2" deep well questions/update

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Bearhunt

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Hi all, new to forum but have read a lot on here.i have a new driven 2" galvanized point well at my camp. Everything has went well so far, I have found water 35' down with 49' of pipe in the ground-so 14' of water in pipe with a 4' point. My questions are:
1-I have a single pipe packer setup already, but at what level should you install the leathers/ejecter? Like right above the 4' point?
2-I had some friends tell me I should install an extension pipe (with the foot valve on)below the ejector that would end in the middle of point. Like a 1" pipe extension below the leathers/ejector. Is this correct?
Appreciate any and all answers, this site is pretty informing for "frugal" diy people, lol
 

Bearhunt

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Hi all, new to forum but have read a lot on here.i have a new driven 2" galvanized point well at my camp. Everything has went well so far, I have found water 35' down with 49' of pipe in the ground-so 14' of water in pipe with a 4' point. My questions are:
1-I have a single pipe packer setup already, but at what level should you install the leathers/ejecter? Like right above the 4' point?
2-I had some friends tell me I should install an extension pipe (with the foot valve on)below the ejector that would end in the middle of point. Like a 1" pipe extension below the leathers/ejector. Is this correct?
Appreciate any and all answers, this site is pretty informing for "frugal" diy people, lol
 

Bearhunt

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Also if you have no water available to "condition" the well/point, should a guy just hook up the pump and let it run for a while knowing I'll probably be pumping sand for a while?.. I have run air down there for a while trying to get the plunging effect that a pithcher pump would do.. thanks
 

Bearhunt

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Also if you have no water available to "condition" the well/point, should a guy just hook up the pump and let it run for a while knowing I'll probably be pumping sand for a while?.. I have run air down there for a while trying to get the plunging effect that a pithcher pump would do.. thanks
So I found most of my answers when I searched 2" leathers. I got everything installed, it pumps great. The only problem is that the pressure drops really fast after it kicks itself off.
I pulled the drop pipe and changed the leathers thinking I mucked the up, they had a cut in them but that could have been from pulling. I guess my question is if I had a leaking coupling or cracked pipe, why would it pump to 40 so quick, with seeming no hiccups, jus won't hold pressure after shutdown
 

Reach4

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Are you saying that the pump kicks off at 40 psi, and if you are not using water, the pressure drops to 20 psi in 3 minutes, and then the pump kicks back on. It then takes 20 seconds for the pressure to rise from 20 psi, and cycle repeats? If my guesses are not right, what are the actual numbers?

While you may have more than one problem, you probably have a leaky foot valve.
 
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Bearhunt

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Are you saying that the pump kicks off at 40 psi, and if you are not using water, the pressure drops to 20 psi in 3 minutes, and then the pump kicks back on. It then takes 20 seconds for the pressure to rise from 20 psi, and cycle repeats? If my guesses are not right, what are the actual numbers?

While you may have more than one problem, you probably have a leaky foot valve.
The pump kicks off at 40 psi, takes about 2 seconds to pressure back up to 40psi when it kicks on. But the pressure drops to zero in less than a minute. I thought the footvalve and leathers were suspect, so I changed them even tho they were new. I'm a rookie when it comes to this, but in my limit experience I'm leaning towards a casing leak, but second guess that cause it pumps so well
 

Reach4

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Sounds like a failed pressure tank or a pressure tank with the precharge too high. For a jet pump, you might want the air precharge at 4 psi below the cut-in. If your cut-in is 20, that would be a 16 psi precharge. Air precharge is set when the water pressure is zero.

If the tank cannot hold the precharge air, then you need to replace the tank. It should take a minute or more for the pump to bring the pressure up to the cut-off pressure.

If the pump can pump to higher pressures, that would be good. You would want the pump to be able to pump to maybe 5 psi higher than the cut-off pressure. You could force the pressure switch armature on, and see what pressure the pump goes to in say 5 to 10 seconds with your current bad pressure tank.
 
