My Shallow well pump wont go past 35 psi (pics incl)

[bishopknight]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a first time poster, long time lurker. Thank you all in advance for any help and advice you can offer.

I'm an owner-builder. I have a 4 ft deep natural spring at the same elevation of my house running 1" polyethylene tubing 200 ft into my house where my 1/2 flotec shallow well pump is. The pressure gets up to 35 psi but wont go any higher. I have a sediment filter before the pump, the pump never shuts off and is primed, the pressure tank bladder is at 28 psi and I used a foot valve at the well. After the pump starts running, the pressure stops building around the time air starts collecting in the sediment filter.

Is there a way to bleed the air from the line?
Should I run 1 1/4" piping instead?
Do I need a 3/4 hp pump?
Could the foot valve be clogged? ( the water is a little dirty )

Thanks again!
Bishopknight

 

[Gary Slusser]

Man ya got a number of problems and yer not going to like this...

1. A jet pump was a bad choice, a submersible is about the only type pump that is going to work satisfactorily.

2. Get rid of the spin down filter on the inlet of the pump. Unless there is grit in the water, you have no need for it and it can cause suction of air problems or the suction can break the housing.

3. Get rid of that tee and the valve on the line from the well before the spin down filter that goes nowhere unless you want to add air to the water at some point in the future; you can't get water out of the line because it is on the suction side of the jet pump. I suspect you want to drain the line from the pump back toward the well thru that valve, and why would you want to do that when you'd have to replace it when doing so requires you to reprime the pump?

4. A jet pump is not going to work well because of the distance and friction loss in the suction line from the well.

5. I see a check valve on the outlet of the pump, get rid of it, you can't prime backwards through it. Or do you have it installed backwards now?

6. You should have the outlet of the pump going to a tee at the tank and then off the tee to the house. As it is now, you will have water going out to the house from the tank until the pump comes on and then the water flow has to reverse. That causes water hammer.

7. Get rid of the galvanized elbow, they rust and add iron to the water.

9. If you are planning on building a wall and hiding the water line from where it comes out of the cement floor over to the pump, or building the pump and tank in, do not do that. You'll really regret it when you or someone else has to work on things in the future.

10. No way would I have built a shelf to get the pump and tank off the floor. And I would not have used anything less than like two layers of 3/4" plywood. There is no advantage to things being on a shelves (I know it's due to the spin down on the pump's inlet, which should be removed) and there are potential vibration noise and 'sweating' problems and wood rot in your future. Not to mention the weight of the pump and the tank, on barely supported shelves. I would get it all on the floor where it belongs. The tank shelf post is on the edge of the pump's shelf and not supported all the way down to the floor with another post.

11. I'd get rid of the disposable filter too. They are a very poor choice and unless your water is visibly dirty, you don't need a filter. Also, I see no pressure relief on the filter housing. It seems there is no way to relieve the pressure without opening a faucet in the house before you shut the valve on the outlet of the filter.

P.S. The plumbing job is excellent.

p.p.s. This is enough for now... Chin up, chest out, deep breathing will help, no anger! or assumptions.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bishopknight]

Thanks Gary,

Duly noted. I feel a little embarrassed right now ( especially the check valve preventing priming), but hey, Its a learning experience, right?

I had read that about galvanized pipe before but saw others using it and figured it was alright.

Should I get a master plumber involved at this point? I feel like I have a lot of knowledge now about the system, and I did succeed in 35 psi but I do live in a cold climate ( Maine ) and I need the ability to winterize the lines.

 

[bishopknight]

I've been doing more thinking on this...

What if I upgraded to a 3/4 or 1 HP pump? 1/2 HP is probably too weak. Even though there is 200 ft of horizontal 1" piping, I probably have 0-4 feet of head because the well water is at the same elevation as the house.

I'm thinking that may do the trick, and if it doesn't, run 1 1/4" line and try that with a stronger pump.

After all, I am getting 35 psi on a 1/2 hp pump with a sediment filter and 1" line, so I'm getting close...

 

[Speedbump]

Your pump is the junkiest on the market. If your going bigger, go with quality. Same with the tank. It's not going to last long either.

Two hundred feet of 1" suction line is way too long and too small. If you must go that far, use at least 2". A submersible in the source water would work just fine pushing water 200' but a jet pulling that far is just not going to work. You have way to many fittings in the suction line too.

Gary's comments are all true and on the money, so not much sense in me repeating them.

 

[bishopknight]

What!? I heard Flotec was top of the line! Just kidding

I'll definitely do either one or a combination of those things Speedbump. I'm going to pony up and 'go for the Gould'.

Again, thank you both for the excellent (not to mention free) advice! As a DIYer on a budget, I don't take it for granted

 

[99k]

FYI, I believe plumbing code does not allow a pump to sit directly on the floor and must be elevated at least 18" ... relates to a crossed connection.

 

[Gary Slusser]

A "crossed connection" of what?

Anyway, no jet pump is going to work and he will have a submersible (in the well).

 

[Kingsotall]

The inlet of that type of pump sometimes has a spring check so that makes sense where the manufacturer locates it at, in regards to priming.
I think my inner child has a little bit of well driller in him...