Shallow or bored well pump problems

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Wes Benfield

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I have searched forums and online for an answer to these questions but can't seem to find a solution. So I have a bored 24" well with concrete casing. The well is about 45' deep. It is capped off with a 24" concrete lid with a 6 inch hole in it with a well seal. I had to replace the submersible pump recently and chose to DIY it. The previous pipe was one long length of PVC which I replaced with black flex pipe as I couldn't get the pvc back down with new pump on it with out bending it to the breaking point ( I actually broke the pvc off at the pump when pulling it out). So new 3/4hp pump is in place and is pumping, but I hear and feel it banging against the casing when shutting off. So question is what can I do about it? The football type torque arrestor is made for 4-8 inch casings, not 24". However would it help a little? Are there other solutions?

Also my black pipe is attached at the top with a nipple type connection and hose clamps which are just resting on the well seal. But after thinking about it, is this a safe setup? Will the weight of pump and movement eventually work the pipe off the nipple? What is a better way to connect this? I do have safety rope.
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Wes
 

Reach4

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One improvement you should make is to to use a "flow inducer sleeve". The main purpose of this is to improve pump cooling. Search for that term. 4-inch SDR PVC is one material that can be used.Edit: I did some re-reading of the Franklin AIM manual, and Craigpump is right. A flow inducer is not need for cooling a 3/4 HP pump. End edit.

I do not know if this will help the banging, but it might. In any case, it will help with cooling. But I guess one change would be that the flow inducer could hit the side. The fact that it extends down could dampen movement too, I would think. My comments are not based on experience.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/submersible-pump-inducer-sleeve-help.55949/ is one thread, but there are more. There is more than one right way to do it.[/S]
 
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Craigpump

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Probably 2 shorter pieces of sch80 pvc would be better and less flexible than the black poly.

In a 24" well the "safety rope" isn't an issue because it isn't going to trap the pump, but I never use it. Ever.

The pump wont pull off the male adapter so long as the pipe was warmed up and clamped properly.

There's more than enough water in that 24" well to absorb the heat from that pump motor, if the pump action is really violent, a sleeve would probably fall off in a short period of time.
 

Reach4

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Wes, are you using a check valve above ground?

Also, you should have used 2 or more worm gear clamps on each fitting. The worm gears should be on opposite sides.
 
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Wes Benfield

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No check, valve. What is its function? hold water in pipe? I did use 2 worm gear clamps and pipe was heated a bit with torch. Clamps may not be on opposite sides.
 

Reach4

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No check, valve. What is its function? hold water in pipe? I did use 2 worm gear clamps and pipe was heated a bit with torch. Clamps may not be on opposite sides.
You don't want an above-ground checkvalve. Sometimes they are causes of slamming noise, but that would usually be on start rather than stop.
 

Valveman

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If the pump is hanging in the middle of 24" hole, it should never touch the sides. But if you pulled the "safety cable" tight, (which I also would never use) the cable probably has the pump pulled sideways, which is why it is hitting the side. Just let it hang from the pipe, not the cable. It also helps to roll the pipe out on a sunny day and let it straighten out from being rolled up. Weight it so it bends the other way and let it warm up.

A motor shroud is always a good idea. The recommendation that one is not needed comes from the manufacturer that only wants it to survive a little past the warranty date. The shroud makes it run cooler, and the cooler it runs the longer it will last. The manufacturers literature on motor cooling says it has everything to do with needing at least .25 feet per second flow past the motor. The bigger the casing the lower the flow past the motor. It is more important to use a shroud when the pump is in a lake or big casing like the 24" than if the pump was in 4" casing. The only time I don't use a shroud is if it will not physically fit in the well, like with 4" casing.

If making sure the pump is hanging in the middle doesn't stop the banging, a CSV would help. The CSV makes the pump fill the pressure tank at 1 GPM, so the check valve is only open as much as the thickness of a piece of paper when the pump shuts off. This gives a mechanical soft stop for the pump and eliminates the banging. Just one of many good reasons to use a CSV.
 

Wes Benfield

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I loosened the pump seal and made sure rope had plenty of slack. No issues there, so I can only imagine a black pipe that isn't straight and the pump is nearer to the casing due to bend. So I'm thinking of pulling it out and trying two pieces of straight pvc. So I guess the glued coupling I'll have to use to join the pvc will also be able to support the weight of the pump?

I went to the sight suggested by previous poster and can see how a CSV might help. But wouldn't the constant running during use and back pressure it is pumping against reduce the life of the pump as well?

As for motor shrouds, the pump didn't have one. Can these be bought as universal fit?

Thanks again.
 

Valveman

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I went to the sight suggested by previous poster and can see how a CSV might help. But wouldn't the constant running during use and back pressure it is pumping against reduce the life of the pump as well?

NO! it is just the opposite of what you might think. Pumps are made for "continuous duty". It is the cycling on/off that destroys them. A pump should last forever if it never turns off. The backpressure from a CSV makes it draw less amperage and the motor runs cooler, which makes it last even longer still.
 
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