Have well, need help!

We have owned our home for 7 years, had no problems with water other than not great pressure. We have a 1/8 HP pump and had a 20 gallon pressure tank. No idea how deep the well is, there's a 6-10' pipe out back with a cap on it. One day noticed the pump in the basement was staying on all the time. Would kick off for a second, then come right back on. We started keeping it off all the time unless we were using it. I really don't want it to burn out. We replaced the 20 gallon pressure tank with a new Diamond 82 gallon pre-charged one (the old one seemed to be leaking). We went big as we would eventually like to get some decent pressure and figured we'll probably only replace once. We also had to replace the pressure switch as guy at Home Depot said one we had was for small tanks. Now, the pump shutting off now, but coming on again within 5 minutes with no taps open. I went down and checked the pressure tank and it doesn't seem to have any water in it. We shut off the line to the rest of the house and let the pump just fill the pressure tank, but it still kicks on again within 5 minutes and I still don't think the water is going in the tank (if it is, it's going back out again). Someone mentioned it might be the foot valve, (don't know if it matters, but when old tank was disconnected water kept pouring out of pump even though it wasn't on) Please help, I want my water back on. Do we need to replace the pump? If so, which one is best to get. I don't want to run well dry, and have heard we might be tapped in to an artesian well. Neighbors next door share a well and the cap is always overflowing)

I'm surprised about the small size of the 1/8 HP pump. It probably is not delivering much pressure or flow. Can you tell us the make and model number?

The dealer did not tell you the truth about the pressure switch. The same switch will work whether the tank is 1 gallon or 10,000 gallons.

Do you have a pressure gauge? You must have a pressure gauge to diagnose a problem. If you don't have one you must get one installed near the pressure switch, which should be near the tank.

The pressure switch will be set to start the pump at a low pressure and stop it at a high pressure. The low and high pressures are typically different by 20 psi with start/stop settings of 20/40 or 30/50. The precharge air pressure in the bladder tank, with the tank empty, should be about 2 psi less than the START pressure setting of the switch.

One possible cause of the symptom you describe is a failure (leakage) of the "foot valve" which is usually a check valve with a screen in the well. Some systems, especially a "flowing well" or artesian well setup, may not have a foot valve, in which case there would be a check valve near the pump, between the pressure switch and the well.

Another possibility is that the air precharge pressure is too high, which could prevent the pump from putting water in the tank. You must have a gauge and you need to measure the air pressure with the tank empty.

The 1/8 HP of your pump suggests that it may be a small positive displacment pump which is usually a low flow pump. If you ever have to replace the pump I suggest a shallow well jet pump. If your well is a flowing well then you can probably get much more water with a 1/2 HP or 3/4 HP shallow well jet pump.

We also had to replace the pressure switch as guy at Home Depot said one we had was for small tanks.

Click to expand...

All I can say to that is WOW, what a story.

You really need to get a pump expert out there before HD sells you the entire store and you still have the same problems. Believe me, it will pay in the long run.

bob...

I was wrong about the HP. It's actually a Franklin Electric 1/3 HP PH1 MOD1403002457 V115 RPM-TPM 3450 AMP 7.4 SF 1.75 HZ 60 SF AMP 8.6 Date Code L89 FR 56 Rating CONT. There is a pressure guage on the pump but I haven't contorted myself to look at it yet (it's facing the wall). There are two black pipes that come off the pump and go outside. We now have a new problem. I was doing a load of wash and all the water stopped. When I fiddle with the lever on the pressure switch (we've been using this to shut it off) it sound like it's starting but as soon as I let go, it just winds off again. I've put in a call to a plumber who specializes in pumps/wells, and have asked my husband to pick up a 1HP pump on his way home. I don't know what to do anymore.

It may be a low pressure cutoff switch. If there is no pressure when you start it, then when you release it immediately there will be no pressure and it will shut off.

You need to hold it ON until the pressure rises above the low-pressure-cutoff level.

Your Franklin identification sounds like the motor; not the pump.

Your description of "two pipes going outside" could indicate a deep well jet pump unless both the suction and discharge pipes are going outside for some reason. The discharge pipe usually goes directly to the tank. If you have a discharge pipe AND two pipes going outside together that sounds like a deep well jet pump, which is inconsistent with your earlier description that water was pouring out of the pump when the tank was disconnected.

This is how we've started it all week (we only replaced the pressure thank last week). It doesn't matter how long I hold it, it still won't stay on and I have no water.

Sorry about the pump, it's a Jacuzzi 3C-S(or6)1/B.

There are 2 pipes going outside and one coming off the top that goes into the pressure tank. There was definately water pouring out when disconnected.

You either have a bad foot valve on your jet assembly or a leak in one of the pipes or fittings. I would convert to a submersible pump. Submersible pumps dont loose their prime, have a higher efficiency rating, will give you more volume and pressure, and you will not hear a pump running in your basement. I'm always upgrading them and people love the results. Most of the time the upgrades are simple. The most difficult part of it would be excavation if you have a pit-less adapter at the well. What i do is use one of the 2 lines as the water supply and the other i snake wire through to run the pump in the well. I would strongly suggest the upgrade, get yourself a better tank and return the HD garbage. Unless your plumber has a well contractors license,i would call one who does and get quotes for the upgrade. Ask them about a cycle stop valve too and downsize your holding tank with a better brand. Its good idea that they pressure test the lines and snake the wire through the bad line if one of them is defective.

Sammy