The well from hell. Need advice.

[CAMERON808]

I have a Sta-rite MSE-7 vertical pump running a single pipe leather packer ejector configuration on a 2 inch casing. I determined by dropping weights and floats that the water level is 36 feet down, and the bottom of the well is 68 feet down. The jet and cups on the suction pipe are 50 feet down with a 5 foot drop pipe and foot valve below that.
I finally got the thing to hold a prime for more than 10 minutes by replacing the cups and extending the suction pipe another 3 feet.
I have it plumbed to a brand new 28 gallon precharged tank (28 lbs). The only thing plumbed to this system is a hose bib located 2 feet off ot the pressure tank.
Here is the thing I need help with.
I open the hose bib and get a good stream of pressurized water. Let's say for arguments sake, it shoots about 8 feet out. As soon as the pressure drops to 30 psi, the pump kicks on.
Now as soon as the pump kicks on, that stream of water coming out of the hose bib drops from shooting 8 feet, to shooting 4 feet.
It's like the pump is drawing from the pressure tank rather than the water in the ground. If I close the hose bib, the pump will refill the pressure tank and turn off at 50 psi.
Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Reach4]

I suspect that your system can keep up with, let's say, 4 gpm, but your open spigot is spitting out 8 gpm initially. Try putting a hose with a nozzle on that spigot.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[CAMERON808]

I suspect that your system can keep up with, let's say, 4 gpm, but your open spigot is spitting out 8 gpm initially. Try putting a hose with a nozzle on that spigot.

Thanks for the reply.
I understand your suggestion, but why would the pump coming on immediately cause the water output from the pressure tank to be cut by half.
By the way, I am not doubting your suggestion in any way. Although I consider myself fairly handy and technically inclined, I am completely new to this whole "well" thing and learning as I go.

 

[Reach4]

I understand your suggestion, but why would the pump coming on immediately cause the water output from the pressure tank to be cut by half.

I mis-read the post. So the drop in pressure is just a few seconds, I now think you are saying.

If your cut-in is at 30 psi, set the air precharge on the pressure tank to 25 if it is higher. It takes some time for a jet pump to get going.

 

[CAMERON808]

I mis-read the post. So the drop in pressure is just a few seconds, I now think you are saying.

If your cut-in is at 30 psi, set the air precharge on the pressure tank to 25 if it is higher. It takes some time for a jet pump to get going.

No sir, you didn't misread. The drop in pressure does not recover.
It literally seems like the pump is drawing from the tank rather than the well, or at least partially from the tank.

 

[Bannerman]

With 28 psi precharge in the tank, the tank is virtually empty when the pump kicks on @ 30 psi. The pump can not draw from the tank since the tank will be connected downstream to the pressure side of the pump.

Is the footvalve the only check-valve in the system?

How long does the pump need to run to fill the 28 gallon tank to raise the pressure from 30 psi back up to 50 psi while no water is flowing to the hose bib?

Edit: Have you adjusted the pressure regulator to fully open so as to maximize the flow rate from the pump? (Page 11 of pump owners manual)

 

[Reach4]

No sir, you didn't misread. The drop in pressure does not recover.
It literally seems like the pump is drawing from the tank rather than the well, or at least partially from the tank.

The spigot is drawing from the tank before the pump kicks on. That tank can deliver lots of gpm for a time.

Shortly after the pump kicks on, the pumping system is delivering the gpm-- not the tank.

What does the pressure gauge read while the pump is running and the spigot is flowing?