Bad Pump?

[1960 Rancher]

I've been in my house for 9 years now and have had intermittent issues with my shallow well jet pump. Mostly switch issues where the pump would not turn off and had to adjust and or replace the pressure switch.
From what I can tell I have had to lower the cut on and off pressure from 20/40 to 15/30 over the years. I feel as though my pump will not create enough pressure to meet the cut off pressure so I have had to lower it to keep the pump from running continuously.
I checked my pressure tank and it is set at 22psi when the pump is off and the pipes drained. I also checked to see if the bladder was leaking with the system charged and only air comes out of the air valve.

I would like to get back to a 20/40 system or would prefer 40/60 if achievable with a shallow well. I currently cannot get water from the faucet when the clothes washer is going which I do not remember being an issue years back.

Can I rebuild my Goulds jet pump or should I buy a new one? Or could my foot valve be leaking? Not sure where to start. Any help would be appreciative.

 

[Speedbump]

If you have your pressure set to shut off the pump at 30 and that's it's max, you probably have a plugged jet or junk in the impeller. If that's the case, a new pump would be the answer. Otherwise it will just keep plugging with more accumulated junk.

Contrary to popular belief, Goulds is not the best pump on the market. It's ok like all the rest.

bob...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[1960 Rancher]

If you have your pressure set to shut off the pump at 30 and that's it's max, you probably have a plugged jet or junk in the impeller. If that's the case, a new pump would be the answer. Otherwise it will just keep plugging with more accumulated junk.

Contrary to popular belief, Goulds is not the best pump on the market. It's ok like all the rest.

bob...

Bob, I set the cut off @ 30psi due to the max the pump would put out. Is it worth while to rebuild or clean out the pump or just get a new one? Thanks.

 

[Sammyhydro11]

Buy a new pump?? Just unclog the jet and save some dough..

Steps:

1- Turn off power to the pump and drain down system by turning on faucets. Once water is drained turn off main valve to the house.

2- There should be a half inch plug on the front of the jet assembly. Remove that plug to gain access to the jet.

3- Get yourself a coat hanger and cut a 10" piece off of it. Send that through the hole that was plugged and clean out all the debris in the jet. Make sure you get it through to the casing of the pump.

4- Turn the main valve on to flush put the debris that you broke up. Do this a couple of times to make sure it's all out. Then shut off the valve. You might want to turn the pump on real quick as well.

5- Put some pipe dope on the threads of the plug and thread it back into the jet assembly.

6- Turn the power back on to the pump and wait until the pressure comes back up to 30lbs and shuts off. Turn the nut on the large spring of the pressure switch counter clockwise a few times around to increase the shut off pressure.Slowly turn your main valve back on to the house. The pressure should drop and the pump should turn on. Shut the main valve back off and the pump should turn on. Adjust the switch so it shuts off at 50 or 60 lbs.

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

 

[1960 Rancher]

Buy a new pump?? Just unclog the jet and save some dough..

Steps:

1- Turn off power to the pump and drain down system by turning on faucets. Once water is drained turn off main valve to the house.

2- There should be a half inch plug on the front of the jet assembly. Remove that plug to gain access to the jet.

3- Get yourself a coat hanger and cut a 10" piece off of it. Send that through the hole that was plugged and clean out all the debris in the jet. Make sure you get it through to the casing of the pump.

4- Turn the main valve on to flush put the debris that you broke up. Do this a couple of times to make sure it's all out. Then shut off the valve. You might want to turn the pump on real quick as well.

5- Put some pipe dope on the threads of the plug and thread it back into the jet assembly.

6- Turn the power back on to the pump and wait until the pressure comes back up to 30lbs and shuts off. Turn the nut on the large spring of the pressure switch counter clockwise a few times around to increase the shut off pressure.Slowly turn your main valve back on to the house. The pressure should drop and the pump should turn on. Shut the main valve back off and the pump should turn on. Adjust the switch so it shuts off at 50 or 60 lbs.

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

10-4, I'll be right back.....

 

[1960 Rancher]

10-4, I'll be right back.....

See pic, Pulled bolt #3 which sheared off but left most of the plug in the pump. Should I try plug # 8 now? I do not have the front assembly in the detail parts 1,2,5&6. I have two pipes from the well into the face of the pump.

 

[Speedbump]

If you have two pipes instead of one like Sammy thought you had, the jet is in the well not in the pump like the picture shows. So the coat hanger trick won't work. Problem with just cleaning the jet is that it's usually a temporary measure until another piece of scale gets into it.

With a deep well system, the pump, droppipe and jet are all coated with the scale that will eventually break loose and re-plug the jet.

Your getting a new pump may not help either.

Chances are, all will have to be pulled and replaced. Then you would want to be sure that the pump and jet are matched for your water level. Or if you have a three inch well or larger, that would be a great time to go with a submersible pump.

bob...

 

[1960 Rancher]

If you have two pipes instead of one like Sammy thought you had, the jet is in the well not in the pump like the picture shows. So the coat hanger trick won't work. Problem with just cleaning the jet is that it's usually a temporary measure until another piece of scale gets into it.

With a deep well system, the pump, droppipe and jet are all coated with the scale that will eventually break loose and re-plug the jet.

Your getting a new pump may not help either.

Chances are, all will have to be pulled and replaced. Then you would want to be sure that the pump and jet are matched for your water level. Or if you have a three inch well or larger, that would be a great time to go with a submersible pump.

bob...

