Hey Experts! I'm having an issue with getting water for my already existing irrigation system. Five years ago, I drove in 20 feet of a 2" galvanized pipe with a 3 foot well point (also 2" dia) for a total well length of 23 feet.
I had water all previous years until this year. Had an old 1HP pump (not sure how old as it was here when I bought the house in 2015 but I'm guessing it was at least 10+ years old) and I started to get lower and lower flow to my sprinkler system until I eventually got nothing. It could run one zone for maybe 20 minutes, but that was it. I would let it sit for 10 minutes or so and I could run another zone for another 20 minutes or so. Then the old pump eventually got to the point where I was getting no water at all no matter how long it sat. I bought a new Star 1HP (Model HSP10P1) cast iron pump, rated for pulling water up to 25 feet. Plumbed everything up, primed it and still no water.
The 2" well pipe comes out of the ground to a 90 (galv), then I have a union joint, then check valve, then to the pump - all 2" pvc to the pump (see first image). I've filled the pump with water to the outlet of the priming tee and the water level does not go down after letting it sit overnight (so check valve seems to be working). I've disconnected the union joint and get a big suction sound (so union joint seems to be working).
I measured the water level in the well and I currently have about 4.5 feet of water at the bottom of the well, so above the top of the well screen. If I remember correctly, when I drove the well, it had about 7-8 feet of water from the bottom of the well - so definitely lower this year than before.
I've tried priming several times by filling the pump to the outlet tee, cycle the pump and let it run for a couple minutes, then turn it off. The water level will drop to pump inlet after the pump shuts off. Then I'll refill the pump and repeat. My thought is that the pump is taking the water I put in for priming and pushing it out, and getting to the point where it's sucking air from the well. No sprinklers will pop up, no matter what zone I select. When I take the plug out of the priming tee while the pump is running, I see bubbles (see second image).
What I'm wondering is, do I need to keep repeating this process and eventually I'll get water up the well, or is the water level just too low for the pump to pull it that high? We have been in a bit of a drought in southeast Michigan this spring so I'm wondering if I just can't get the pump to pull the water up the well with the water level being lower than previous years. I've thought about adding some sort of boiler valve or something where I can hook my garden hose up (my house is city water) to try and fill the well with water to give the pump a head start for priming, but I also want to keep the number of connections to a minimum. I don't think a foot valve would be an option here with the type of well I have.
I can put water in the well and it takes it, no problem so I'm thinking this is not a plugged screen either. I also jetted it with a pressure washer and blasted with compressed air. I have not tried acidizing it but I don't think I have mineral deposits built up considering it takes water just fine.
I've also thought about replumbing the connections between the well and pump as all of those are old pvc except for the last connection to the pump because I had to rebuild that due to different inlet size than the previous pump. But I feel like I'd have an issue with the water level dropping in the pump or no suction sound when I disconnect the union if I had an issue there. I've tried the shaving cream trick and couldn't see anything being pulled in at any connection.
Sorry for the lengthy read, I just wanted to get all the information out there in one post. Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I'm out of ideas at this point.
Thank you!
Jake
I had water all previous years until this year. Had an old 1HP pump (not sure how old as it was here when I bought the house in 2015 but I'm guessing it was at least 10+ years old) and I started to get lower and lower flow to my sprinkler system until I eventually got nothing. It could run one zone for maybe 20 minutes, but that was it. I would let it sit for 10 minutes or so and I could run another zone for another 20 minutes or so. Then the old pump eventually got to the point where I was getting no water at all no matter how long it sat. I bought a new Star 1HP (Model HSP10P1) cast iron pump, rated for pulling water up to 25 feet. Plumbed everything up, primed it and still no water.
The 2" well pipe comes out of the ground to a 90 (galv), then I have a union joint, then check valve, then to the pump - all 2" pvc to the pump (see first image). I've filled the pump with water to the outlet of the priming tee and the water level does not go down after letting it sit overnight (so check valve seems to be working). I've disconnected the union joint and get a big suction sound (so union joint seems to be working).
I measured the water level in the well and I currently have about 4.5 feet of water at the bottom of the well, so above the top of the well screen. If I remember correctly, when I drove the well, it had about 7-8 feet of water from the bottom of the well - so definitely lower this year than before.
I've tried priming several times by filling the pump to the outlet tee, cycle the pump and let it run for a couple minutes, then turn it off. The water level will drop to pump inlet after the pump shuts off. Then I'll refill the pump and repeat. My thought is that the pump is taking the water I put in for priming and pushing it out, and getting to the point where it's sucking air from the well. No sprinklers will pop up, no matter what zone I select. When I take the plug out of the priming tee while the pump is running, I see bubbles (see second image).
What I'm wondering is, do I need to keep repeating this process and eventually I'll get water up the well, or is the water level just too low for the pump to pull it that high? We have been in a bit of a drought in southeast Michigan this spring so I'm wondering if I just can't get the pump to pull the water up the well with the water level being lower than previous years. I've thought about adding some sort of boiler valve or something where I can hook my garden hose up (my house is city water) to try and fill the well with water to give the pump a head start for priming, but I also want to keep the number of connections to a minimum. I don't think a foot valve would be an option here with the type of well I have.
I can put water in the well and it takes it, no problem so I'm thinking this is not a plugged screen either. I also jetted it with a pressure washer and blasted with compressed air. I have not tried acidizing it but I don't think I have mineral deposits built up considering it takes water just fine.
I've also thought about replumbing the connections between the well and pump as all of those are old pvc except for the last connection to the pump because I had to rebuild that due to different inlet size than the previous pump. But I feel like I'd have an issue with the water level dropping in the pump or no suction sound when I disconnect the union if I had an issue there. I've tried the shaving cream trick and couldn't see anything being pulled in at any connection.
Sorry for the lengthy read, I just wanted to get all the information out there in one post. Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I'm out of ideas at this point.
Thank you!
Jake