1 h.p jet pump and pressure tank

[GUNNAR OLSON]

Hi guys. I'm in nw minnesota and the last week and a half has been -40s. I just built the house and have a 10,000 gallon tank underground with a 1 inch pex line coming into house with a check valve right when it gets inside the house....before this when the pump would turn on it would clunk really loud for 4 or 5 seconds..than run perfect...and sometimes it would start up without clunking and run correctly. .... it froze on Friday. My girlfriend turned on the water and it barely came out...I unfroze line coming from the tank underground and can not get my pump to re-prime or build pressure...I spent 4 hours trying to reprime. It did build up pressure to 40psi one time to shut the pump off, but the minute I turned on a faucet it kicked back on and wouldn't build pressure again... I've been beating my head trying to call plumbers and am at a dead end. I get it to about 20-25psi and won't go any higher. I went and bought a new mcdonald sw jet pump and wellmate pressure tank and still does the same thing. So I'm out 900 bucks already....any advice???

Bad check valve?
Bad foot valve?

 

[Reach4]

A foot valve is a strainer/screen and check valve combined. You would normally not have an above-ground check valve on the input line and a foot valve both.

Do you have any other above-water connections besides the connection to the pump and the two on the check valve?

Slather the joints with foamy shaving cream, including both side of the topside check valve. Include the input to the pump. Run the pump.
If you see shaving cream sucking in when the pump is running, you have found a vacuum leak.

It would be nice if there was a compound vacuum+pressure gauge on the suction line. Those are not common, probably because all connections are possible sites of suction leaks. I am not a pro, and have never used a jet pump.

There could also be a clog on the intake screen. In that case, there would be a good vacuum, but low flow.

Going forward, if you could put a 1/2 hp 10 gpm submersible pump with a flow inducer sleeve horizontally in the tank, that would be quieter and lower-drama than a jet pump. You may need a suction pump due to your connection and layout. It is easier to push water than to pull water.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[GUNNAR OLSON]

A foot valve is a strainer/screen and check valve combined. You would normally not have an above-ground check valve on the input line and a foot valve both.

Do you have any other above-water connections besides the connection to the pump and the two on the check valve?

Slather the joints with foamy shaving cream, including both side of the topside check valve. Include the input to the pump. Run the pump.
If you see shaving cream sucking in when the pump is running, you have found a vacuum leak.

It would be nice if there was a vacuum gauge on the suction line. Those are not common, probably because all connections are possible sites of suction leaks. I am not a pro, and have never used a jet pump.

There could also be a clog on the intake screen. In that case, there would be a good vacuum, but low flow.

Going forward, if you could put a 1/2 hp 10 gpm submersible pump with a flow inducer sleeve horizontally in the tank, that would be quieter and lower-drama than a jet pump. You may need a suction pump due to your connection and layout. It is easier to push water than to pull water.

I also forgot to mention I took the fitting off from the main 1"line that comes into the house. And poured boiling hot water down... it fills up the line... then slowly drains back either down into the tank?? Is my line cracked causing my whole system to not build enough pressure or is the foot valve allowing the water back into the tank

 

[Reach4]

I also forgot to mention I took the fitting off from the main 1"line that comes into the house. And poured boiling hot water down... it fills up the line... then slowly drains back either down into the tank?? Is my line cracked causing my whole system to not build enough pressure or is the foot valve allowing the water back into the tank

If the foot valve were leaky, that would give a different symptom. A cracked line would have to be a pretty small crack given that you can produce 40 psi. A crack that can drain water out slowly would suck air into a vacuum at a very high rate. So you could have two problems. One of the people with jet pump experience will be able to make sense of your symptoms better.

I would not have bought a Wellmate pressure tank. Those use a bladder, instead of a diaphragm. In theory the bladder is replaceable, but those bladders are pretty expensive and a fair amount of work. You still have some years before your next replacement, but plan ahead.