no running water (on well)

HI,
we are on a private well, we have lived here for almost 3 years and never had a problem, until now. I went to take a shower this evening and there was no water. It had been fine all day.

the pump is in my basement, it is a 110volt pump that sits atop the pressure tank. the water inlet to the well runs horizontally through my basement foundation wall. outside of my house in the general direction that the line runs is an old hand pump style well that is not in service, and there is a large cinder block pit next to it, under the lid is some pipes. I don't know if this is where the water is drawn up from or not.

anyways, the pump always takes forever to fill up the pressure tank, it is set to come on at 20psi and stop at 50psi. when I close the valve that goes from the pressure tank to the rest of the house the pressure in the tank goes up to 50psi, slowly. as soon as I open the valve up the pressure falls rapidly, I hear rushing water through the pipes, at 20psi the pump kicks on, and the pressure just continues to drop and levels off about 5-10psi, with the pump just running and running, and no water coming out of the taps except for the one in the basement sink right next to the pump.

If I didn't know any better I would say there is a massive leak somewhere downstream from the pump. there is only 1 bathroom in the house, and 1 sink in the kitchen. The pipes run up from the basement into the attic and I looked around and didn't see any evidence of a leak, so I don't know whats going on.

please help me!!! I am going to call in a plumber tommorow if I can't fix this up tonight, which doesen't seem likely.

thanks
Josh

figured it out sorta.

I followed the sound of rushing water through the basement pipes and it seemed like it went out to a line that runs under the part of my house that is on a slab, towards the direction of the garage and the outside water spigots. so I closed the valves on that line and now the pump is now building pressure and water is running through the house again!

this is bad though, it either means that someone came by at 10pm and opened up my hose spigots, one of which is right next to my baby's window, or that a pipe ruptured under the ground.
If a pipe ruptured under the slab will it cause damage to the foundation??

when my wife gets home from work I am going outside and having a look see at the spigots.

josh

Just a guess but did one of your frozen pipes just thaw?

It can washout under a slab and cause problems.