Loses prime

[Hardcharger]

I have a 30' hand drove shallow well, recently I began losing prime over night and then in a few hours. I installed a new check valve ahead of pump but did not fix problem. I then installed a 1" black poly pipe inside old well pipe with new 1" check valve. Primed pump and started to pump a good flow of water but as soon as I shut off pump water ran back to well completely draing pump. I did this several time s with three different check valves. I have two wells four' apart for my lawn sprinklers that have been working fine for eight years. I shut both pumps on and off manually and do not have a tank or presure switch. The wells works fine as long I do not shut them off they will run for hours with good water production.

 

[Valveman]

It doesn't matter how many check valves you have tried, if water is running back out of the pump when it shuts off, the check valve is not holding. Need a good metal, spring loaded, poppet style check valve.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Hardcharger]

It doesn't matter how many check valves you have tried, if water is running back out of the pump when it shuts off, the check valve is not holding. Need a good metal, spring loaded, poppet style check valve.

 

[Reach4]

A foot valve is a check valve with a screen. You might try one of those in the one inch size. I am thinking that the check valve is going to be the type most suited for wells.

 

[Hardcharger]

i should have mention that the new check valve is only a week old and am going through two or three per sprinkler season. I do not use a pressure tank, pumps runs off irrigation timer. Im not sure if I mention this or not but I have two wells four feet apart for water volume. The other pump runs fine without aany problems and check valve is four years old. Irrigation system is eight years old has been very dependable till last year. My question why would I be going thru check valves. Is there a way to check for leaks on suction line. If your pump draws water after priming would that means you have no leaks or will a pump work with a small leak.

 

[Hardcharger]

i should have mention that the new check valve is only a week old and am going through two or three per sprinkler season. I do not use a pressure tank, pumps runs off irrigation timer. Im not sure if I mention this or not but I have two pumps four feet apart for water volume. The other pump runs fine without aany problems and check valve is four years old. Irrigation system is eight years old has been very dependable till last year. My question is why am I going thru check valves.

 

[Hardcharger]

i should have mention that the new check valve is only a week old and am going through two or three per sprinkler season. I do not use a pressure tank, pumps runs off irrigation timer. Im not sure if I mention this or not but I have two wells four feet apart for water volume. The other pump runs fine without aany problems and check valve is four years old. Irrigation system is eight years old has been very dependable till last year. My question why would I be going thru check valves. Is there a way to check for leaks on suction line. If your pump draws water after priming would that means you have no leaks or will a pump work with a small leak.