Booster pump vs Shallow jet well pump.

[Wendell McQuary]

I am a first time well owner. I share a well with the neighbor. He has the deep well pump and storage tank. The old pump in our well house was going out. It was a 1 hp Grundfos pump. I bought and installed a 1 hp Red Lion jet well pump. The pump goes directly into our Water Tech water softener. Initially the pump worked very well but then started short cycling. If I shut the feed valve almost all the way the pump works pretty well but occasionally short cycles. There is a faucet after the water softener on the water line just before it goes back into the ground to feed the house. I assume this allows the tank to drain. If I open this faucet a little, I can open the feed valve a little bit more and the pump runs great ( but then again I am wasting water). After doing a little bit more research I saw that the Grundfos pump was a booster pump and I replaced it with a well pump. First am I a bonehead and bought the wrong pump and is it possible to use this pump or are there other explanations for the short cycling. The only tank that I have is the Water Tech tank.
Thanks for any advise.

 

[Reach4]

I may or may not be misreading. You have a Red Lion jet pump. I think you are saying that the Grundfos pump is not connected at the moment.

So let's discuss the Red Lion pump short-cycling after a while. This normally points to a failure in the pressure tank. It is possible to try adjusting the precharge. It is possible to work around a failed pressure tank for a while by adding air with a pump periodically.

So for now, the first step is to turn off the pump. Open a faucet and let the water pressure go to zero or nearly zero.

Measure the air precharge with a tire pressure gauge. Normally that would be set to about 4 PSI less than the cut-on pressure. If the pressure is near zero, let us know if you want to work around this for a week or 3, or do you want to get a new tank quickly?

If the pressure is just low, let us know that.

While you are down there, what is the pressure tank brand and model number?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Wendell McQuary]

I may or may not be misreading. You have a Red Lion jet pump. I think you are saying that the Grundfos pump is not connected at the moment.

So let's discuss the Red Lion pump short-cycling after a while. This normally points to a failure in the pressure tank. It is possible to try adjusting the precharge. It is possible to work around a failed pressure tank for a while by adding air with a pump periodically.

So for now, the first step is to turn off the pump. Open a faucet and let the water pressure go to zero or nearly zero.

Measure the air precharge with a tire pressure gauge. Normally that would be set to about 4 PSI less than the cut-on pressure. If the pressure is near zero, let us know if you want to work around this for a week or 3, or do you want to get a new tank quickly?

If the pressure is just low, let us know that.

While you are down there, what is the pressure tank brand and model number?

The Grunfos pump has been replaced by the red Lion pump. I do not have a pressure tank, the neighbor does. It feeds the storage tank also at the neighbor. The only thing that I have in my well house is the feed line going into the pump then into the water softener. There is not have a Schrader valve on the mineral tank that I can find. I have not completely drained the tank but will try that.

 

[LLigetfa]

Install a PSIde-kick and call it done.
https://cyclestopvalves.com/pages/pk1a-pside-kick

 

[Reach4]

The Grunfos pump has been replaced by the red Lion pump. I do not have a pressure tank, the neighbor does. It feeds the storage tank also at the neighbor. The only thing that I have in my well house is the feed line going into the pump then into the water softener.

So the pressure tank is at the neighbor's, and the pressure switch is also at the neighbor's. The water from the well tees off to the neighbor, and to your house. That can work. In that case, you need to do the pressure tank stuff at the neighbor's.

Pressure switch not at the pressure tank won't work right.

If there is no pressure switch in the system, tell us more.

 

[Valveman]

Yeah the pressure tank and pressure switch MUST be close together.

 

[Wendell McQuary]

The water coming into my well house has pressure but maybe not enough to supply my house. About 75 feet from the neighbor's system to my well house then about another 100 feet to my 2 story house. I guess my question is, Is the Red Lion (jet well pump) interchangeable with the Grundfos (booster pump) and if not would that cause the short cycling? Could anything in the water softening system cause the cycling (as stated in my post I am currently bleeding off a little water into the yard just passed the softener and the pump is working but if I turn it off it starts short cycling again). I will try and post a picture of my system when the sun comes up.

