How close to bottom of well can place a sub?

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Jfharper

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Same thing around here. Sometimes just lowering a foot or two can make a big difference. The thinner the 4" pipe the easier it is to cut the pie shape wedges and get the 4.5" hose clamp tight. We use 4" 100# sewer pipe.
Thanks...I'll have to add some wire...there are two black wires and a green one coming out...I assume this is 220...is it cool to just add a bit and use some wire nuts...tape them up too? Maybe tape them to the drop pipe?

Also is there any recommendation on tightening the sch 80 pipe with sch120 couplers...hand tight? Channel locks? Other? Thanks again
 
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Craigpump

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Buy splice kits for submersible pumps. Dont use wire nuts..... Tape the wire off to the pipe.

I tighten sch 80 hand tight and have never had a problem, but there are some who like to wrench it up with channel locks or pipe wrenches
 

Jfharper

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I'm going to try and clean out the well using pipe, water and air...once/if I get that sediment cleared out and put the shroud on and drop,it all back in there, would it be recommended to shock the well before use? This is our house water supply. If so, what so I do just pour a couple gallons on Clorox down the well and let that sit a few hours before pumping it out till I don't smell the choline anymore? Thanks.
 

Jfharper

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The saga continues...just under my well cap someone rigged sch 40 1.25" glued into an adapter which goes into a 2" galv coupler. The coupler sits above the well cap holding the drop/sub assembly from falling. On top of that there is a T which has pipe bothe galv and pvc to my holding tank. I was going to buy 1.25" sch 80 with sch 120 couplers from the well people but I'm not sure how to handle the well cap. Also, the well guy asked me if I was going to go with 1", I said 1.25", and he didn't say anything back but now I wonder if it is better to go with 1" for some reason. The only reason I was going to go with 1.25" is I thought my 1hp sub has a 1.25 port? But if I should go with 1", I need to plan accordingly so if I need to redo the well seal I need to have that on hand as well as other stuff like the T, etc. Can someone offer a bit of guidance? One more thing, should there be a check valve above the sub? If so does it thread right into the sub and then the first stick threads into it? If not, does the first stick thread right into the sub or should there be a coupler there made of metal? Is there any heat that the sub would make that would melt the first stick if threaded directly into the sub port?
 
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Valveman

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A picture of that 2" coupler thing would help. 1" pipe is plenty large. There should be a check valve either built into or screwed directly into the submersible. And pumps won't melt the pipe as long as they are flowing water. If the pump is running and not pumping any water, then the pipe will melt.
 

Reach4

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I'm going to try and clean out the well using pipe, water and air...once/if I get that sediment cleared out and put the shroud on and drop,it all back in there, would it be recommended to shock the well before use? This is our house water supply. If so, what so I do just pour a couple gallons on Clorox down the well and let that sit a few hours before pumping it out till I don't smell the choline anymore? Thanks.

If it is handy, please have somebody taking pictures during your cleanout try. You need a big compressor.

There are lots of write-ups on well disinfection. I like http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/disin_test.htm as being more comprehensive. I would get some chlorine test strips and pH test strips on order.

Scotch 33+ electrical tape has been recommended here in the past.
 

Jfharper

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A picture of that 2" coupler thing would help. 1" pipe is plenty large. There should be a check valve either built into or screwed directly into the submersible. And pumps won't melt the pipe as long as they are flowing water. If the pump is running and not pumping any water, then the pipe will melt.
I'll pull it up again and take some shots of above and below the well cap and post them. Should I consider replacing the check valve when I have all this out? I've read they rarely go out...is there a possibility that I would not find a check valve or would the system not function with out one?
 

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I had another thought, I'm assuming that because my casing is pvc that the bottom is capped...what if when I do the clean out, I pull out something other than the expected sediment? Like gravel or a lot of sand? Would that mean that I am pulling up the material that is supposed to stay at the bottom? I've seen some diagrams of how sand or gravel is packed at the bottom of a well for a reason which I don't know why just yet...some sort of screen or something? Should I watch out for this, or have some sand or pea gravel on hand to pack it again if I run into this? It is a 30 minute trip each way into town...I'd like to think the whole job though and plan best to try my best to avoid delays. I have 5500 gal holding tank which will supply my family while I'm doing this.
 

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I'll pull it up again and take some shots of above and below the well cap and post them. Should I consider replacing the check valve when I have all this out? I've read they rarely go out...is there a possibility that I would not find a check valve or would the system not function with out one?

Without a check valve, the pressure tank would lose water down the hole when the pump shut off. If your pressure stays when there is no water use, then you have a working check valve. Some places put in a redundant check valve topside. If you had such a valve, your pressure tank would not lose pressure, even though the bottom check valve had failed. There would be other symptoms such as the pump driving air up and into the system upon start.
 

