mccabechristian
New Member
Hey there, I have been looking through this forum for two days now for anything that could lead me to solution. I could not find anything that fit so I hope I am not repeating a previous thread. I recently purchase one of those Utilitech plastic internal cast iron 1/2 Horsepower centrifugal pumps from Lowe's "it was all the budget I could get from my wife". It draws from an irrigation ditch. The foot valve/check valve is down in a plastic basin sunk into the ditch. The pump runs fine with adequate pressure for 15 zones of sprinklers.
Here is the problem. I decided to install a pressure switch because I didn't like waking up at 2am to flip the breaker. I'm new at this so it did not occur for me to look at the pressure more than seeing what it was when the sprinklers were running. I installed a pressure switch but then I noticed that the pressure remains constant at 40psi when all zones are off. When all zones are on... 40psi. When the pump turns off the pressure drops to 0 slowly over about 1/2 to one hour.
My first thought, leaky check/foot valve. Opened it up and looked, completely clean and functional. The foot valve is about 1 foot from the bottom of the plastic basin which is about 3 feet out and 3 1/2 feet down from the pump. Second thought, leak in sprinkler line. So, I closed the gate valve in the output line "which is located 3 feet from the output T" to see if pressure would adequately build as it should... stayed at 40 psi. K, if I keep gate valve closed and turn pump off, the PSI drops very quickly. While still off if I open the gate valve the PSI shoots to 40, then drops slowly. I have gone through the thing and taken every piece apart and put on enough gunk, glue, and teflon tape to plug a mediocre dam "all in the right application places of course".
So, my question... what the heck could it be and what the heck can I do?
Here is the problem. I decided to install a pressure switch because I didn't like waking up at 2am to flip the breaker. I'm new at this so it did not occur for me to look at the pressure more than seeing what it was when the sprinklers were running. I installed a pressure switch but then I noticed that the pressure remains constant at 40psi when all zones are off. When all zones are on... 40psi. When the pump turns off the pressure drops to 0 slowly over about 1/2 to one hour.
My first thought, leaky check/foot valve. Opened it up and looked, completely clean and functional. The foot valve is about 1 foot from the bottom of the plastic basin which is about 3 feet out and 3 1/2 feet down from the pump. Second thought, leak in sprinkler line. So, I closed the gate valve in the output line "which is located 3 feet from the output T" to see if pressure would adequately build as it should... stayed at 40 psi. K, if I keep gate valve closed and turn pump off, the PSI drops very quickly. While still off if I open the gate valve the PSI shoots to 40, then drops slowly. I have gone through the thing and taken every piece apart and put on enough gunk, glue, and teflon tape to plug a mediocre dam "all in the right application places of course".
So, my question... what the heck could it be and what the heck can I do?