What would cause periods of no water then slow water then sediment filled water and then air to come from a residential water well?

Answer 1

You have a well going dry. Time to drill for another well!.

1) The water level in your well could be low. You may have to drill it deeper or dig a new well. A couple of good rains migh solve your problem.

2) Check the holding tank on your well pump. They can begin to collect sediment and fill up.

There are times when you need AIR in the pump to push and keep a steady flow of water. A lot of pumps have a place to add air. If not, let the water out of the pump and the AIR will automatically go in and up. Then replace the screw or cover.

ANS 3 - I've been working on wells for almost 15 years and NEVER found any well pump that had or needed air in it !

You do have a well going dry , or at least not refilling to original static water level, In many cases this can be resolved by lowering the pump. Smart drillers never sit the pump on the bottom. It's almost always somewhere between bottom and static.