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Without a check valve, the pressure tank would lose water down the hole when the pump shut off. If your pressure stays when there is no water use, then you have a working check valve. Some places put in a redundant check valve topside. If you had such a valve, your pressure tank would not lose pressure, even though the bottom check valve had failed. There would be other symptoms such as the pump driving air up and into the system upon start.
My sub goes into a 5500 gal holding tank before going into a jet pump and two pressure tanks, so pressure does drop to zero when sub turns off...does that change anything?
 

Reach4

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My sub goes into a 5500 gal holding tank before going into a jet pump and two pressure tanks, so pressure does drop to zero when sub turns off...does that change anything?

It changes what the symptom would be. If the water drained out of the pipe with time, I guess you would see a symptom, but it would be more subtle.

That's quite a tank.
 

Jfharper

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A picture of that 2" coupler thing would help. 1" pipe is plenty large. There should be a check valve either built into or screwed directly into the submersible. And pumps won't melt the pipe as long as they are flowing water. If the pump is running and not pumping any water, then the pipe will melt.
Here are the pictures...in the second pic, maybe that big plastic coupler thing (unless its a check valve...no wait, i ran a sinking through it to 60' assuming that is where my sub is) will be ok to thread the drop pipe into, then I could keep the top assembly "as is" since its heavy duty and works with my current well cap...can you please confirm or correct? Thanks again.

So I should go with 1" and get a reducer adapter for the sub port, 1.25" to 1", then get another adapter into this big coupler? The pvc pipe below the coupler is sch 40 and it is glued into the adapter which is then threaded into the big coupler.

image.jpg
image.jpg
 
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Jfharper

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It changes what the symptom would be. If the water drained out of the pipe with time, I guess you would see a symptom, but it would be more subtle.

That's quite a tank.
You know, my neighbor told me it was 5500 gallons...so I assumed he was right...maybe he was joking with me and i didnt pick up the sarcasm...it is about twice as tall as the normal green tanks people use around here...thats all i meant by writing 5500 gal...that its larger than normal tanks.

I bet it's not that big based on your response...not relevant to my current situation, but maybe I should go measure it and find out before I relay misinformation and burn my creditibilty with you all. ;) ...problem is it is on top a ~25 foot platform.

Ok, so I measured the base by standing under it, it is about 9ft diameter...I'd say the height is about 9ft too...so prolly closer to 4200gal.
 
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Valveman

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You have an above ground check valve to the right of the union in the picture. And yes just bush up from 1” to 2” or whatever size that pipe is in that contraption of a well seal. You could also just get a new 5X1 well seal if that is in fact 5” casing.
 

Jfharper

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You have an above ground check valve to the right of the union in the picture. And yes just bush up from 1” to 2” or whatever size that pipe is in that contraption of a well seal. You could also just get a new 5X1 well seal if that is in fact 5” casing.
Thank you.....
 

Jfharper

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Same thing around here. Sometimes just lowering a foot or two can make a big difference. The thinner the 4" pipe the easier it is to cut the pie shape wedges and get the 4.5" hose clamp tight. We use 4" 100# sewer pipe.
I got a 4' piece of this 4" pvc sewer pipe from the local driller...he said I could run it as long as I wanted below the sub...even 10'! I thought I would post this too see if there is any problem running the bottom of the shroud this long?

My plan was to drop the sub a bit...I was going to get 20' sticks from the driller and have them cut a 5' stick and a 10' stick and thread them for me...so I have some options for when I determine the bottom of the well after jetting it...however, could I just run a longer shroud to get me close to the well bottom instead of needing the two odd length sticks above?

If not, how long should the shroud be?
 

Reach4

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That flow inducer/ shroud will become the new intake point. However if the water level in the well dropped below the top of the shroud, air could be sucked in thru the slots and such at the top.

The reason for the device is to cool the motor with water flowing up and past the motor So I don't know of a reason for that shroud to extend below the bottom of the motor. The motor is the bottom of the pump assembly. Cut it off. You don't need a perfect cut, so if you used your jig saw or table saw and had to go around with your cut, it would not hurt things if there was an imperfect meeting of the two ends of the cut.
 

Valveman

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Reach is right that a longer shroud will not help deepen your pump. As soon as the water level drops below the intake of the pump you will loose prime. But I do use longer shrouds to keep from pumping a lot of sand. If you leave the shroud sticking out past the motor 2 or 3 feet, the water velocity coming up the 4” pipe is so slow that sand won’t come with it. This helps keep sand out of the pump and system. However, the sand will fall back to the bottom of the well and will eventually fill up to the pump. This only works when you have the shroud and motor several feet above the bottom of the well.
 
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