Pump won't pump to pressure

The plumber is downstairs right now.
He brought the new 1/2 pump mounted to the new 19 gallon bladder tank and hooked it up this morning.

Apart from a couple of minor leaks (he just is changing the plastic fittings to metal) the darn pressure won't go above 15 lb (preset to 20-40).
Lots of well water, new well line 25 feet to the well. We have no check valve in the feed line from the well, but it's so close and the well is only 5 feet deep.........We checked and reset the tank bladder to the recommended 18 lb pressure.
Blew the air out at all the taps, but even after, closing a valve so that it doesn't run into the house, the pressure mainly sits about 10-12 lbs. With the other system, if I closed that valve, the pressure would shoot to 60 lb in a sec or two.

Any suggestions???



Maybe these new fittings will make a difference, but I'm skeptical.

You need a check valve or you can't get the pump primed. Also could be a hole in the suction pipe or the jet is clogged up.

As valveman said, if your pump doesn't have, you will need a check valve in suction line. If it won't build pressure it tells me that either there isn't a jet assembly in or on the pump. If there is, the nozzle in the injector (jet assembly) is plugged or partially pluggeg with debris. You will have to remove the venturi then the nozzle, clean the nozzle (it will have a 1/4" hole in it).

Pumps don't build the pressure, the injector (jet assembly) builds the pressure.

Porky said:

.................. If it won't build pressure it tells me that either there isn't a jet assembly in or on the pump. .......
Pumps don't build the pressure, the injector (jet assembly) builds the pressure.

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Porky, you were dead on!! When the plumber came Thursday to look at the old set up, I gave him the new pump in the box to take back to the shop. He could then get the necessary fittings etc.. The following Monday he came back, took out the old pump, and I gave him the new bladder tank to take back to the shop for the next day's install.
Tuesday he came with it all prefitted... but as described it made only 12 lb pressure.

After several attempts to modify things, and stop a couple minor leaks, I picked up the box and saw a picture saying it needed a shallow well kit for under 20' wells. He hadn't noticed it!

Because the pump was US purchased through Sears, I couldn't get a shallow well kit for it in Canada, though I spoke twice to the manufacturer in Wisconsin. I called the friend in Detroit who gave it to me, and he found the international ordering link for me. I ordered the kit last Thursday, and it's to be shipped in the next 10 days. About $75 shipped.

Hopefully the connections made without the kit will not have damaged anything on the pump. The 'plumber' the reno company sent is not a real plumber, I suspect...more of a general knowledge guy. He'll have to re-work a few connections, but it should be a piece of cake once the kit arrives.
Though I know I'll still be billed for a half day of wasted efforts on his part!
Thank for the feedback!

Don't call plumbers for pump and well work.

Learn to DIY.

And don't buy water pumps from Sears. Next time find a Goulds

Sears is just another name for Sta-Rite, Meyers, Pentair, etc. I think they are just as good as Goulds.

valveman said:

Sears is just another name for Sta-Rite, Meyers, Pentair, etc. I think they are just as good as Goulds.

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I can't really comment, except to say that the pump that I took out is a Sears 3/4 hp, and it's run perfectly for 30 years. The only maintenance has been getting the motor bearing replaced twice, when it starts to get a little loud. It was still working fine when it was removed last week, and then only because I had a new Craftsman pump sitting there in the box.
I plan to run a line into the lake, and use the old Sears pump for watering the lawn and flower beds, building a box outside for it, and using the old galvanized tank.
If I get 20 years from this new pump (it is a seasonal home) it won't owe me anything.