Can't prime deep well jet pump

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 05:50 AM

Help! Newbie so be kind? My well pump fried itself last week. Replacing with exact same pump - Water Ace 1 hp RC10 from Lowes - - located 8" from well head, galvanized displacement tank affixed above it on the wall (which completely emptied during pump replcament). Everything hooked up but pump will not prime. Only took a half cup of water through the pressure regulator hole on top before overflowing - - checked it several times since and is still full - nothing's filling up, no water in displacement tank (do I need to manually fill the tank halfway?). Ran pump for five minutes and nothing, but don't want to burn out the new one... any suggestions?! Been without water for a week now! Thanks,

**Cass** · 11-28-2007, 05:58 AM

The pump may have become air locked and given you the impression that it was primed enough.

If the hole is 1/4" it is to small.

If the pump is above groung it is a shallow well not a deep well.

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 06:08 AM

Regulator hole is 1" opening (not 1/4" gauge opening).... well is 200 ft. supposedly.... two pipes coming out of pump into well ..... is there another way to force water into it? thx

**speedbump** · 11-28-2007, 06:38 AM

If you replaced the pump it would seem that the pump housing is empty. Some or all of the well pipes may be empty also. If you can't put water in the pump, you must be using the wrong plug. Without water in the pump casting, it will most certainly not prime.

I don't know how long that Water Ace lasted, but you might have been better off buying a good pump.

The Backpressure Regulator on a Myers Pump (who makes Water Ace) has a 1/2" priming plug not a 1", so I'm not sure where your seeing a 1" opening.

You said the old WA fried, did it melt down or did it just stop pumping?

bob...

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 06:50 AM

Thanksgiving morning - had no choice but to replace with another WaterAce as everyone else off for entire four day weekend. Old Water Ace lasted seven years, not real good. 1" opening is right on top of impeller housing, clearly marked in manual as where they want you to add water, they suggest garden hose inserted there... does water need to be under pressure to add it? The old pump seized I'm assuming as my daughter was doing laundry in middle of the night, also showering and flushing - ran pump dry which has happened in the past when multiple faucets, garden hoses, washing machine on, etc. water pressure couldn't keep up. Anyway - should I disconnect pump again from lines, fill well piping directly, re-attach everything, fill pump again and try? Or should I let pump run for longer than five minutes? or should prime be immediate? thx

**speedbump** · 11-28-2007, 07:06 AM

Only took a half cup of water through the pressure regulator hole on top before overflowing

Where are you getting this Pressure Regulator Hole from? Either you have a Backpressure Regulator or you don't.

All deep well jet pumps come with a Backpressure Regulator unless they are convertible pumps then you have to choose between a Shallow Well Jet or a Backpressure Control Valve. That's the problem with shopping at Big Box, you don't get any help with this stuff. So you probably have a deep well convertible jet pump without a Backpressure Regulator which is the reason it won't prime.

I am not sure though how you filled up a pump that should hold a quart or so with 1/2 cup of water.

bob...

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 08:28 AM

The pressure regulator screws into the 1” hole – you are supposed to fill the pump and well piping through that hole first, then screw in the regulator. I would love to have dealt with anyone other than Lowes but only one supply house open through the entire weekend and quoted $ 785.00 just to buy a Myers HJ100, plus a week to order it - - - versus $ 256 for the RC10 at Lowes on the shelf.

See link below - - shows the opening at top?

http://www.waterace.com/well_4.html

**speedbump** · 11-28-2007, 08:43 AM

I thought you at least had a real Myers, but you got one of those Chinese knockoffs which even have less actual horsepower than the Myers version of the RC.

Can you show me a picture of the backpressure control?

bob...

Rancher · 11-28-2007, 09:34 AM

Probably looks like this:

http://www.waterace.com/acc_10.html

Rancher

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 10:23 AM

Correct - - - black item “H” is the regulator - - pressure gauge itself just screws into the side of the regulator.

Thanks!

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 12:03 PM

Is it possible that the air in the well piping can’t escape when trying to pour water in, and is preventing the water from filling the lines? Do you need to add water under pressure, or open an additional fitting to allow the air to escape? I hate to drag a professional out on overtime if it’s just a priming issue that I can rectify? If I remove the pump and add water directly into the well piping - -- then re-hook up the pump and start - - will the water stay in the piping, or will it disburse under ground before I get it hooked back up?

thx

**speedbump** · 11-28-2007, 12:25 PM

That backpressure control is a joke.

Unless you installed the pump down below the two pipes they should fill nicely. Like I said before that pump probably doesn't have enough oomph to operate the ejector in the well and especially without a proper backpressure control.

bob...

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 02:01 PM

Previous pump was the same unit and lasted seven years without problems - - not that there is much to shout about from that, but it must be able to handle the load.... I guess I will de-install and pour more water down the lines again and try yet again unless someone has any ideas?
Thx

**barkwaffle** · 11-28-2007, 02:05 PM

Can anyone give me a check list of quick suggestions to try?

Thanks for the help......

**johnastephens** · 09-07-2008, 06:33 AM

I have a water ace deep well jet pump that is 35 yeas old. the only thing that I have done to that pump over the years is to replace the switch several times and bend new hooks on the starting capacitor governor springs. Recently the switch malfunctioned again so I decided to replace the pump only because it's a 60 mile round trip to work on it. I replace it with a Water Ace since the old one gave me such great service. I couldn't get the old back pressure regulator out of the old pump so as a matter of convenience I simply installed a tee instead and it works fine. Can someone that has experienced the ramifications of not using a back pressure valve tell me what problems that might occur from the absence of the valve.

Thanks