LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
I’m on well water that has a lot of iron and so have an iron filter. The downside of it is that the micronizer only works at lower pressures (higher flow rates) so the pump is set to come on at 25 PSI and shut off at 50. The micronizer stops sucking air at 40 PSI. The manual states that aeration should occur for 2/3 of the pump cycle.
I have a Goulds 10GS05412 (1/2HP, 230V) in the well pumping from 50’ depth and I'm told I should get more than 10 GPM at 50 PSI but I don't. When I set the pump 12 years ago, the water table was 15 feet below ground. I don't know where the water table is now. As a test just now, I ran the pump until it reached 50 PSI and shut it off. Then I drew off 5 gal of water drawing down the storage and the PSI fell to 20. I turned the pump back on and timed how long it took to get back up to 50 PSI. It took 68 seconds, so that equates to less than 5 GPM through the micronizer.
A little history on the well and pump... 12 years ago I had the mud well drilled through 50 feet of clay and hit a 5 foot layer of sand/gravel above the bedrock. The well was pumped for several days at 5GPM with the driller's pump. When I dropped in my 10 GPM pump, the additional flow rate caused the well to cave in and my pump ingested a lot of sand. The driller backwashed the well by dumping a few thousand gallons down it and then put some crushed stone down the well to hold back the sand. I got the pump unjammed but I think the sand caused some wear and that is why I cannot pull 10 GPM with it now.
The iron filter is rated for 6 GPM service flow and I have measured and verified 6 GPM (drawing down storage) filling a 5 gal bucket. There is likely some pressure drop across the filter bed at higher flow rates but I have never tested the pressure. With the pump running, testing flow rate just before the iron filter I fill a 5 gal bucket in 30 seconds so that equates to 10 GPM but that's drawing down the storage as the pump cannot sustain that. That test was just to confirm that the flow to the filter is not restricted by iron build-up in the pipe which it does from time to time.
From what I was told, the answer is to use a domestic water pressure booster pump. My water equipment supplier suggested the Grundfos MQ pump but from googling, most consider them junk and not intended for whole house boosting. It also won't increase the GPM of the Goulds so the PSI boost would only last until I draw down the storage. I don't think any booster after the storage is the solution.
I've been looking at the Davey BF20-40. It purports to boost up to 63 PSI at 10 GPM with a 20 PSI head. If I connected it in tandem with the Goulds, before the micronizer would the flow sensor turn it on/off just once or would it rapid cycle and would it increase the GPM from the well? From what I can tell, the Goulds draws 5 amps running/6 amps starting. It is on a 15 amp breaker. The Davey start would be delayed from the Goulds but Davey recommends a 10 amp circuit. Anyone know how quiet or noisy the Davey is?
Would I be better off with just an ordinary jet pump in tandem with the Goulds and slave it to the same pressure switch as the Goulds? They would both start at once so I would need to go to a 20 amp breaker. Maybe running two pumps in tandem is just a hair-brained idea... should I just replace the Goulds? How many more years can I expect to get out of it?
Either way, I'm hoping to raise the kick-in and kick-out pressure between 10 and 20 PSI. What I'd really like is to have a constant pressure system but I just don't see how that's possible with the iron filter.
I have a Goulds 10GS05412 (1/2HP, 230V) in the well pumping from 50’ depth and I'm told I should get more than 10 GPM at 50 PSI but I don't. When I set the pump 12 years ago, the water table was 15 feet below ground. I don't know where the water table is now. As a test just now, I ran the pump until it reached 50 PSI and shut it off. Then I drew off 5 gal of water drawing down the storage and the PSI fell to 20. I turned the pump back on and timed how long it took to get back up to 50 PSI. It took 68 seconds, so that equates to less than 5 GPM through the micronizer.
A little history on the well and pump... 12 years ago I had the mud well drilled through 50 feet of clay and hit a 5 foot layer of sand/gravel above the bedrock. The well was pumped for several days at 5GPM with the driller's pump. When I dropped in my 10 GPM pump, the additional flow rate caused the well to cave in and my pump ingested a lot of sand. The driller backwashed the well by dumping a few thousand gallons down it and then put some crushed stone down the well to hold back the sand. I got the pump unjammed but I think the sand caused some wear and that is why I cannot pull 10 GPM with it now.
The iron filter is rated for 6 GPM service flow and I have measured and verified 6 GPM (drawing down storage) filling a 5 gal bucket. There is likely some pressure drop across the filter bed at higher flow rates but I have never tested the pressure. With the pump running, testing flow rate just before the iron filter I fill a 5 gal bucket in 30 seconds so that equates to 10 GPM but that's drawing down the storage as the pump cannot sustain that. That test was just to confirm that the flow to the filter is not restricted by iron build-up in the pipe which it does from time to time.
From what I was told, the answer is to use a domestic water pressure booster pump. My water equipment supplier suggested the Grundfos MQ pump but from googling, most consider them junk and not intended for whole house boosting. It also won't increase the GPM of the Goulds so the PSI boost would only last until I draw down the storage. I don't think any booster after the storage is the solution.
I've been looking at the Davey BF20-40. It purports to boost up to 63 PSI at 10 GPM with a 20 PSI head. If I connected it in tandem with the Goulds, before the micronizer would the flow sensor turn it on/off just once or would it rapid cycle and would it increase the GPM from the well? From what I can tell, the Goulds draws 5 amps running/6 amps starting. It is on a 15 amp breaker. The Davey start would be delayed from the Goulds but Davey recommends a 10 amp circuit. Anyone know how quiet or noisy the Davey is?
Would I be better off with just an ordinary jet pump in tandem with the Goulds and slave it to the same pressure switch as the Goulds? They would both start at once so I would need to go to a 20 amp breaker. Maybe running two pumps in tandem is just a hair-brained idea... should I just replace the Goulds? How many more years can I expect to get out of it?
Either way, I'm hoping to raise the kick-in and kick-out pressure between 10 and 20 PSI. What I'd really like is to have a constant pressure system but I just don't see how that's possible with the iron filter.