Running my well pump for a week?

[KennyG]

Hello,

Will running my well system for a week cause damage to my pump? I'm trying to redevelop my well and clean it out in preparation of a planned shock chlorination next weekend.

I have a yard hydrant tee'd off before it goes to my pressure tank. With my yard hydrant fully open it runs for 6.5 minutes at 11 gpm before the water that flows past the hydrant fills my pressure tank to the cutoff. It takes 1.3 minutes before it drains my tank and kicks the pump back on.

I will get around 220 cycles per 24 hour period. I assume this is the safer option since that 1.3 minutes allows the well to recover.

Or I can open up another spigot and potentially have the pump running 24/7 but with a risk it might burn up?

I've had the pump running for 7 hours before and it never dipped the static water level below the pump. So is there any chance it can happen over a 24 hour period or beyond?

I did also have the yard hydrant open yesterday for 12 hours and my pump was still working fine.

Hope that all made sense, this is on a home construction site so I won't be there for most of the time if something goes wrong.

Is this a stupid idea?

 

[Valveman]

Pumps are made to run 24/7. But with that much cycling on and off it won't last long. Open enough hydrants to keep the pump from shutting off.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

Hope that all made sense, this is on a home construction site so I won't be there for most of the time if something goes wrong.

Install a protector such as a cycle sensor in case it draws down too low.

 

[Sarg]

Reads like an excellent well and a perfect application for a cycle stop valve.

 

[Bannerman]

Developing a well is best performed while the pump is moving the maximum flow rate possible.

Your pump can move more water than is flowing from your yard hydrant, as evidenced by the pressure tank continuing to fill to cause the pressure switch to shut off the pump.

While opening additional faucets should prevent the PT from filling, to reduce possible downstream flow restrictions after the well so as to maximize flow as much as possible, the drop pipe will often be disconnected at the well head, or disconnected at the pitless adaptor to pull the drop pipe and pump upward. This will allow the pump to run continuously, at its maximum delivery rate with the least restriction, to more effectively pump out sediment and debris to the surface.

 

[KennyG]

Thank you guys, I just opened another hose bib to let it run non-stop