Shallow well pump,air in water,put T on inlet last week

Hi
I have posted here earlier for help with replacing my Shallow well Jet pump. After many posts and fixes I seem to have learned how to solder pipes, replace PVC fittings and adjust my pressure switch. The 3/4HP Sears Shallow Jet pump is on a vertical Air tank, the switch is a 40/60, the tank is set to 38 PSI and the pump goes on and off at the right time.

We replaced the inlet pipe which had a leaky union on the 1-1/2 inch inlet and instaled new PVC and a T to use for priming the horizontal line out to the well, this seems to work well however there is still air in my water. I think the foot valve on the well is old and leaks but we are not gonna fix that.

The pump inlet is 1-1/4 inch and we used 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe from the well line to the pump, and a downsizing pvc pipe at the last point to the pump inlet going from 1-1/2" down to 1-1/4".

I wonder if this downsize has a way to allow an air bubble to be created in the tube where the pipe changes size? It really doesnt make sense to me that air can be getting in this pipe, unless there is a breach underground somewhere. That would be a new twist that never happened before, and until I did this pump replacement project 2 weeks ago there never had been air in my water.

The air bubbles are usually coming out of any faucet that is the first one used each day, a few blasts and belches and then the water runs clear. I can hear the sound of what someone said was "marbles" on the inlet side as the pump runs, this means that air is in the line, but I cant figure out where that air is getting in. I took the earlier advice and replaced all the Inlet pipes as stated above and added the T.

I can live with the air bubbles, but I know it means that something isnt quite right.

Does anyone have ideas on what to fix, check or do next?

thx

Jon

Where did you install this priming tee? In the suction line or in the pressure line leaving the pump?

You do have an air leak. Air can't appear magically. It has to get into the suction line through a crack, badly soldered or glued fitting or through the footvalve by way of the water level getting down to it.

bob...

Since the beginning of my pump swap I was concerned that the gurgle I heard when I undid the union on the inlet meant the water was running back into the well

In my priming the well inlet line and replacing the pump several times I notice that my water filters are getting filled with organic sediment much faster than they used to. Maybe from all this back and forth activity, the foot valve is stuck open by some junk and the water is sliding back into the hole each time the pump shuts off and lets suction off a little bit on the inlet?

I do hear the marble rattle sound going thru the 1-1/2" inlet pipes when its running, and then I a gurgle or "baloop" sound at the end right after the pump shuts off

I cant tell if that noise is coming from the air tank, or if its an air bubble sound on the inlet line.

Since I have pulled apart so many things in this project I could be introducing an air leak when I reassembled the pump housing, or the inlet pipes (I dont hear any air leaking backwards when the pumps shuts off) I DID hear air leaking before I replaced the union and added the T and PVC pipes on the inlet, so the PVC pipes fixed that leak...now there seems to be another one

I am certainly not a good plumber, possibly a pro would put their ear to a pipe and diagnose the possible points for air leaks.

thank you

Jon

I guess your not going to tell us where you installed this priming tee.

bob...

I replaced the union and added the T and PVC pipe on the inlet

I put this T on the inlet, since the horizontal pipe out to my well has to be primed, the T is there to pour the water in.

Note: the T is what I put in, to replace the union that someone here told me was a bad design on the inlet side.

The T is made of 1-1/2" PVC pipe.....its the same size as the pvc pipe that runs underground out to the well head. All the pvc pipe joints are glued except the 1-1/4" pipe that screws into the pump inlet, and the cap on the T, both have have teflon tape on their screw joints

there is a priming plug ON the Sears jet pump body that is used to fill the pump housing with water, this plug was removed and now is where I put my pressure gauge on the pump

but the T is on the inlet, I have said this numerous times

it was put there to remove the union that was there, and to try to avoid a faulty design that was allowing air leaks earlier


hope that helps you to see whats going on here?

thank you for ideas

Jon

You were also told several times that the fewer joints you have in your suction line the better. You just added a few more air leak possibilities with that tee. You prime a pump through the priming plug on the pump. If you have a check valve in front of the pump, you cannot fill the suction line, but the pump will pull the air from the suction line as long as the pump has water in it.

bob...

Unless you totally fill the teed line and pump wet end with water and it maintains its full level, you are allowing air in the line/pump when you put the plug in it. If the water level does not remain static, that proves a leaking foot valve or it's in the plumbing.

Jet pumps can not suck water if there is air in the line that can not be 'flushed out' when the pump runs. That can cause cavitation, marble sounds, that tear up impellers.

Another thing that can sound like air is methane gas or high DO (dissolved oxygen) content in the water. Recall the bubbles from a motor boat motor propeller?

Other than that, you need to fix any leaking foot valve etc. or your problems will continue. BTW, 40/60 on a jet pump is a bit too high IMO. Air could be sucked into the pump etc. if the foot valve is leaking and air can get in. That would happen at a fitting etc. that doesn't leak water but allows air suction. You're back to that union sucking air but couldn't prove it. This would not happen if the pressure tank can supply the leaking foot valve water because the tank is pressurized. It will do that unless there is a check valve on the pressure side of the pump; its outlet. No check valve on the outlet will cause the pump to run at times when no water has not been used. That will kill your pump motor while increasing your electric bill and it puts a lot of excess operation on the pressure tank bladder if you have a captive air type tank.