shallow well pump loses prime overnight

[18inchapes]

Hi, well I pulled the casing up and "butt" the couplings. now I have little to no flow, and I can't tell if its still sucking air because of no volume. I'm down the same distance I was before (37'). The only thing I can figure is I'm not straight down. Is there a chance that I wasn't all the way in the stream in the 1st place and sucking air that way? Thanks Jeff

 

[Speedbump]

There is a very good chance you aren't in the stream (aquifer).

bob...

 

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[18inchapes]

losing prime overnight

Hi all, Ok, I got the well working again. I ended up backwashing the point then it started flowing again. The problem is I still lose the prime in the pump overnight. Heres my new thoughts. Could the stream not be suppling enough water or the pump overpumping the well and causing the pump to suck air? also, what is the purpose of a captive air tank in the system?
FYI the pump I'm using is a craftsman convertible 1HP with a shallow well jet attached. It has a built in flow regulator which I have set to minimal flow from the pump, just enough to fill the tank 20 PSI in 4 mins. Thanks for all your help, Jeff

 

[Speedbump]

I just realized this thread was restarted from a thread originating in 2005.

If you have a check valve at or near the pump and loose couplings down the well casing, that is the reason your losing the prime. The check valve holds the water in the tank while the leaks in the couplings let the water seep back down and also let air into the casing. When the pump restarts later, it gets a shot of air and loses it's prime.

bob...

 

[18inchapes]

pump losing prime

Hi all.... this well is driving me nuts!!!! I have pulled the well point up and butted the couplings. I really doubt its sucking air in the pipe connections, especially since I pulled the well point up, disassembled ALL three couplings, redoped them and tightened them till they were butted and still have the same problem. I have a "T" at the top of the well where I install the vacumn guage. If I leave the guage connected with the pump not pumping, the vacumn will stay the same for the duration of pump standby. From the "T" i have a close nipple to the check valve( the vacumn gauge is BEFORE the check valve) to a 90 street "T" to a pipe coupling to another close nipple into the suction side of the pump. This was also completely disassembled and redoped. This whole section is maybe 16" long.
I was thinking that maybe the aquafier is going dry (remember I'm only down 37 feet) and whats happening is i'm overpumping the well. causing cavitation.
ever came across this? thanks Jeff

 

[Sammyhydro11]

Jeff,
you have a leak somewhere between the check valve and the well point. You may have a fitting that is buried and is leaking or it could be the line itself. How much water does the well pump? What type of fittings are you using for your connections? If they are plastic, i would get rid of them and use brass barbed fittings.

sammy

 

[18inchapes]

Hi All, I have 1 1/4 galvinized pipe. I have a 3" 1 1/4 sand well point.....60 mesh 1 1/4 drive coupling to a 21' of 1 1/4 galvizinized to a 10' length of 1 1/4 galvinized to a 3' length of 1 1/4 galvinized for a total of 37' there are 3 drive couplings from the sand point to the pump. I pulled this to "butt" the couplings. Everyone keeps saying that I have a leak from the point to the check valve. Then explain to me how when I install the vacumn guage between the check valve and the well point, it will hold a vacumn. I went for two weeks and still held the same 28"of vacumn that I started with.If iI had a leak, i would thing that I would vacumn. My question to everyone is can the aquifier be going dry and I'm overpumping the well which is causing the pump to suck air and cause cavitition? Thanks Jeff

 

[18inchapes]

pump loses prime

Hi, also, how do I figure the GPM of the well? Keep in mind that if I open the flow control, I will get more flow, but will lose prime before cut off pressure. Also, do you think that the sand point is down too far and into the clay? Thanks again, Jeff

 

[Speedbump]

If your losing prime and sucking air, you have an air leak. I can't say it any simpler than that. When you draw a vacuum on a pipe, you don't draw down the well, you simply pull a vacuum and the screen lets the water in as fast as it can get there.

I can't explain your vacuum gauge staying put, but then I never use one anyway. A pump either pulls a vacuum or it doesn't. If it doesn't, chances are the impeller is full of stuff or broken off the shaft.

I can't tell you what material your in with your point any more than you can tell me. That's why drillers drill ahead of the casing to see what material is actually there. Driving a point is going at it blindly.

bob...