36 year old Crane Demming sub pump

[36yearoldlife]

Hello everybody:

I have a 4 ton pump and dump geothermal system in use since 2005 and connected to a 36 year old well and pump. The pump has never had any issues, nor has it ever been pulled or serviced. The casing is 5" cast iron or steel. We have never had "good" water pressure in the house, but I attribute that to the water softener because there is great pressure at the spigots outside and at the pressure tank. Just not at the faucets in the house. Also, when we use the geothermal, the water pressure in the house is really bad. the geothermal is supposed to "dump" the water after it extracts the heat from it at 8 gpm. There is a valve the indicates the gpm, and it always fluctuates both up and down when the unit is on.

We want to try to use the geothermal exclusively this winter, but we are afraid we will ruin our ancient well pump in the process. I have been interviewing local well guys and most of them recommend drilling a new well. The average cost so far is 5K. I am having a hard time accepting this considering our well pump seems perfectly fine.

I need some good advice.

Do we just keep using our setup as-is?

Do we fork over the dough and get a new well?

Do we try to have the pump pulled to replace it and risk breaking it in the process thereby making it necessary to drill a new well anyway?

Is there a way for us to prolong the life of our current well pump, continue to use it for the geothermal, and improve the pressure in the house?

I sure do appreciate your help.

Jason

 

[Valveman]

Any new pump you can buy will probably not be as good as that old one. Having said that it is also true that a pump will always quit at the worst possible time. You maybe able to increase your pressure switch setting by 10 PSI and have better pressure after the softener. Just make sure your pump can still build enough pressure to shut off.

There is a way to take house water out of the dump side of the heat pump instead of the inlet side. That way the water coming into the house maybe a little higher or lower temperature, but the pump can supply water for the house through the heat pump, and it doesn't use twice the water.

You won't know if the well is bad until you pull the old pump so you can see down there. But old steel casing maybe rusted out and replacing it could be the best solution. But if the casing is still good there is no need to drill a new well.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I have been interviewing local well guys and most of them recommend drilling a new well.

What reason do they give?

What does the pressure gauge at the pressure tank tell you?

 

[36yearoldlife]

What reason do they give?

What does the pressure gauge at the pressure tank tell you?[/QUOTE


The two drillers who recommended a new well claim that they will most likely not be able to pull the pump due to its age and the steel casing.

They also said that it's a 36 year old well, and if they replace the pump, everything else is still 36 years old. They say it is better to just replace everything.

Only one driller has suggested that he can pull the pump. He claims that because it is a 5" casing, he should have no problem pulling it. ig he can pull it, he will test the well for 20 gpm with some type of air pressure test, and then go from there. He is going to charge me 240 to pull the pump and 200 to test the well. Whether or not I replace the pump, I will have a csv installed as well.

 

[Reach4]

"Only one driller has suggested that he can pull the pump. He claims that because it is a 5" casing, he should have no problem pulling it. ig he can pull it, he will test the well for 20 gpm with some type of air pressure test, and then go from there. He is going to charge me 240 to pull the pump and 200 to test the well. "​

A 3.9 inch diameter pump in a 5 inch casing? Should be no problem.


You know that fellow is going to recommend that you replace the pump with the one on his truck, don't you? Am I too cynical?

"The two drillers who recommended a new well claim that they will most likely not be able to pull the pump due to its age and the steel casing. "​

I can only presume, if they are not charlatans, they are drilling specialists and not pump people. OK. One other possibility is they somehow got the idea that it is a 4 inch casing.