F&W Pump issue or something else.

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SJProwler

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I've been having a problem with my pump losing prime, it will be pumping water and you can have water running in the house no problem. Open the faucet in the garage and thud... pump acts like it loses its prime. Some times just shutting off the breaker, waiting a minute and turning it back on fixes the problem. Other times I will have to prime the pump and it never takes much more than a cup of water to get it puming again.

I spoke to my well guy and he gave me a new diaphram and fiber washers for my "automatic jet control" on my F&W model C6269 pump. I pulled it apart and replaced them. However when I opened the water valve to the house, water flowed back out around the shaft of the valve. Do I need to replace the seals inside the valve too, or is this normal?

Now it will pump for 5 or 6 minutes with a constant pressure on the gauge of 45-50 lbs. Delivering about 5 gal a min. Then suddenly it will drop to 30, then to 5 or so and quit pumping. If I shut the pump off for a few seconds, add a cup or so of water and turn it back on, it goes right back to pumping fine again.

Here are the specifics.

2" driven well, 108' deep, with 12'x 1 1/4" plastic .008 GBR screen from 109'-120', 93' 1 inch drop pipe. Bremer Check valve, Baker Pitless concentric adaptor with 8' 6" offset in to basement.
Flint & Walling 1 HP 2 Stage Jet with automatic jet pressure control. Well X-trol 202 Tank. The specs for the pump show pressure switch set for 30-50 mine has been set for 40-60.

My sheet does not show the static water level but both of my neighbors within 1/8 mile are 75'.

There is a high iron content in the water and the well was done in 1990.

Any suggestions as to why this thing will pump like mad for 5 or 6 minutes, then choke and go right back to pumping again are very welcome.

thanks
 

Pumpman

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I couldn't find any info on this pump on the F&W website. I also am at a loss as to what an "automatic jet pressure control" is.
In any case, it sounds like the pump is sucking in air, possibly when the demand is heavier than normal.
The pitless adapter on a 2" driven well is throwing me too.
I hope Speedbump or another pump person has an idea here.
Ron
 

SJProwler

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The pump is identical to the current model VA-210P. Directly at the bottom of the pump the 2 pipes go to a concentric adapter then horizontal 8.5' through the basement wall out to the well.
 
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Speedbump

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I think you said the well was drilled with the hollow rod method. So it's not a driven well, it's a drilled well. Flint and Walling's Cadillac pump had the only fully automatic backpressure control on the market. It worked on vacuum. When the diaghram got a small pinhole in it, it would give the pump a shot of air. With a jet at 75 feet, it wouldn't take much of a backpressure reduction to make the jet stop operating and the shot of air is what is helping it do just than. I would either buy a brand new regulator or put a semi automatic on that doesn't use vacuum. It will work just as good as their automatic valve will. The problem with rebuilding the old one is the crud that builds up inside the valve. It then pokes a new hole in the diaghram.

bob...
 

Speedbump

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I just got lucky on this one. I installed about a bazillion of the old Flint & Wallings way back when we were still drilling 2" wells in Michigan. They were a tough old pump. But when they wore out, just throw it away. Parts are too expensive and usually the brass wear rings and bushing in the bottom are not only gone, but the hole they used to be in is enlarged way to big to put a new one into.

bob...
 

SJProwler

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Bob,

I took apart the jet pressure valve and super cleaned it with a small wire brush, replaced the bellows, both fiber washers and the diaphram. I'm not losing prime now and it will keep pumping indefinitely. The yield is about 6 gpm @ 40 psi. With the jet down 93', and from all indications of neighboring wells a static water level of 75' or so. At 17 years old I'm guessing time for the screen to be pulled or is 6 gpm about average for that deep of 2"?

What would be a ballpark figure to replace the screen? 2" galvanized, able to drive a well rig right up to the well. Well head extends above ground and is equipped with a pitless adapter.

I'm hoping from your Michigan experience you can give me an idea of what to expect and see if anyone is in the ballpark.

Thanks.
 

Speedbump

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You did a good job if it's working now. They are tough to work on and you need a special machined socket to unscrew that big brass nut inside.

As for the screen change, when I left Michigan (for good) about 25 years ago screen changes were going for around $450.00. Most guys were using stainless steel screens because they lasted longer (in theory). I personally liked galvanized screens because the mineral would stick to them and when pulled would pull a good heave up into the casing pulling a lot of that collected mineral with the sand and gravel. The SS screens just slide right out of that collected mineral and the new one is put right back in place with the mineral still there. So next time, the screen plugged real fast. To each his own I guess. You may have trouble finding someone to do a two inch well these days. The other guys were getting away from fixing them at all and recommending new 4" wells.

bob...
 
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