Rslaback
Member
In October of 2020 I installed a driven sand point well to irrigate my wife's mini orchard and my sweet corn patch on my shop property and hit water at 15 feet. I have a small pressure tank and a 3/4 hp shallow point pump on it. The pump originally used was used and started leaking in May of 2021 and was replaced. Just found this week that I had lost prime sometime and ruined the pump. We have super fine soil which is almost impossible to even filter out and I suspect the check valve is leaking from a build up of that material. The soil is fine enough that I have to use a vacuum pump to prime the system so it doesn't take much to drain out the suction pipe I imagine.
I have a traditional spring poppet style valve in it which is going to require me to pull the pump out to remove the valve to clean it. I imagine this might end up as a yearly maintenance task. I have a low pressure cut out switch on its way but I was also wondering if I could convert it over to a flapper style check valve. That style would allow me to pull the top access plug out to clean it easily without having to pull the pump off each time.
I don't see any examples of a flapper style valve used on the suction line of a shallow well pump. I assume they are inadequate for the task. Are they?
I have a traditional spring poppet style valve in it which is going to require me to pull the pump out to remove the valve to clean it. I imagine this might end up as a yearly maintenance task. I have a low pressure cut out switch on its way but I was also wondering if I could convert it over to a flapper style check valve. That style would allow me to pull the top access plug out to clean it easily without having to pull the pump off each time.
I don't see any examples of a flapper style valve used on the suction line of a shallow well pump. I assume they are inadequate for the task. Are they?