fill and the cistern overflowing out the hatch, there were no other immediate issues.
We went all winter without any problems until we discovered it was overflowing again this weekend. We know it was doing so for at least a week, but my gut is telling me far longer, maybe all winter. Instead of pushing through the manhole seal like the first time, it actually pushed out where the incoming line connects to the fitting molded into the cistern and broke the bond of the sealant around the new hatch. From what I can figure out on my own, the float (4" stainless on a 10" rod, I believe) on the new valve doesn't seem to be buoyant enough to completely seal the valve on it's own, and even if it does seal, any lateral movement of the float breaks it. The Piston seems loose, but the rubber seals seem to be in good shape. I've called the contractor and have yet to hear back from him.
So my questions... Could freezing have expanded the valve and made it too loose to reliably seal? Could it even have frozen if it couldn't seal to begin with? If the valve needs replaced, is there a specific brand/model to look for, and should I look for a bigger float or just a longer arm? And are there any issues I should take up with the contractor? I feel like my own ignorance is to blame, but my wife is out for blood.
This is all pretty overwhelming, any an all input is appreciated! Thank you!
