How to use a submersible pump

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Banjo Bud

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Here’s the situation. I have a 4” PVC pipe coming out of an underground spring on a hillside. It is a horizontal pipe. I capped the pipe off with a well cap and put a 1 1/4” PVC pipe through the well cap and am pulling water from it with a jet pump. So the foot valve is horizontal. It has worked well (no pun intended) for 3 years. I want to eventually put a submersible pump in but I want it in the normal vertical position. So here’s what I was thinking. From the existing 4” pipe, put a elbow facing downward. To it attach maybe a 3’ pipe downward. I have a backhoe so no problem there. Then at the bottom of that pipe, attach two elbows to turn back upward. Then attach another pipe to come back up to ground level. In that pipe is where I’d put the submersible pump. The spring flows 5 GPM constantly so if the submersible pushed less than that, the pipe would always be full enough to not run dry. Is this plan a good one?
 

Reach4

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It will work horizontally.

Less expensive submersible pumps are going to pump at more than 5 gpm unless you do something to restrict the output. Your cheaper pumps may be 1/2 hp 10 gpm. If you want more pressure, then a 5 gpm pump can be found. A Dole valve is a flow limiter.

How about using a tee. Capped pipe buried. Sticking up would be a standpipe that may or may not overflow. You would lower the pipe from above.

For cheaper, you could use a Halmark pump. Their 1/2 hp pumps are a little odd and may not fit into a 4 inch pipe. I would hate to see you use a pump more than 1/2 hp.
p401-532-3.jpg

A 6x6x4 tee can be had. Not so cheap.

You might make a sketch of what you envision.
I think you are describing a u-shaped thing. The more I think of it, the more I like that. It causes the water to flow over the motor from below, which cools the motor much better.
 
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Banjo Bud

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Cooling the motor was one of my concerns. But now that I think of it, I could go from the 4” to
6” or 8” or whatever.
 

Reach4

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A flow inducer sleeve is best unless the 4-inch pump is bottom-fed inside 4 inch pipe. With a 1/2 hp pump, cooling is not as critical. Search for "flow inducer" with the search box above.
 
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