Priming point for shallow well pump

belewmoon · Feb 9, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
Can we expect pictures sometime?

Glad to see you're still here. Yes, pics will be soon...no Super Bowl so should be this weekend.

Gary Slusser · Feb 13, 2007

Yeah and I'm still here and it's just after noon on Tuesday!!

I'm thinking you've had problems or we'd have seen pictures by now...

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

belewmoon · Feb 13, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
Yeah and I'm still here and it's just after noon on Tuesday!!

I'm thinking you've had problems or we'd have seen pictures by now...

Thanks for keeping me on my toes. To be honest, I just haven't got around to the pics yet. Since I see there is still some interest I will make it a higher priority.

Gary Slusser · Feb 15, 2007

Yeah and I'm still here and it's just after 1:00 PM on Thursday now!!

I'm thinking you've had problems or we'd have seen the pictures you keep promising...

Gary Slusser · Feb 17, 2007

It's roughly 1:00 PM Sat. and that's plenty of time for at least one picture! I think the camera broke, or you're still outta water and moved in with Mom and are fixin' it today.

belewmoon · Feb 18, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
It's roughly 1:00 PM Sat. and that's plenty of time for at least one picture! I think the camera broke, or you're still outta water and moved in with Mom and are fixin' it today.

Where's Slusser when you REALLY need him?! Anyways, I live in MD & if you remember the mid-atlantic got hit with snow, ice & freezing rain. 90,000 people without power. I was without power for 24 hours & without internet for 36 hours. Add to that I was attending an intensive 4 day Microsoft boot camp so not much got done.

To recap:
1. Delete priming point on suction end. Keep point on top of pump.
2. Water hammer. Put T at bottom of tank to create straighter flow.
3. Copper pipe in ground. Change to pvc or cpvc.
4. Change pipes to all pvc or cpvc? Currently starts pvc after pump & then changes to cpvc before filter/uv light.

Anything else?

Priming point after pump

Pipe entering pump

Priming point before pump

Filter/UV light

Raucina · Feb 18, 2007

Outside of being a little bit ugly, I dont see anything that neeeds immediate surgery.... looks like this system already has had many cuts and couple jobs.

Dont know where that copper line into the foundation runs to, but looks like you will need a backhoe to modify it. Wait till it leaks.

Pumpman · Feb 19, 2007

If you ever get the chance, replace that suction line with a bigger one. It should be at least as big as the suction port of the pump.
I think the reason there's a priming point on the copper suction line is because it's higher than the priming port on the pump. This means that you can't fill the suction line completely full of water.
Ron

belewmoon · Feb 19, 2007

Raucina said:
Outside of being a little bit ugly, I dont see anything that neeeds immediate surgery.... looks like this system already has had many cuts and couple jobs.

Dont know where that copper line into the foundation runs to, but looks like you will need a backhoe to modify it. Wait till it leaks.

Yup, it's ugly & has been thru surgury many times. The copper pipe runs thru the basement foundation to the well which is about 10' away on the other side of the foundation. I have dug that pipe up before looking for a leak which was eventually found to be in the well. Your suggestion is to replace the copper pipe that goes to the well with pvc?

Gary Slusser · Feb 19, 2007

Now Pumpman went and told you; and spoiled my surprise...

I see something that shouldn't be, it's with the UV light installation... lose the by-pass. Buy a spare quartz.

BTW, I've sold and installed hundreds of those UVs; althoiugh they weren't Watersoft, a private label. They are made in Mechanicsburg PA. It probably is a class B light. Usually takes a 2 pin each end lamp about 19" long between the end caps. Replace it annually and sanitize the light and household plumbing. Clean the quartz every other year, replacing the two o-rings as long as the softener always gives you soft water. Otherwise clean it annaully.

belewmoon · Feb 19, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
Now Pumpman went and told you; and spoiled my surprise...

I see something that shouldn't be, it's with the UV light installation... lose the by-pass. Buy a spare quartz.

BTW, I've sold and installed hundreds of those UVs; althoiugh they weren't Watersoft, a private label. They are made in Mechanicsburg PA. It probably is a class B light. Usually takes a 2 pin each end lamp about 19" long between the end caps. Replace it annually and sanitize the light and household plumbing. Clean the quartz every other year, replacing the two o-rings as long as the softener always gives you soft water. Otherwise clean it annaully.

Gary, pumpman mentioned suction line size & height of priming ports? Which one are you referring to? The suction port of the pump is 1 1/4". I should run 1 1/4" from well to pump? The discharge port is 3/4".

Yes, it's a 2-pin lamp. I replace everything (lamp, o-rings, quartz & filter) annually.

