PJW73NH
New Member
Greetings,
Thanks to all for a great set of forums. I've learned a lot over the past few days lurking here. It's time to come out play. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post.
I am contemplating replacing my well pump sometime this summer. Why? Because it's 32 years old, I'd like to do it myself and I DO NOT want to do it in the middle of a New Hampshire winter. It has served us well for all of this time. Never tripped a breaker or ran dry. No issues in 32 years. I bought the house new and it has 16 "fixtures". 3 toilets, 3 bath sinks, 1 bath, 1 shower, 1 kitchen sink, clothes washer, dishwasher, fridge with ice-maker and 4 garden hose bibs that are only used for an occasional lawn watering or car wash. No irrigation, or swimming pools etc.
What I know. The well cap stamps say it was installed 4/84, casing 21 ft, GPM 5, Depth 2. Yes two. Did they leave off any zero(s)? Who knows. The well installer is out of business (retired and late) and the family company has no records. Nor does the state. In NH well drillers were not required to submit well details to the state until after 1986. The pump is a 3 wire plus bare copper ground from the well to the house. From the pitless to the well tank inside the basement is approx 50'. The Franklin controller is model 2801050103 1/2 hp.
I have a very vague recollection that when we purchased the house there was some paperwork that indicated the well was around 175 feet. This is a very vague recollection and may not even be the case.
Certainly cost is somewhat of a concern, but I am not interested in cheaping out/penny pinching for a few hundred dollars over the course of the whole project. I want to do this right.
Because I'll most likely be doing this over a weekend, I'd like to have all my materials purchased ahead of time. Pump, electrical connectors, torque arrester, hose clamps, electrical tape etc. I'm going to add a safety rope while I have it up) I have access to an electric pump puller and a pitless puller.
So the questions. How to find out the depth of the well and the set point? Can I do this without/before pulling the pump? DO I care how deep the well is? Which pump? Where the existing pump has served us well, is there a need to go bigger/better? (I'm guessing "they don't make them like they used to".) I have no future plans of "adding-on" to this house. My primary concern is that I get AT LEAST the same performance and the same reliability/longevity out of the new pump. I'm only doing this once. I am pretty sure I want a 3-wire if for no other reason that if any of the control components go bad, I don't have to pull the pump again, and it's already 3-wire. Why not?
If I get the same size/rated pump, should I get a new controller? Is this a standard practice?
I have "assisted" (loose term) in two residential and one commercial replacement, so this is not a totally foreign process to me. That said, neither had a pitless. The pipe came straight through the well cap. Is there any trick to getting the pitless of and/or on.
I welcome any tips/tricks that may be helpful. Also any "gotcha's" to be aware of.
Thanks again for such a great forum. I look forward to some informative replies.
PW/NH.
Thanks to all for a great set of forums. I've learned a lot over the past few days lurking here. It's time to come out play. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post.
I am contemplating replacing my well pump sometime this summer. Why? Because it's 32 years old, I'd like to do it myself and I DO NOT want to do it in the middle of a New Hampshire winter. It has served us well for all of this time. Never tripped a breaker or ran dry. No issues in 32 years. I bought the house new and it has 16 "fixtures". 3 toilets, 3 bath sinks, 1 bath, 1 shower, 1 kitchen sink, clothes washer, dishwasher, fridge with ice-maker and 4 garden hose bibs that are only used for an occasional lawn watering or car wash. No irrigation, or swimming pools etc.
What I know. The well cap stamps say it was installed 4/84, casing 21 ft, GPM 5, Depth 2. Yes two. Did they leave off any zero(s)? Who knows. The well installer is out of business (retired and late) and the family company has no records. Nor does the state. In NH well drillers were not required to submit well details to the state until after 1986. The pump is a 3 wire plus bare copper ground from the well to the house. From the pitless to the well tank inside the basement is approx 50'. The Franklin controller is model 2801050103 1/2 hp.
I have a very vague recollection that when we purchased the house there was some paperwork that indicated the well was around 175 feet. This is a very vague recollection and may not even be the case.
Certainly cost is somewhat of a concern, but I am not interested in cheaping out/penny pinching for a few hundred dollars over the course of the whole project. I want to do this right.
Because I'll most likely be doing this over a weekend, I'd like to have all my materials purchased ahead of time. Pump, electrical connectors, torque arrester, hose clamps, electrical tape etc. I'm going to add a safety rope while I have it up) I have access to an electric pump puller and a pitless puller.
So the questions. How to find out the depth of the well and the set point? Can I do this without/before pulling the pump? DO I care how deep the well is? Which pump? Where the existing pump has served us well, is there a need to go bigger/better? (I'm guessing "they don't make them like they used to".) I have no future plans of "adding-on" to this house. My primary concern is that I get AT LEAST the same performance and the same reliability/longevity out of the new pump. I'm only doing this once. I am pretty sure I want a 3-wire if for no other reason that if any of the control components go bad, I don't have to pull the pump again, and it's already 3-wire. Why not?
If I get the same size/rated pump, should I get a new controller? Is this a standard practice?
I have "assisted" (loose term) in two residential and one commercial replacement, so this is not a totally foreign process to me. That said, neither had a pitless. The pipe came straight through the well cap. Is there any trick to getting the pitless of and/or on.
I welcome any tips/tricks that may be helpful. Also any "gotcha's" to be aware of.
Thanks again for such a great forum. I look forward to some informative replies.
PW/NH.