Thanks Bob, that is what i was fearing the most.... Sounds like a lot of $$$. I was hoping to get as many years out of this thing as possible...

Any idea of what the cost would be to replace the foot valve or jet and new pump? Not sure where the well is located in the back yard due to the lack of a well cap. All is probably original to the house which is 49 yrs old. Pump looks fairly new like 15 yrs old.

Might as well get all new lines but unsure of depth of current well. Sounds like i need to get some quotes...

 

[Speedbump]

First find the well and see what it's diameter is. Then you will have a better idea of what your options are.

The best thing in the world for finding wells is a Schoenstadt Locater. You might have seen a surveyor walking around with one. They are yellow or orange and look like a 3' stick with a small box on top. I have located wells as deep as 12' with mine.

bob...

 

[Sammyhydro11]

Wait a minute. I may be wrong about the pump but he said he had a shallow well jet pump and the diagram that he is working off of is a deep well convertible jet pump with the shallow well jet attachment. The plug that was removed is the wrong one and the correct one to gain access to the nozzle in the jet is right beneath the suction line on the assembly. It's a half inch plug..

By the way i have one of those schonskidt detectors and they are awesome!

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

 

[1960 Rancher]

Wait a minute. I may be wrong about the pump but he said he had a shallow well jet pump and the diagram that he is working off of is a deep well convertible jet pump with the shallow well jet attachment. The plug that was removed is the wrong one and the correct one to gain access to the nozzle in the jet is right beneath the suction line on the assembly. It's a half inch plug..

By the way i have one of those schonskidt detectors and they are awesome!

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

Sammy, The pic provided is different than my pump where I do not have the front jet assembly with the half inch plug. See post above. Anyway looks like I'm in the hunt for a good well/pump company in MD. Can I borrow your schonskidt for a day?

 

[Sammyhydro11]

I would call your Board of Health and see if they have your water well location on file. Water wells with jet assembly's in them should not be buried but what can you do.. You might have a well pit somewhere in the yard that has the well in it. If you get an idea of the location, look for a concrete well pit cover. It could be a few inches below grade so poke around with a shovel.

Ha, wish you were close by because i would lend you the detector. Better yet i would fix your well problem!

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

 

[Gary Slusser]

Once you find the well, and you're handier than handsome, you should be able to pull the two pipes out of the well by hand and even install a submersible pump and extend the casing up out of the ground like 12". There's a week old post here where I told someone how to do all that.

Bob will sell you the pump, cable, pitless adapter, CSV etc. and the rest of the stuff you need you get locally.

You may be able to rent one of those wand thingy.

 

[Masterpumpman]

It could be a 2" well with a packer system?

When you locate the well, It could be a 2" or 3" well with a well head adapter and a packer jet assembly in the well. The venturi and/or nozzle could be washed out or the nozzle could be plugged. Either way the well head adapter will have to be removed and the drop pipe and packer jet assembly must be removed and repaired or replaced. Due to it's age pulling a packer could prevent a problem even for the best of the pump service people. Many times it is impossible to pull the packer jet, the drop pipe breaks off or the whole 2" or 3" well comes up with the packer assembly. This usually means drilling a new well. My suggestion is to leave this repair to a qualified (and certified) pump man. . . if you can find one experienced with jet pumps and packer systems.

In the event you are forced to drill a new well, I recommend that you consider drilling a minimum 4" cased well and install a submersible pump in the well! Problem over and you can even have 50/70 pressure if you prefer.

 

[Gary Slusser]

Rancher, if you have a regular two line jet pump (2 lines down the well) and want to DIY to change it over to a submersible, there are others but here is one link with pictures.

https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6613&highlight=pitless

 

[1960 Rancher]

All, Thanks for the replies and help. I'm gonna get a quote from a few well/pump companies to see what kind of dough we are talking about. I don't like the idea of the pipe breaking or loosing the jet inside of the well. If I have get the well re-dug would they have to meet current sate requirements for depth? And whats to going rate per foot for drilling?

 

[Gary Slusser]

I'm not aware of depth requirements anywhere but there may be. The usual requirement is it must produce x or more gpm of recovery rate in certain states like NY, maybe NJ where they require certified lab tests before the well is deemed acceptable.

The drop pipe of a two line jet pump isn't very heavy unless it is galvanized pipe; which I've never seen in PA, all I've ever seen is PE plastic. Two guys shouldn't have a problem pulling it with out dropping it. I've pulled many of them by hand alone. They usually aren't more than 75' but some will go to like 100-130' and then I had to rest a few minutes 2-3 times because of the water in those that the foot valve isn't leaking it out as you pull it.

Let us know how much the well guy wants.

 

[1960 Rancher]

Just talked to a Well pump guy and he is giving me a verbal of $1500 just to replace the pump without doing anything to the well. he said that it could be more if he has problems primming the pump. Seems kinda high. He stated that this may fix my problem of low pressure without pulling the jet assembly from the well.
He also cautioned that If he tries to replace the jet assembly that it could break off in the pipe and a new well would have to be drilled which he said could cost $8K.

 

[Speedbump]

$1500.00 for a new jet pump installed? That's about double what I would charge. I would keep looking.

bob...

 

[Gary Slusser]

He sounds like a crook and doesn't really know what he's doing while using scare tactics.