Shame on me but there is no water softener in the mix.

Pumpman · Feb 20, 2007

The suction line can be copper, PVC, galvanized pipe, whatever. I usually run a suction line at least as big as the suction port of the pump. Many times, I'll even go one size bigger if there's some distance between the water source and the pump, to cut down on friction losses.
Ron

belewmoon · Feb 20, 2007

Pumpman said:
The suction line can be copper, PVC, galvanized pipe, whatever. I usually run a suction line at least as big as the suction port of the pump. Many times, I'll even go one size bigger if there's some distance between the water source and the pump, to cut down on friction losses.
Ron

Since my run from well to pump is less than 35' (well (20') + well to house (15'))
I think I will wait until spring to replace anything in the ground. As a temporary measure, when I install the pump I will use 1 1/4" copper from where the pipe enters the basement to the pump.

Since I am modifying the pipe layout, do you see any advantage in going with either pvc or cpvc after the pump? It's all cold water so I could use just pvc. Does cpvc have an advantage when connecting to copper?

Gary Slusser · Feb 20, 2007

OK, shame on you about having a softener when you have an air injection iron/H2S gas filter or air pump system but... there is a filter that allows air into it with no venturi or air compressor.

Shame also for a lack of attention to detail or comprehension. Ron said:
"I think the reason there's a priming point on the copper suction line is because it's higher than the priming port on the pump. This means that you can't fill the suction line completely full of water..".

So in another of my attempts to help you... can you figure out the importance of what that means to your system and your original question?

I would not use copper! I would use 125-160 psi rated PE so in the spring I could use the same material outside/underground to the well; replacing this piece so I had one fitting on each end from the well to the pump. You can buy a 100' coil and the fittings now.

belewmoon · Feb 20, 2007

Good on ya' Gary. I posted after your original post but before your edits.

Gary Slusser said:
OK, shame on you abvout having a softener when you have an air injection iro/H2S gas filter or air pump system but... there is a filter that allows air into it with no venturi or air compressor.

I don't have a softener.

Not sure what a "air injection iro/H2S gas filter or air pump system" is. I get my hot water from an oil fired furnace.

Gary Slusser said:
Shame also for a lack of attention to detail or comprehension. Ron said: "I think the reason there's a priming point on the copper suction line is because it's higher than the priming port on the pump. This means that you can't fill the suction line completely full of water..".

I understand this point. When I install the new pump, I was going to make sure the priming port after the pump is higher than the suction pipe coming out of the ground.

Gary Slusser said:
I would not use copper! I would use 125-160 psi rated PE so in the spring I could use the same material outside/underground to the well; replacing this piece so I had one fitting on each end from the well to the pump. You can buy a 100' coil and the fittings now.

Will take that under consideration. BTW, what is PE? PolyEtholyn?

Gary Slusser said:
So in another of my attempts to help you... can you figure out the importance of what that means to your system and your original question?

I have forgotten my original question...

Gary Slusser · Feb 20, 2007

Yes. Polyethylene, great'n literally slick stuff. That means the least pressure loss and only two fittings; it bends. Plus you don't creat noise problems as you probably will with copper and plastic can't be attacked by aggressive or acidic water which MD is famous for.

IMO you don't know enough about this stuff to take things into consideration! You'll do much better if you just do what is suggested. So, raise the pump up with a piece of wood etc. so the line to the well/from the pump runs down hill to the well. Then you can remove your prime point from the water line. Otherwise you can't prime the pump and that line because air will be trapped in the water line to the pump. That could be a problem for the present pump; although the air will eventually be absorbed into the water.

Gary Slusser · Feb 26, 2007

hummmm another week has gone by and nothing more... and no pictures.

belewmoon · Feb 27, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
hummmm another week has gone by and nothing more... and no pictures.

Well, you're certainly up late...from your earlier request I posted pics on 18 Feb & you replied twice after that. Let me know what other pics you would like.

I know what I need to do now...just need to do it.

1. Replace copper pipe in ground with 1 1/4" from well to pump.
2. Delete priming point before pump.
3. Use T at entry/exit point of tank to get rid of water hammer.
4. Use only pvc. No combo of pvc & cpvc.

Gary Slusser · Feb 27, 2007

Is that of the finished job? The plumbing looks like th efirst pictures.

belewmoon · Feb 27, 2007

Gary Slusser said:
Is that of the finished job? The plumbing looks like th efirst pictures.

Sorry, not finished job. Latest pics are of current piping. It'll be awhile but I will post back when I re-do this monstrosity...

Priming point for shallow well pump

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