Pump Nightmare/PLEASE HELP!

[Joni alb]

i bought this house last october. it has spring water about 250 feet from the house. it is basicly a straight horizontal run for the water. the spring itself is not very big. it is got cement cylinders that are maybe 3 feet around and maybe 4 foot of water in them( there is a larger holding tank behind mine that has more water, but thats a different nightmare for another forum). Anyway, since April I have been trying to get water to this house. Most of the summer i was able to draw just enough water to water my plants and fill a few jugs, but was also filling 55 gallon drums to be safe. Now i can barely get enough water to water one plant.
I bought a new 1 HP floforce water pump on ebay, hooked that to pressure tank and was able to get water running but not fill into pressure tank, so i bought a new 20 gallon pressure tank. Still hit and miss getting the water. Of course, i foolishly try to adjust the pressure gauge. With that being said and done, i bought new pressure gauge, put new foot valve , new pressure gauges, still, wont stay pulling water. i bought another 1.6 hp pump, nothing. i ordered another pump from a place on line, i ordered 1.5 hp and they sent me 1 hp pump and needless to say, i still have no water. yes there is water in spring. i tried hooking up two pumps, it will tart to draw but not enough to do nothing. I only have hose coming off the holding tank i been getting water from. for a couple minutes, the water tried making it to the house first floor but every shark bite fitting i put in leaks, took them off put in quest fittings, yup, they leak too.
it is painfully clear, wishing you were a plumber does not make you one/ I need some serious advice. i cal;led a couple of local plumbers and no one wants to mess with the jet pumps. PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[Reach4]

1. Where is the pump -- in the house?
2. What is the altitude difference from the top of the pump to the surface of the water? Springs are often at the bottom of a hill.
3. What kind of pipe?
4. What will you do about freezing? Is this a summer cabin, or year-round?

If you want to avoid priming drama, put a 1/2 HP submersible pump, with a flow inducer, in the well. Yes, that involves running wire. Horizontally is OK.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Joni alb]

1. Where is the pump -- in the house?
2. What is the altitude difference from the top of the pump to the surface of the water? Springs are often at the bottom of a hill.
3. What kind of pipe?
4. What will you do about freezing? Is this a summer cabin, or year-round?

If you want to avoid priming drama, put a 1/2 HP submersible pump, with a flow inducer, in the well. Yes, that involves running wire. Horizontally is OK.

it is year round home, i am hoping that like the spring at my old house that it just doesn t freeze. i may have to put one of them water trough heaters in. the spring and the pipe coming into the house are about same height. if anything, i would say pipe coming in is a slight bit lower. there is one inch black pipe from spring to house, and the pump and pressure tank are in the basement. the spring is across the road so thats what has kept me from trying submersible pump. i don t know how to get electric under the road. there is a sleuce pipe not to far up the road, not sure if i m allowed to run through that.

 

[Reach4]

2. altitude difference.
3. pipe?
4. What keeps the pipe from freezing?

 

[Valveman]

It would be best to have the pump close to the spring. Drawing from such a long distance it tough, and even tougher if you have the slightest leak in the suction line, which is my guess.

 

[Joni alb]

yeah, like i said, wishing i was a plumber sure don t make me one. I m sure there are some leaks still, i don t know what i doing wrong but every connector i put in leak. I mainly hoping to at least get the water from the spring to the pressure tank.When i open the primer while pump going and put my finger over whole, i do have good back pressure. I guess i ll have to find out how am i going to run electric across the road. Thanks

 

[Valveman]

When running wide open and using a lot of water the pump may work. But when you hook up the pressure tank and the increased pressure makes the pump produce less water, a suction leak will cause you to loose prime. A suction leak is always worse when using low flow rates.