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Bearhunt

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Thanks reach4,
I don't have a pressure tank and the pressure still drops quickly. I will install one, but I wanted to just get the water going at this time. After the pressure gauge drops to zero, you can turn the pump on within four hours and it will catch prime and pump-if you let it sit overnight it will not. When I take the plug out of the top of the head after a day the water level is about a foot down the pipe, I add a little water and away she goes
 

Reach4

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I never considered that you had not yet put in a pressure tank.

The pressure tank and pressure switch should be very close, seeing the same pressure. People often use a manifold, called a tank tee, to connect the pressure tank, pressure switch, and pressure gauge.

For now, a good test is to leave a hose open (be sure), and hold the pressure switch armature to cause the pump to run. That can give you a good idea of what the system can do.
 

Bearhunt

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I never considered that you had not yet put in a pressure tank.

The pressure tank and pressure switch should be very close, seeing the same pressure. People often use a manifold, called a tank tee, to connect the pressure tank, pressure switch, and pressure gauge.

For now, a good test is to leave a hose open (be sure), and hold the pressure switch armature to cause the pump to run. That can give you a good idea of what the system can do.
Ok I will try that, I do no that it will fill a five gallon pail in 41 seconds if that's what your getting at?
 

Reach4

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Ok I will try that, I do no that it will fill a five gallon pail in 41 seconds if that's what your getting at?
That's useful info. That is about 7 gpm. You might look at a 30 gallon or more precharged pressure tank.

Do you know what the pressure gauge shows when you do that? What is the pre-set pressure on your pressure gauge? Maybe 30/50 where the 30 is the cut-in pressure, and 50 is cut-off.
 

Bearhunt

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That's useful info. That is about 7 gpm. You might look at a 30 gallon or more precharged pressure tank.

Do you know what the pressure gauge shows when you do that? What is the pre-set pressure on your pressure gauge? Maybe 30/50 where the 30 is the cut-in pressure, and 50 is cut-off.
It's a 20/40 switch. When I did that test I had about 20psi on the gauge, it seemed that when I open the hose valve wide open the pump cavitated (and the gauge read a shaky 5-10 psi)and didn't pump any faster than it did with 20 psi. I just asssumed the pump was maxed out
 

Bearhunt

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Thanks valveman and reach4,
I will install the tank this weekend.
If I install the pressure tank and the pressure tank gauge and pump gauge drop at the same rate, how do you separate bad leathers /footvalve from a leak in the casing? I have replaced the leathers/footvalve once and it does the same thing.
 

Bearhunt

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Could also be a hole in the casing. If it leaks again, move it up a few feet and try again.

When I installed the pipe I used a 21' stick above the point and 5 five foot sections above that, I'm kicking myself for not using another 21' section to eliminate joints. So I may need to stock up on leathers if the other suggestions do not help I guess. I would have to pull up and try above the joints on the five footers with the ejector until I get it hold reasonably well? And use a long drop pipe?
 

Texas Wellman

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With no tank even a small amount of leakback will be huge to the pressure (fully hydraulic). Install a small tank and you won’t notice a problem. Most jets with leathers and footvalve leak a little.
 

Bgard

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when you replaced the leathers did you let them soak in water for awhile to soften them up? or put anything on them to lubricate them? putting anything on them other than some liquid soap will prevent them from absorbing water and swelling up to seal to the casing. ive had new ones that were so hard that it took several hours for them to soak in a bucket to get soft and swell up a little bit.
 

Bearhunt

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Thanks all for your replies, I put the leathers in dry, just took a screwdriver and gently flared them , I'm headed up to camp for a week, I'll report back how the pressure tank works out.
 

Texas Wellman

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I’ve heard this often on this board but never understood the logic. The lathers are going into water where they will swell up. No need to put soap or anything else on them.

when you replaced the leathers did you let them soak in water for awhile to soften them up? or put anything on them to lubricate them? putting anything on them other than some liquid soap will prevent them from absorbing water and swelling up to seal to the casing. ive had new ones that were so hard that it took several hours for them to soak in a bucket to get soft and swell up a little bit.
 
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