??? Is my pump beginning to show signs of Failure ???

[TVL]

That is why I like ¼†poly tubing taped beside the wire all the way down to the pump. Then a tee up top with a Schrader valve and a pressure gauge will tell you the positive water level. This method does not pick up the cascading or falling water level.

I just priced a TDR for my own use. First the price is very steep ............... at least for me. And, then what you stated about false readings has me concerned also. You're exactly right about our well. It is 145 feet deep with the last two 20 foot sections being the perforated pipe.

Please tell me more about how your setup works. It appears the price would be very reasonable. Can you offer any drawings, specifications, etc. I would like to give this setup a try!!!!

 

[LLigetfa]

The way it works is you pump air into the 1/4" tube through the Schrader valve and then read the pressure on the gauge. Using the formula of .43 PSI per foot, the max air pressure you can achieve will tell you how many feet of water there is above the pump.

The downside is that you have to pull up the pump to get the poly down the hole.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[TVL]

Thanks LL

Based on what you described, tell me if this sounds correct:

1- I pull the pump and run a 1/4" poly tubing alongside the pump piping from the top of the well casing all the way down to the side of the pump very near the pump intake.
2- At the top, just outside the well seal, I install a "T" with a schrader valve and pressure gauge
3- Whenever I wish to take a reading, I simply add air to the schrader valve and read the highest value achieved
4- If the water level were only 2 feet above the pump intake, I should get a reading of .43 x 2 OR .86 PSI

My only concern is will it be difficult to get accurate readings if the water level truly runs this low??? If I am truly running low in water at times, I want to be able to determine this fairly accurately.

 

[LLigetfa]

The accuracy will of course depend on the pressure gauge. With 28 feet of head, the max should be around 12 PSI so you wouldn't want to use a 0-100 gauge with a +/- of 2%.

 

[Valveman]

You can see 1 PSI on a 0-100 pressure gauge. But like LL said, it would be much easier to see with a 0-30 PSI gauge.

 

[TVL]

Thanks to the both of you. I do believe this would be a much more affordable alternative. I will look into getting my parts together this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Any of you guys ever used a gauge that read directly in ft of water? I've seen some with inches of H20.

 

[Ballvalve]

Sounds like a vacuum gauge

 

[DonL]

Sounds like a vacuum gauge

You maybe could use a vacuum gauge.

But they normally read HG, Mercury.

The one the Main Man was talking about reads H2O.

 

[LLigetfa]

If you want to read down to the last few inches, you could just have an open end on the pipe and blow with your lungs. I doubt you could blow more than 2 PSI.

 

[Valveman]

You can get gauges that read in inches, feet, psi, or all the above. You can spend as much as you want on a gauge. But a 5 dollar gauge that is readily available will tell you all you need to know.

 

[TVL]

If you want to read down to the last few inches, you could just have an open end on the pipe and blow with your lungs. I doubt you could blow more than 2 PSI.

LL,

This statement has confused me. I had thought that when I run the 1/4" poly pipe down beside the well piping and wiring, I would leave the end that is next to the pump intake open. How else will I measure the actual pressure the column of water is exerting ........................ or have I misinterpreted your statement?

Also, what is the best method for connecting the loose end at the pump. I had thought of using a cable tie, but that will probably crimp the tubing somewhat. Will that be an issue? Does the tubing need to be fastened so that the end is not crimped in any way?

Thanks again!

 

[LLigetfa]

Of course the bottom end would be open. I meant also leaving the top end open instead of using a gauge and just blowing into the pipe if you want to measure fractional PSI.

Poly pipe is rigid enough that it would not collapse. It can be fixed to the wire and downpipe with electrical tape. You don't want it lower than the top of the pump.

 

[TVL]

I will shop for some 1/4 inch poly pipe in the next day or two. I will need about 140 feet. I can buy a 500 foot roll from the following site. It seems like a steal ...... what do you folks think?

http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/DIG-Drip-Irrigation-Tubing-p/12-041.htm

 

[Valveman]

Yeah 1/4" poly is cheap. That is why I tape it with the wire on every install. You can always add the gauge and schrader later. Actually I have a tee with a gauge and schrader and a quick connector I carry around to check the water levels with. I use the same tee set up on many wells.

 

[TVL]

Monitoring Water Level in Well

I have pulled my pump and installed the 1/4 inch poly line as suggested. I am now able to easily monitor the water levels in the well. Thanks for everyone's input. I will let you know if I encounter any issues. Thanks!!!!

The first photo shows a reading of 5.2 PSI after sittting overnight with no activity. The end of the 1/4 inch poly tubing is about 2 feet ABOVE the pump intake. So, it appears I have a static water level of about 14.0 feet above the pump's intake (5.2 PSI = 12.0 feet PLUS the 2 feet between the pump intake and the end of the poly tubing).


The next photo shows the water level after about 2 hours of continuous running. A drawdown of about 1.8 feet. I feel this would be considered acceptable ...................... I will see what occurs as more and more folks begin using their wells. Time will certainly tell! Note: I did find where our static water level was recorded as 115 feet in 1978, which is about where it is today. So, maybe the sprinkler sysytem orifices have worn some which has caused me to see a 3 to 5 PSI drop in water pressure over what I had seen just two years previously.


And lastly: The pump is 17 years old and the full load amperage still reads as it did when new ............. about 9.1 amps. I'm still curious if a pump's impellers will wear enough to cause it to pump less water, thus less pressure over time??? However, I believe Valveman stated if this were the case, the amperage would also drop to a lower level ................ is this correct??

 

[TVL]

Another quick question or two:

Since my pump is 17 years old, I've decided to do a little shopping and get an idea of what I want for the day our pump finally does fail ................. which hopefully, isn't anytime soon.

In my looking around, I came across one website that stated NEVER put a submersible pump into a 4 inch well casing. I've had three inside our 4 inch casing with no problems.

1-Do some residential submersible pumps come in a wider diameter than others?

2- What is the standard diameter of a 10 GPM residential submersible pump?

Thanks again!

 

[LLigetfa]

On some wells, a ring of mineral buildup can form at the water line making it difficult to pull the pump. My 12 year old Goulds 10GS05 had more than a 1/4" of hard black manganese buildup on it when I pulled it. After I pulled it, I dropped a surge block down my 6" well casing and it hit a constriction at the static water level. If I had only a 4" casing, I could have been in trouble. I don't know the dimensions of the Goulds, but my new Grundfos pump measured 3-3/4".

 

[Texas Wellman]

You'll be fine. Never had a 4" pump get stuck that hadn't been "nuked"...ran dry or dead-headed for an extended period.

Another quick question or two:

Since my pump is 17 years old, I've decided to do a little shopping and get an idea of what I want for the day our pump finally does fail ................. which hopefully, isn't anytime soon.

In my looking around, I came across one website that stated NEVER put a submersible pump into a 4 inch well casing. I've had three inside our 4 inch casing with no problems.

1-Do some residential submersible pumps come in a wider diameter than others?

2- What is the standard diameter of a 10 GPM residential submersible pump?

Thanks again!

 

[TVL]

Thanks LL & Texas Wellman!

Our well has been down since 1978 and it still appears to be a "clean" hole. No buildup whatsoever and the pump & 1 inch poly piping always comes up clean ............. the casing is PVC if that makes a difference. Anyway, I've never had an issue when it comes to pulling the pump, except the darn thing is heavy!!!!!

So, based on your two replies, I am assuming ALL 10 GPM residential pumps are the same diameter. If that is the case, then I don't need to worry about pump casing diameter as I continue with my shopping.