New pressure tank and plumbing. Pump can't catch up.

[Johnboy300]

First- this is a great forum. It has already been very helpful.
Ok- long story as short as I can. I bought an 130 yr old farmhouse with a 3/4 horse jet pump, a waterlogged OLD steel pressure tank and galvanized leaky plumbing. I decided to redo everthing but the pump which seemed to be fine. (I did a volume test at the laundry sink and got 7.5 gpm.) I replaced all the plumbing with pex and installed a whole house filter, softner and a wel-x-trol WX-202 20 gallon tank. The pressure switch was set at 25 -45 in the previous system which I have not touched at all. I dropped the pressure in the the new tank to 23 psi to make it 2 pounds below cut in. The system pressurizes to 45 psi and then shuts off properly. If I open a fixture the pressure draws down to 25 and then the pump kicks in. My problem is this: If I leave the fixture open the pump never catches up. It just hovers around 30 psi until I close the fixture. Then it gains quickly. I know this can't be right and the old setup could always catch up (however waterlogged) What did I do wrong? How do I fix this? I really dont want burn up my pump.
THANK YOU!

 

[LLigetfa]

Your volume test at the laundry sink was probably short and drawing down storage so does not reflect the pump's GPM capacity. The capacity of the pump will depend on how high it has to lift and what restriction it encounters. It may need a thorough cleaning of the jet, impeller, and lines. It could also be drawing down the water table, increasing the height it has to lift.

Is the jet setup as a shallow well or 2-line deep well?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cacher_Chick]

The pump is rated for continuous duty. It is much better for the life of the pump that it runs, rather than cycles on and off. Cycling on and off is what kills the motor.

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, self-regulated flow rate is fine to prevent pump cycling but I suspect the 30 PSI at the given GPM may be undesirable. Then again, Johnboy may have come from the city and is just not accustomed to the limitations that well systems may encounter.

 

[Johnboy300]

The pump has one pipe coming into the house. Does that mean it has one line? Or does that have to do with the well itself? I am told the well was 60ft deep and had a new tip installed in 2000.
I was under the impression that it was bad to run continuous. I thought the pump needed a short cool down before running again.
As long as I can take a shower for 10 minutes and not burn up the pump I can be satsified with that. So does this mean that my pump is only capable of 30 psi? Will adjusting my pressure tank or pressure switch help me in any way? I am all too familiar with poor water pressure as I grew up with a similar setup. I am OK with bad water pressure I just dont want to damage my system.
Whats stopping me from cranking the cut out up to 50 or 60 and letting it hover at 30 after it draws down? Assuming my pump can get that high.

 

[LLigetfa]

If there is only one line on the jet pump, it is setup as a shallow well pump. It's not the depth of the well that determines whether or not a shallow well pump will work, it is the height of the water table. The well storage capacity and recovery rate are also factors. I like using round numbers and so factor a gallon of water per foot of well with a 6" casing. As long as the water table is within about 25 feet of the height of the pump, the pump can pump water, but how much it can pump depends on how low the water table is. As the level drops, so too will the GPM of output from the pump.

You need to determine what your water usage is or will be, and compare that to what the well and the pump can produce. If the pump can take the pressure up to 60 PSI when you are not drawing water, you are more likely to be dissapointed with 30 PSI when the supply rate limits the GPM. I would probably set the pump to no more than 30-50, 30 kick-in and 50 kick-out.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

30-40 psi from a jet pump is average. Your pump can obviously produce 45 psi, as you stated that it would pump up to the cut-out pressure.
The 30 psi running pressure is at the VOLUME of water which the pump can provide, which is not the same.

If you wanted to upgrade, it would depend on the diameter and production of the well- you might be able to switch to a submersible pump.

 

[Johnboy300]

I am not sure an upgrade beyond a new pump is really an option. The well is extremely old and I think drilling a new well is on the repair list down the road anyway. The quality is so-so. I am trying to get by for a few years.
I would however like to see if there is anything I can improve in the existing pump. Can you guys tell me where I can find a blown up view of a typical jet pump? Ive read they are not hard to work on but it would help to know where to start digging. I believe I need to clean/replace the jet and impeller. Is that right?
Thanks for your responses. Even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

 

[WellWaterProducts]

I seldom find worn out impellers but there is a good chance your jet is partially clogged. What brand of pump do you have?

 

[Johnboy300]

The brand of the pump is Teel made by Dayton. 3/4 horse. I am not sure of the model number but I can get it tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[Valveman]

There is no reason why anyone on a well, even an old well, shouldn’t have better than city pressure if they want it. City water comes from pumps also. They just have large enough pumps to supply the volume and pressure you need. There is no reason a house pump can’t supply even better volume and pressure than from a city line.

I don’t think working on the pump will help. It just doesn’t give the flow and pressure you need. Don’t adjust the pressure switch any higher, as your pump probably won’t build that much and will heat up, as it can’t reach the pressure needed to shut off.

Depending on which pump model you have, it will probably top out at about 60 PSI, less the depth to water in your well. With a single pipe going down the well, that means 30/50 would be the most that pump can do.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be more horsepower, just more pressure. A ½ HP submersible would give you much more flow and pressure than that ¾ HP Jet. Even a high pressure ½ HP jet like the Goulds J5SH would be better.

Old wells are not necessarily a bad thing. You won’t know if the old well is a problem or not, until you put a pump in there that can give you the flow you need. Even if it is a weak producing well, it can be used to fill a cistern. No matter if pumping directly from the well or a cistern, you just need a larger pump. The main difference in house well systems and city water systems is that city water pressure is much more constant. When you get a large enough pump to produce the flow you need, a Cycle Stop Valve can make it produce “constant pressure” better than any city water supply.

You should never settle for bad water pressure.

 

[WellWaterProducts]

The brand of the pump is Teel made by Dayton. 3/4 horse. I am not sure of the model number but I can get it tomorrow. Thanks!

Do you know offhand whether the pump (other than the motor part) is plastic or cast iron? Post a picture if you can.

 

[LLigetfa]

...a Cycle Stop Valve can make it produce “constant pressure” better than any city water supply.

You should never settle for bad water pressure.

LOL I think he already has fairly constant 30 PSI from what he said. I think most cities maintain a constant pressure by using water towers and gravity and as long as the water mains are not undersized they should be very constant.

I don't think anyone suggested the OP settle for bad water pressure although I did imply that perhaps expectations may need to be adjusted to meet supply and demand. That said, supply and demand needs to be addressed on the whole. There's almost no problem that can't be fixed by throwing money at it. Anything else is putting the cart before the horse.

 

[Valveman]

I am all too familiar with poor water pressure as I grew up with a similar setup. I am OK with bad water pressure I just dont want to damage my system.

Many people think water pressure from a well pump is inferior to city pressure. Not True!! And you don't have to throw a lot of money at it to get better than city pressure.