Y- Strainer

[Craig3940]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had my well pump replaced yesterday, along with pressure switch and gauge.
After pumping out a lot of brown water after the change, we have clean water again.
The only issue is the pressure is taking about 3 minutes to get back up to the cutout point, when previously it took about 10 seconds. It is also making a lot of hissing noise around the y-strainer which is located before the pressure switch.
The question is do I really need this filter in this part or can I remove it to speed up flow rate. I have 2 house filters after the pressure switch and a water softener.
I'm not sure if the original owner of the house had a filter inside his y strainer as the plumber took the old parts away with him.

Thanks.

 

[Bannerman]

taking about 3 minutes to get back up to the cutout point, when previously it took about 10 seconds.

10 seconds to reach the cutout pressure is not good. Pumps are made to run continuously. Every pump start requires a high amount of energy which causes heat in the motor. Short run times result in heat build-up as no air is moving through a jet pump motor, and no water is flowing past a submersible pump motor to cool the motor.

A pressure tank should be sized large enough to cause the pump to run at minimum, 60 seconds before the cut-out pressure is reached and the pump shuts down. While 1-minute is minimum, two minutes run time is preferred.

If for example you have a pump delivering 10 gpm and 30/50 pressure switch settings, if water stops being consumed just when the pump is activated at 30 psi, then the tank will need a fluid capacity of at least 10 gallons before the 50 psi cut-out is reached to provide 60 seconds minimum run time, or 20 gallons fluid capacity for 2-minutes run time. A captive tank's fluid capacity will be approx 25% of the total tank volume which will vary somewhat depending on the pressure setting chosen.

Perhaps it is now taking longer to reach the cutout pressure not because of the strainer, but because the air precharge in the pressure tank was previously incorrect and was adjusted when the new pump was installed so the tank is now holding more water? Maybe the system pressure has been changed to another pressure range? Maybe the new pump's delivery rate is lower than the previous pump?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Should we infer that wye filter is before the pressure switch and pressure tank? That's probably not good.

10 seconds to reach the cutout pressure is not good.

3 minutes to charge a 20 or 32 gallon pressure tank is also not good, because if things change some, the cutoff time may go to infinity. It sounds as if the pump may not have enough stages if submersible, or it may be a jet pump; cutoff may be too close to deadhead.

Is this a jet pump, and what is the pressure switch set to? 40/60 may be too high for your pump.

 

[wwhitney]

In addition to all of the above, it seems to me the only way the Y strainer could be a factor in what is going on is if the screen is very clogged. In which case it should be cleaned or blown out.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Craig3940]

I appreciate your help. I think I have finally sorted it. The installer had the pressure switch really low maybe 35/20. I think did he this to try to get the pressure switch working after installing the new pump. Because of the brown water the y strainer was clogged. I took of the y strainer again today and cleaned it again, as well as my whole house filters. They were all pretty dirty. I will change them again in a few days when hopefully the well will have settled down.
I have adjusted the pressure switch to 30/50 and the pressure tank to 28. Does this sound about right?
It seems to have improved the situation.
I do however think my pressure tank is too small.

 

[Reach4]

I have adjusted the pressure switch to 30/50 and the pressure tank to 28. Does this sound about right?

That would be right for a submersible pump, but not a jet pump.

 

[Craig3940]

It is a submersible pump.

 

[Bannerman]

I do however think my pressure tank is too small.

You may want to consider adding a Cycle Stop Valve to your system.

I see CSV creator/manufacturer Valveman is online so he may provide additional info, but perhaps shipping to Latvia might be an issue.

 

[Craig3940]

I just ran a bath upstairs for my kids and it was struggling to increase psi from 30. When I stopped running the tap it then started to increase slowly up to 50psi.
Any ideas?

 

[Reach4]

Clogged filter, clogged or smashed pipe, or weak pump. Maybe he used a cheap 15 gpm pump when a 7 gpm pump with more stages would have had the pressure.


For diagnosis, it would be great to have a pressure gauge before your first filter. Do you have a pitless adapter, or a well seal?

How about a photo that includes the filters and the pressure gauge.

 

[Bannerman]

If you have already cleaned out the Y strainer and verified there are no other possible restrictions, it then may be possible the new pump could not deliver more flow than was flowing into the bathtub.

A pump's flow capacity will rise as the pressure is reduced so at 30 psi, the pump may have reach equilibrium to satisfy the flow rate to the tub and maintain 30 psi, but had no additional capability to further raise the system pressure.

The difference in pump flow rates that Reach4 referred to in the preceeding post, relates to the pump's 'head' capacity. Head capacity translates to the amount of pressure the pump is capable of producing, which will determine the maximum vertical distance water may be lifted, and the pressure possible to your faucets. A higher number of pumping stages within the pump will usually increase the pump's head capacity.

When water is to be lifted a substantial distance, a pump capable of 15 gpm but with low head capacity, will usually deliver less water at lower pressure than a 7 gpm pump with higher head capacity.

Perhaps your new pump has fewer stages and lower head capacity compared to the pump it replaced?

 

[Craig3940]

Maybe you are right about the weaker pump. I don't know. I trusted the guy to choose a similar one to the last. I know very little about these systems. I'm a complete novice.
I removed this from the Wye strainer and it was full of dirt. It is also misshapened as you can see. This part is new. Would it hurt just to remove it and see if the pressure raises without it in the system? After it is a pressure switch, gauge and then 2 whole house filters and then a water softener. I guess it could damage the pressure switch if some sediment gets in it? But a lot of the sediment should be taken out by the house filters.