I’m not sure what the static water level is? How does one find that out? And I’m not sure exactly how much water is in the well...other than (thankfully) there IS water. I wish there was a way (like a gauge) that I can tell how much water is in the well.? As has been the case since my well first ran dry at the end of July, I just have to cross my fingers water comes out of a faucet when I turn it on
Stuck deep well pump. Is this a normal fix?
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I’m not sure what the static water level is? How does one find that out? And I’m not sure exactly how much water is in the well...other than (thankfully) there IS water. I wish there was a way (like a gauge) that I can tell how much water is in the well.? As has been the case since my well first ran dry at the end of July, I just have to cross my fingers water comes out of a faucet when I turn it on
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
There is but in your case it would be hard to add after the fact. Some folks will include a 1/4" poly tube along side the wire. Leave the end open. Put a Tee with a pressure gauge and a schrader valve on the top. Add as much air as it will take. The resultant pressure used in a formula (.43 PSI per foot) will tell you how many feet of water there is above the tube bottom.
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Interesting. Yeah, I wish I would have known something like that exists...probably would have been worth it to have had it installed.
An air line is nice to measure the water level. But you can still measure it if you want to solve this problem. You would need a tee with a 200# pressure gauge just before a ball valve on the discharge of the well head. With the pump up and running, close the ball valve long enough to get a pressure reading on the gauge. Do not keep the ball valve closed for more than 1 minute, or the pump will get hot. Looking at the curve for a 1.5HP, 5GPM fps it shows a shut off head of 900' or 389 PSI. With the ball valve closed, the pressure gauge will show the actual water level. If the gauge reads 175 PSI (405'), then the pump is able to lift another 405'. 900 minus 405 means your water level is at 495' from the surface. If the water level is deeper than 495', that pump will only be able to build 175 PSI at the surface, which is not too much pressure for a CSV1A to handle.
Adding a CSV1A in place of the above ground check valve would do several beneficial things. Most importantly for you it will reduce the flow from the pump to 1 GPM while filling the tank. When filling the pressure tank at 1 GPM instead of 5-8 GPM, the check valve(s) will only be open the thickness of a piece of paper when the pump shuts off. This will eliminate the water hammer that happens when the pump shuts off while pumping 5-8 GPM and the check valve(s) slam shut from the wide open position causing the water hammer.
If your water level is higher than 495' and your pump can build more than 175 PSI at the surface, you just need two of the CSV1A valves to stair step the pressure down. In these high pressure applications, we set the first CSV at 150 PSI. That way the second CSV1A only sees 150 PSI on the inlet side and has no problem reducing the pressure to 50 PSI as needed at the tank.
Either way using a CSV1A to reduce the flow rate to 1 GPM before the pump shuts off will eliminate the water hammer "bang" you are hearing and feeling.
Adding a CSV1A in place of the above ground check valve would do several beneficial things. Most importantly for you it will reduce the flow from the pump to 1 GPM while filling the tank. When filling the pressure tank at 1 GPM instead of 5-8 GPM, the check valve(s) will only be open the thickness of a piece of paper when the pump shuts off. This will eliminate the water hammer that happens when the pump shuts off while pumping 5-8 GPM and the check valve(s) slam shut from the wide open position causing the water hammer.
If your water level is higher than 495' and your pump can build more than 175 PSI at the surface, you just need two of the CSV1A valves to stair step the pressure down. In these high pressure applications, we set the first CSV at 150 PSI. That way the second CSV1A only sees 150 PSI on the inlet side and has no problem reducing the pressure to 50 PSI as needed at the tank.
Either way using a CSV1A to reduce the flow rate to 1 GPM before the pump shuts off will eliminate the water hammer "bang" you are hearing and feeling.
Thank you very much, valveman! That was very informative, and gives me hope that this water hammer can finally be eliminated. I was led to believe that replacing the check valves in my well would stop it, but it honestly seems to be worse than before. I had asked the guy who just did my well work what he thought about CSV’s and whether it would be a good idea, and he said that he would recommend installing a secondary pressure tank, versus a CSV. It didn’t sound like he had ever even installed a CSV, nor really knew much about them?
From what I’m learning, the operation of a CSV makes perfect sense to me, though, as it appears that even my new 5GPM pump is just providing too much pressure...thus, causing this perpetual water hammer. It sounds like the CSV will dramatically reduce that pressure, and hopefully stop this insane “banging” when the pressure tank cuts-out.
Since the guy who just did my well work didn’t seem too receptive to installing a CSV, I think I’ll contact another Well Company that’s come over regarding the water hammer, and see if they can install one (or more?).
Thanks again for giving me encouragement that this hammer may be defeated. I had all but given up that could ever happen!
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