Oh Woa is Me

[Tacman7]

Hi,

New to the forum and in need of some advice.

We have a submersible pump that fills a 1000 gal galv tank, then a booster pump and one pressure tank.

My booster pump went out and I replaced the 1hp pump with a 1.5hp pump (because of impending upgrade) but forgot about a check valve. So I put a plastic one I got at home depot right before the pump like the old one was installed.

Also put in a new squareD M4 control on the pump.

The problem is that it doesn't come on, it tries to then stops then tries, so it's just click click click, off on off on, like tearing up the pump.

I tried moving the check valve to the other side of the pump, moving where I sense the pressure for the pump, and various other things.

I'm a do it yourselfer but I'm out of my league here I'm afraid.


The tank has a 1 1/4" outlet where I put in a new ball valve, but the pump has 1 1/2" inlet and outlet, so I went to 1 1/2" right off the ball valve. I thought bigger pipe more flow etc.
But maybe the check valve is too hard to open and I'm getting the cycling etc.

Appreciate any help, Thanks


P.S. My galvanized tank has rust spots all over it and I'm thinking of buying a 1500gal plastic tank and relocating the installation a little more out of sight, but that's for another day.

 

[Craigpump]

Is the check valve pointed the right direction?

Possible restriction between booster pump and tank

Possible restriction in tube between pump body and pressure switch

Pressure switch no good



Make sure nothing is in the piping between pump and tank. The stem in a gate valve can fail and drop the gate.

Pull tube off and try to blow through it, if you can its clear

Try old pressure switch, sometimes they're junk right out of the box

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I wonder if a waterlogged pressure tank could cause the symptom. Is the pressure switch clicking on and off during this episode?

 

[Craigpump]

Could be, he didnt say if he had water or not...

 

[Tacman7]

Thanks guys

Pressure tank is good I think, takes about 5 min for water to stop running/depressurize after I cut off supply.

That switch is what I'm looking at next, going to try the old one and pick up a new one which can be a spare if the switch is good.


The new store in town is Tractor Supply Company, they have the plastic tanks for $600.
My thinking was a bigger pump would save electricity especially if I added another pressure tank.
Not sure about that though...

 

[LLigetfa]

First off, if the new pump has the sense line on the body of the pump, I would move it to the tank Tee, assuming there is both a Tee and an available port for it.

Second, make sure there is only one checkvalve and that it is on the intake, not the discharge.

 

[Reach4]

The new store in town is Tractor Supply Company, they have the plastic tanks for $600.
My thinking was a bigger pump would save electricity especially if I added another pressure tank.
Not sure about that though...

Bigger HP pump takes more power. You could probably get more water with a 1/2 HP ~15 GPM submersible pump in the tank. Submersibles are more efficient and quieter.

Is the pressure switch clicking on and off during this symptom?

 

[Tacman7]

I should splain.

This is a deal I setup back when we first got city water, the well is on one side and the city is on the other with valves on each side, so everything can run off the well, or everything can run off the city, but normal operations is for the houses to have city water and the property to have well water. So I can pressurize the pressure tank and fill it all up with city water before I cut off the city water and turn on the well water.

Yea, before the pump is where the old check valve was, I'm going to get a brass check valve, maybe try the old one, I put in all new plastic to the booster pump.

The clicking on and off is all I get when I turn it on.

 

[Tacman7]

There's something else I was wondering about if you could lend me your expertise:

The pipe used to come out of the tank, go down into the ground about 12" then go over 24" then up to the pump.

Since this is a temporary setup until I get the new tank, I just went straight across to the pump.

You think the pump needed that little u thing or that was just of cosmetics and safety?

Thanks again.

 

[Valveman]

There's something else I was wondering about if you could lend me your expertise:

The pipe used to come out of the tank, go down into the ground about 12" then go over 24" then up to the pump.

Since this is a temporary setup until I get the new tank, I just went straight across to the pump.

You think the pump needed that little u thing or that was just of cosmetics and safety?

Thanks again.

No I don't think the little "U" thing has anything to do with it. It could be that you are using pipe larger then the inlet to the tank. But I really think the plastic check valve is your problem. You need a good spring loaded metal check valve.