 

[Reach4]

A Grundfos SCALA2 pump is not interchangable with your Red Lion pump. Grundfos makes different kinds of pump

I will try and post a picture of my system when the sun comes up.

Include the pressure tank and pressure switch.

 

[LLigetfa]

Is the Red Lion (jet well pump) interchangeable with the Grundfos (booster pump) and if not would that cause the short cycling?

No, they are not directly interchangeable. The booster relies on a flow sensor to turn on and off and has a built in delay timer. A jet pump needs a pressure switch and a pressure tank nearby.

 

[Reach4]

A jet pump needs a pressure switch and a pressure tank nearby.

Nearby each other... not necessary nearby the pump. I know that is what you meant, but I suspect Wendell did not.

 

[LLigetfa]

Nearby each other... not necessary nearby the pump.

Since the Red Lion most likely comes with a pressure switch attached, it is already nearby the pump regardless.

 

[Reach4]

Since the Red Lion most likely comes with a pressure switch attached, it is already nearby the pump regardless.

Then there is this:

The only thing that I have in my well house is the feed line going into the pump then into the water softener.

and this:

I do not have a pressure tank, the neighbor does.

and this:

So the pressure tank is at the neighbor's, and the pressure switch is also at the neighbor's. The water from the well tees off to the neighbor, and to your house. That can work. In that case, you need to do the pressure tank stuff at the neighbor's.

Pressure switch not at the pressure tank won't work right.

If there is no pressure switch in the system, tell us more.

So if the pressure tank is at the neighbors, and the system worked well for a while with the Red Lion pump, it would certainly seem reasonable that the pressure switch being used is at the neighbors.

 

[LLigetfa]

it would certainly seem reasonable that the pressure switch being used is at the neighbors.

I think that is conjecture and not fact.

 

[Wendell McQuary]

The pressure switch is at the neighbor's, not home right now. The Red Lion pump also has a pressure switch. The pressure tank is at the neighbor's and it feeds both houses. My pump is hooked up to that feed and goes directly to the mineral tank of my softener.

 

[LLigetfa]

The pressure switch is at the neighbor's, not home right now. The Red Lion pump also has a pressure switch.

Are you bypassing the pressure switch on the pump or are they wired in series?

 

[Reach4]

The pressure switch is at the neighbor's, not home right now. The Red Lion pump also has a pressure switch. The pressure tank is at the neighbor's and it feeds both houses. My pump is hooked up to that feed and goes directly to the mineral tank of my softener.

Good.

You guys should check the pressure tank precharge and drawdown. The pressure tank failing is the most common cause of short cycling appearing. If the diaphragm failed you may be able to postpone action by adding air to the failed tank. That can be a little tricky.

 

[Wendell McQuary]

No, they are not directly interchangeable. The booster relies on a flow sensor to turn on and off and has a built in delay timer. A jet pump needs a pressure switch and a pressure tank nearby.

So to remedy this situation should I (A) Go buy a booster pump and replace it with the Red Lion pump or (B) Buy a pressure tank and attach it to the Red Lion pump. (between the pump and the water softener)?

 

[LLigetfa]

You did not answer my question of how the pressure switch on the pump is wired. The tank and switch need to be close together. If there is a pressure switch near the tank in the neighbor's house then the switch on the pump needs to be bypassed.

 

[Reach4]

So to remedy this situation

The situation is short cycling, right?

 

[Wendell McQuary]

You did not answer my question of how the pressure switch on the pump is wired. The tank and switch need to be close together. If there is a pressure switch near the tank in the neighbor's house then the switch on the pump needs to be bypassed.

There is a switch near the pump at the neighbors house. How would I bypass the switch on my pump