I have a very old hand driven shallow well on the shores of Lake Michigan.
It has given us enough water to run a one BR/kitchen set up until this year.
I always have trouble getting water first time I start it in the spring. We replaced the pump a few years ago and probably thought bigger was better as it's a 3/4 horse. We have 1.5 inch galvanized pipe down to water at roughly 21 feet. I am able to prime and get water up into the pump. I basically hold my thumb over the outlet to build pressure and slowly release a bit to let air out.
When I feel I have finally gotten some flow and I try to quickly shove the water line to the house over the outlet, the loss of pressure seems to lose my prime.
I know the well just doesn't have a lot of water to "give" but everything has eventually worked in the past. Would using a smaller pump (1/4) maybe be a better idea? Someone said it's sucking water faster than it could provide with the 3/4 horse.
Thanks in advance.
It has given us enough water to run a one BR/kitchen set up until this year.
I always have trouble getting water first time I start it in the spring. We replaced the pump a few years ago and probably thought bigger was better as it's a 3/4 horse. We have 1.5 inch galvanized pipe down to water at roughly 21 feet. I am able to prime and get water up into the pump. I basically hold my thumb over the outlet to build pressure and slowly release a bit to let air out.
When I feel I have finally gotten some flow and I try to quickly shove the water line to the house over the outlet, the loss of pressure seems to lose my prime.
I know the well just doesn't have a lot of water to "give" but everything has eventually worked in the past. Would using a smaller pump (1/4) maybe be a better idea? Someone said it's sucking water faster than it could provide with the 3/4 horse.
Thanks in advance.