Am I getting ripped off on a submersible pump?

Users who are viewing this thread

Bryon Jim

New Member
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Arizona
Hi All, Let me preface all of this by saying I know less than nothing about wells. I need some advice and clarification.
My wife and I just bought a new house in Northern Arizona. There is a deep well in a well house and outside it is a 4,500 gallon holding tank. It appears to be a nice system for water, there's a fancy VFD panel on the wall and a nice pressure tank that goes to the house. The holding tank also has a Grundfos submersible well pump.

Recently, the holding tank started making very loud & strange noises, almost like it was forcing air into the tank and it was echoing loudly within the chamber.

I called a local Well Drilling company to come out and diagnose the problem and fix it. They were there for 2.5 hours and there was A LOT of confusion from the two techs, & an hour long phone call with the owner of the company who was walking them through what to test. (The confusion arose from why I had two wells, which I still don't have an answer to. They also kept mentioning that they were getting an F3 error.)

They finally diagnosed the problem to be a bad submersible well pump in the holding tank.

They said this was best case scenario for me, since if the deep well was bad-- they would have to drill a hole in the top of the well house and it would be a much bigger/more expensive project.
They said they'd contact me with a quote and all was well. After they left, I googled the average cost to replace a submersible well pump and it seemed like I was looking at a cost of around $1200 - $1500 which seemed reasonable.

I just got the quote from them today and this is what it says:

Grundfos in tank constant pressure system to replace existing failed unit: $5,200
Labor to replace: 3.5 hrs @ $85 ($297.50)
Misc Materials & Supplies: $25
Total (with tax): $5,854.29

Why is this so expensive?
Do I really need a constant pressure system?
Am I getting ripped off?

Thank you in advance for your time!!
 

Texas Wellman

In the Trades
Messages
1,035
Reaction score
59
Points
48
Location
SE Texas-Coastal
It would be difficult for anyone on this board to accurately diagnose a problem and solution without visiting the job. Perhaps there is something about your situation that is unique. That being said, I would get 2-3 different quotes. Replacing an in-tank pump should not be that difficult of a task but you did not give the horsepower or size of the pump.

Nobody on this board is a fan of VFD's. They are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. What is the water system used for? Irrigation, potable water, or ?
 

Valveman

Cary Austin
Staff member
Messages
14,599
Reaction score
1,296
Points
113
Location
Lubbock, Texas
Website
cyclestopvalves.com
You would not really be paying $5800 for a pump, you would be paying that much for not knowing anything about pumps. Now is the time to get a little education, which will save you money and headaches for the rest of your life.

Constant pressure is a good thing. But getting constant pressure with a variable speed pump or VFD is not so good. Installers make a of money when they sell you a VFD type system, and as you are now aware, they don't last very long either.

If the pump was down the well you are stuck with using an installer who has the proper equipment to pull and set it. But you can replace the pump in the storage tank and save a bunch. If you Google the model number of that 10,700 RPM, SQ type pump, you can find them for 600-1000 bucks, and that VFD controller (CU301) will cost you 800-1200 bucks. But you don't need any of that expensive stuff.

A normal 4", 3450 RPM well pump can be had for 150-400 bucks, depending on brand and size. Then all you need to make it a constant pressure system is a Cycle Stop Valve as comes in the complete pump controls kit model PK1A for about 400 bucks. Not only is the CSV system much less expensive, but also much more reliable and longer lasting. Once you have a dependable CSV constant pressure system, you should never have to think about it again for the rest of your life.

A good pump installer can make a good living selling dependable and long lasting equipment. But many of them would rather you didn't have the Internet to educate yourself, and hope you will just pay what they ask without question.

Time to do a little research.
https://cpkits.com/collections/frontpage/products/pk1a
 

Bryon Jim

New Member
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Arizona
Thank you gentlemen for your replies! This whole system we're talking about is for potable water for my house... drinking, shower, etc. The house is approx 2,400 sq ft. Just my wife and I will be living there, but we are planning on being here for a long time, having kids soon, and raising them in this house.

