Rookie Questions - Well Configuration

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rafjr64

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I just bought this place and have very little knowledge in this area. Hoping you guys can help me. This is what I know.

Objective: Be able to supply the residence and irrigate 5 acres of walnuts and assorted trees

Well depth = unknown (have not gone to State for completion report)
Well casing = 6"
Well pipe = 4"
Static Level = 21ft
Pumping level = 52 feet
Pumping rate = 18gpm

Pump = 1hp Goulds 13GS10 (manual says can pump 4 - 20gpm)

Distance from well to house = 200ft
Line size = 1.25" pvc

Tanks = Two 120ga Galvanized (image attached)
Pressure switch = Square D 40-60 psi
Tank plumbing sequence = pump > tank 1 > tank 2 > to house (I believe this is called series)
Tank 1 and Tank 2 also have 1.5" threaded valves installed at the bottom of each tank which I believe were used for irrigation.


Questions:


1 - Are these air-over style (non-bladder) or bladder/diaphragm? Sticker on side says Q120VW

2 - is pump too big and if so, will it cause any trouble?

3 - should tank plumbing be set-up this way instead of current way: pump > T'd into both tanks simultaneously > both outlets into single house line.

4 - Or is the way it is set-up currently the proper way. Is the difference between series and parallel?

5 - the pic with my finger in it: What is this little shrader valve for? When pump comes on, this shrader valve weeps water.

Regarding question 5 above:
Normal for it to weep?
Is this what is referred to as a bleed back valve or sniffer valve?
Can I replace this valve with a standard shrader valve from the hardware store? Or is it a different animal?
Do I open the shrader valve slightly when I install it?


Appreciate your help.

72157656147034564

link to images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/19642395@N04/sets/72157656147034564

 

Cacher_Chick

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The schrader is likely the snifter, as the valve on the side of the tank (where the gauge is installed) is the volume control valve, which will release excess air when it is working properly. The core in the schrader has a low tension spring, and should be replaced with the proper part. If there is iron in the water, is would probably be a good idea to replace both of the valves, as they are not expensive and are easy to replace.

You will have to measure the drawdown of the well against your irrigation throughput. Ideally, the pump will run continuously without cycling when the irrigation is running. If the irrigation throughput surpasses the recovery rate of the well, you will need to split it into separate zones, as running the pump dry will ruin it in short order.

Seeing that you also want to supply a residence with this well, you should have a complete water analysis done to see if it is in need of any treatment.
 

rafjr64

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The schrader is likely the snifter, as the valve on the side of the tank (where the gauge is installed) is the volume control valve, which will release excess air when it is working properly. The core in the schrader has a low tension spring, and should be replaced with the proper part. If there is iron in the water, is would probably be a good idea to replace both of the valves, as they are not expensive and are easy to replace.

You will have to measure the drawdown of the well against your irrigation throughput. Ideally, the pump will run continuously without cycling when the irrigation is running. If the irrigation throughput surpasses the recovery rate of the well, you will need to split it into separate zones, as running the pump dry will ruin it in short order.

Seeing that you also want to supply a residence with this well, you should have a complete water analysis done to see if it is in need of any treatment.

Thank you Cacher_Chick. I am pretty confident the supply worked out well for the previous owner. The water quality is good as revealed by recent testing. Any thoughts on questiona 1, 3, 4 regarding the plumbing?
 

Reach4

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Would that cap be a special air-passing cap, or do you think that might be a tire valve cap that would prevent the snifter valve from taking in air?
img_4..PNG
 

Cacher_Chick

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These are clearly standard galvanized tanks, as bladder tanks do not use an air volume control system. The purpose of the tanks is to prevent the pump from short cycling. Whether they were connected in series or parallel will not have a great effect on the system operation.
 

rafjr64

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These are clearly standard galvanized tanks, as bladder tanks do not use an air volume control system. The purpose of the tanks is to prevent the pump from short cycling. Whether they were connected in series or parallel will not have a great effect on the system operation.
Would that cap be a special air-passing cap, or do you think that might be a tire valve cap that would prevent the snifter valve from taking in air?View attachment 30828

It's one of those standard caps that is notched in two places and is used to remove the valve core.
 

PumpMd

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You have to maintain the Precharge in your standard tanks as well, easier when they are hook together when doing the Precharge because the air will equalize the same in both tank.
 

Reach4

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To do its job, a snifter valve sucks air. It would seem the cap would interfere with the air flow.
 

Valveman

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Yes the cap on the Schrader needs to be removed. Although you can add air here with a compressor when needed, in normal operation the schrader draws in air as the bleeder drains the pipe. So there should never be a cap on a Schrader valve.
 

PumpMd

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Watch out : The snifter valve stem looks like any other air inlet valve but it uses a weak internal spring to allow the valve to open on its own, admitting air into the piping. DO NOT tighten the valve stem cap found on the snifter valve and don't replace a vented valve stem cap with a solid plastic one - if you do so your well pipes may freeze to death.

That's because if no air can enter the snifter valve, no air can enter the well piping and the well pipe freeze protection system won't work. If you find water leaking out of the snifter valve it needs repair or replacement.

I was wrong, they make a special one for that system.
 

Cacher_Chick

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The cap that is in the OP's photo will not prevent the flow of air, though there is no real good being done by it either. The picture of the Schrader style valve which Reach posted looks like a standard air fitting, not that of a snifter.
 
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rafjr64

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You have to maintain the Precharge in your standard tanks as well, easier when they are hook together when doing the Precharge because the air will equalize the same in both tank.

They are hooked together, in-line, one after the other. Question is, can I T into both of them from the pump at the same time and then exit out using a T into the house feed?
 

rafjr64

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I think that is the way you want to do it so both tanks can get air from the bleeder/injection.

What way? pump into both simultaneously and both out simultaneously?
Or the way it is now which is pump into tank 1 > then tank 1 into tank 2> then tank 2 to house?
 
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