# Air bubblees in water line



## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Had almost forgot about this.
I had a call a few years ago. HO had bubbles in his water. In other words, when you turn on the faucet, you could see and hear the air coming out. The HO was on a private well and used a jet pump. My first thought was a fitting lose. No, they were all tight. No leaks in the line either as when the pump cut off the pressure never dropped. There was no bubbles coming up out the well either. Does not make sense. Never did figure it out. But you could actually hear the spit-spurt of air.

Any thoughts?


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I had one at my neighbors. Bubbles in the water and sputtering. Thanks to a post on another website by Scot D. Plumber, I pulled the anode rod and that stopped it. I replaced it later with a magnesium rod. The technical term is "offgassing."


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

But, this done it on the cold water side.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

There is a suction leak ( small ) on the suction side of the pump

Even the pump seal going bad could cause this,.,,,,,


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

******* said:


> There is a suction leak ( small ) on the suction side of the pump
> 
> Even the pump seal going bad could cause this,.,,,,,


Had not thought about that. Could had been the problem then. Picks up air as it runs through the seal, but at runs it holds


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Bill said:


> Had not thought about that. Could had been the problem then. Picks up air as it runs through the seal, but at runs it holds


Yes, besides me being a plumber, I am also a pump mechanic 

I worked in a very busy industrial / commercial pump repair shop for years , rebuilding everything from boiler feed pumps to split case, ejector, condinsate, flush cleans , pool pumps , spa pumps , re circ pumps, turbine the works,

I would check the whole entire suction side, if its using a union with an o ring it could be the o ring is flattened as well on the suction side......

The pump could have over heated on prime and the volute could have expanded on the fittings , so check those as well ( nipple that spins int suction )


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

See if the air that blows out burns...


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Redwood said:


> See if the air that blows out burns...


wtf?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I've done afew calls like that and it was the mag anode. we changed it to zinc/tin/alum alloy or just straght alum and it cleared up.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

One of my apprentice instructors ran into a case where a copper water pipe and a copper hydronic pipe were crossed at a right angle. They rubbed a hole into each other, and I believe it was taking water out of the hydronic system and causing the boiler feed valve to keep feeding.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Protech said:


> I've done afew calls like that and it was the mag anode. we changed it to zinc/tin/alum alloy or just straght alum and it cleared up.


I read about a house in PA. a few months back they were getting Natural Gas out of their well. Bubbling out of the faucets. I can't find it now but I guarantee it was for real.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Did anyone offer to buy their land?:laughing:


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Natural gas from water wells can be dangerous
Home near gas well on brink of explosion - Chagrin Valley Times The Solon Times, The Geauga Times Courier


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Protech said:


> Did anyone offer to buy their land?:laughing:


You thought I was kiddin didn't ya...


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## mandoman (Dec 12, 2008)

Your instructor may have been telling tall tales. If there was a cross connection between the water and hydronic system the water system which has more pressure would be pushing water into the boiler system, not visa versa. Most low pressure boilers have 12# cold pressure, and even at 180 degrees, would have mabye 22# of pressure.


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