I just purchased this house on foreclosure and bought it "as-is", so I am inheriting this system. The techs were oohing and aahing over the VFDs and what a "nice system" I have. Sounds like the previous owner got up-sold at some point.

I will call them and see what horsepower and size of the pump they're proposing to use.

You're right, I absolutely need to educate myself on this subject. Thank you for these resources.
Considering I have no experience in DIY well/pump projects, do you think this is a project that I could potentially do myself? Or best to arm myself with knowledge and pursue additional quotes?
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
I am not a pro. I feel confident that 1/2 HP is the right number unless there is some significant elevation rise. If 1/3 HP pumps were more common, that could be worth considering, but they are typically a premium. Probably a 1/2 HP 10 GPM. Maybe 1/2 HP 12 GPM, but that is less common than 10.

DIY? Depends. It is harder than swapping out a toilet. You sound like you have a little time, so the fact that you are considering it would tend to make me suspect you would do well.
 

Bryon Jim

New Member
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Arizona
I know VFDs are unpopular here. But since I already have a VFD, should I continue to use it? Or would you guys recommend abandoning the VFD replacing the submersible well pump accordingly?
 

Craigpump

In the Trades
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
158
Points
63
Location
Connecticut
Let me say that I can have any new pump system on the market that comes along at cost......

I have a 19 yr old 3/4-7 Grundfos 2 wire with a CSV & a WX203 in my home.

My suggestion is to throw that thing away and go back with something that can be serviced by just about anyone on Super Bowl Sunday.
 

Bryon Jim

New Member
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Arizona
Update:
I just got off the phone with the Well Drilling company that quoted me that sky-high price. They said these are the reasons the pump is so expensive:
1) The pump has the ability to be powered with both regular power AND solar power. I don't have solar panels, I'm not using solar, no plans on using solar.
2) It's a VFD pump

(btw it's a 10gpm pump)

So... I asked him if we could abandon the VFD and install a CSV. He said other than VFDs, they just do pressure switch on/off well pumps. He said they would just make sure that my pressure tank was big enough, and then they could rewire it so it's just an on/off "pressure" switch.

So I asked for two new quotes: 1 quote for a VFD Well Pump that just uses regular power (no solar). And a quote for replacing it with a Pressure Switch well pump and rewiring it to abandon the VFD panel.

What are your guys thoughts on this? Is a Pressure Switch controlled pump better than a VFD? Or since I already have the VFD panel and everything set up for that, should I just have them install a more affordable Grundfos submersible pump?

Thanks again for your time, you have no idea how helpful you all are!
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
I did not find the earlier replies ambiguous.

Have you identified one or two other pump servicing people in your area?
 

Texas Wellman

In the Trades
Messages
1,035
Reaction score
59
Points
48
Location
SE Texas-Coastal
Ah, so that's why the price was so high. You've got what's known as an SQF pump, which is a pretty expensive item.

Skip the VFD and go with the regular pressure switch set up. Grundfos makes an excellent pump. Go with the 1/2 HP 10 gpm, it should be a good fit.

Some SQF pumps are 3" diameter. Make sure your new pump will fit into the tank configuration without much modifications.
 

Valveman

Cary Austin
Staff member
Messages
14,599
Reaction score
1,296
Points
113
Location
Lubbock, Texas
Website
cyclestopvalves.com
Of course he is not going to offer you a CSV. If you are not going for the high dollar VFD system, then he wants you to just let the pump cycle with a old pressure tank system, as he would like to be able to replace that pump for you every 5-7 years or so on average. At least you were getting constant pressure with the VFD system. With a fairly big tank, the pressure will be bobbing from 60-40-60-40 the entire time you are in the shower. A CSV would give a strong steady 50 PSI constant the same way the VFD system would do.

Any pump will run on solar if you have an inverter. Your pump man is up to speed on VFD's. He just needs to go one step further and figure out a little newer technology that can deliver constant pressure without the expense and headaches of a VFD. That would be a CSV. But like I said a CSV is very inexpensive and makes pumps last longer, and he probably won't like that.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks