New shallow well pump installation

Bottom of wellpoint at 24.5', have 6' of standing water, 1 1/4" sched40 pipe, elbow, T for priming, checkvalve, 1hp redjacket cent/jet pump. Was able to put down 12gpm when i was developing the well (lots of water), prime the pump (difficult) and get a flow of about 1gpm (trickle)with the pump really struggling (bogged down). Check valve about 6" away from input of pump....? Would it be a problem with an airlock? Switch the pump to 220V? ideas? thanks will be used for irrigation, hoping for up to 8gpm

I assume you mean the priming tee is in the suction line. You should have as few fittings in a suction line as possible. Put the tee on top of the pump.

You either have a major air leak, or your well just isn't producing more thant he 1 gpm.

bob...

Finally got prime, producing 6-8 gpm but pulsating and producing air, I think that the air is coming from the wellpoint end :-( Bottom of Wellpoint is at 24.5', I think I'm at my max, had 18" above the top of the wellpoint at last check but must be doing a drawdown and allowing air to enter, opinions? thanks

Ran pump for 1 hour, 15 sec of the pump pulsating producing maybe 1 gpm then "catches" and produces full stream maybe 20gpm for 4 sec then repeats the 1 gpm senario, could continue like this for hours. I'm baffled. Also will not hold prime, check valve brand new, suspecting air is travelling up the 1 1/4" suction line from the wellpoint ideas? thanks

I don't suppose you got rid of the tee in your suction line. That is one good source for an air leak.

If the pump catches for that long of a time, I tend to agree with you that you are getting air through the screen. I would try to knock the screen down another 3 - 5 feet and see if that helps. Sometimes if you just barely get into the vein, the water level will not come up as high as it will when your in the vein all the way.

bob...