Priming Vertical Pump Problem

[gil49r]

Hi All,

Trying to recover running water at late parents’ house. If I could pay to have this done, I would, but can’t.

Old 1HP vertical deep well pump on two-inch casing, sitting in well pit. Well is about 130 ft deep, static level probably 60-80 ft.

I haven’t been to this empty house in three years, but pump ran back then and it still runs now when I flip the breaker in the house.

However, three years ago, pump started having difficulty maintaining prime. It would operate ok for a few hours, then not. I know there are some reasons why that could be: leak in system, foot valve, etc.

Before I get any deeper into this (sorry), I’d like to at least duplicate that past situation. Problem is, I can only get a half-cup of water into the pressure regulator at a time. This is by pouring water into the port that the pressure gauge screws into. Once water’s to the brim, I screw gauge back in, switch the pump on for twenty seconds, then turn it off, walk back out to the pit, unscrew gauge, body of regulator looks empty and pour in another half cup. I can walk away for an hour, water still sitting at brim of the port.

Obviously, I can’t keep doing this, I’m wearing out shoe leather on the back-and-forth. : ) I’m missing a piece of the puzzle. I’ve watched folks fill their system from bottled water in just this manner.

Both of those valves in photos are all the way open. The tank does hold air, no problem.

I’m pretty sure that, back in the day, we ran a hose from a neighbor’s into that one faucet in photo and that filled the system. Unfortunately, the new neighbor is very unfriendly and that was the only source for running water close to me. We’re real backwoods here.

Ya sure, I could pull the pump and then pull all that pipe to look at packer, foot valve, etc, but yikes…

Any ideas? Thanks much : )

Gil

 

[Valveman]

If it won't stay primed there is either a leaking foot valve, a hole in the drop pipe, or the leathers are not sealing and need to be replaced.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Fitter30]

Since that doesn't look like a jet pump piping can't be any deeper that 27'. Just pull the piping, inspect pipe replace check and any other fitting. The other possibility is the pump seal is bad and needs to be replaced if shaft isn't bad. It only takes a couple of minutes to burn up a seal with no water.

 

[Reach4]

Since that doesn't look like a jet pump piping can't be any deeper that 27'. Just pull the piping, inspect pipe replace check and any other fitting. The other possibility is the pump seal is bad and needs to be replaced if shaft isn't bad. It only takes a couple of minutes to burn up a seal with no water.

A deep well jet pump can pump from much deeper. That works by having the venturi way down the well. Water is pressurized and pumped down to power the jet. Then more water comes up than was sent down.

 

[gil49r]

A deep well jet pump can pump from much deeper. That works by having the venturi way down the well. Water is pressurized and pumped down to power the jet. Then more water comes up than was sent down.

Yes, I get the principle.

Since that doesn't look like a jet pump piping can't be any deeper that 27'. Just pull the piping, inspect pipe replace check and any other fitting. The other possibility is the pump seal is bad and needs to be replaced if shaft isn't bad. It only takes a couple of minutes to burn up a seal with no water.

guaranteed, it's a deep well, it's a single 1 1/4" drop pipe in 2 inch casing. : )

 

[gil49r]

If it won't stay primed there is either a leaking foot valve, a hole in the drop pipe, or the leathers are not sealing and need to be replaced.

Thanks, more than likely, yes, probably one of those possibilities. Which means removing the pump and pulling 100 ft of pipe. Shoot. : (

But, I still don't understand why I can't feed the pump's pressure regulator more than half a cup of water. It's like the water level in the drop pipe must already be near the top? Is that possible?

 

[Fitter30]

Pressure switch look like connected to vertical centrifugal pump if it not the pump what is it?

 

[gil49r]

Pressure switch look like connected to vertical centrifugal pump if it not the pump what is it?

the pressure switch connects to the pump, yes...