Stuck jet pump nozzle

I pulled 40 feet of 1 inch steel suction pipe out of 2 inch casing. After installing a new system I realized that I wasn't getting proper flow. I checked the extracted steel pipe and found that the end (jet nozzle) had rusted off and is stuck in the casing, restricting the flow. My plan is to pull the new PVC out and use links of 1/2 inch steel pipe, coupled together, down the casing and push the old nozzle out of the casing and let it drop, thus freeing up the restriction. Does this sound logical? Since I am not a well man, I'm guessing there is some things I am not thinking about that can be an issue. Any suggestions or advice are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks

A well that deep probably has a packer. It won't be easy to move up or down. I doubt you'll have much luck pushing on it. If you can't get the old packer out, you may not be able to use the well.

Thanks for your reply. I was hoping it was just held by a leather ring. I saw the nozzle that was taken out of my neighbors well and it just had a leather ring around it that sealed it in the casing...at least that's what it looked like to me. The well is useable now with the flow restricted somewhat. Do you think by trying to knock the old nozzle out that I would do more damage or restrict the flow even more if I am not successful? Do you think I would do better to leave it alone? The issue I have now is that it takes longer to fill the tank...just worried about working the pump to hard, maybe shortening its life.

Welcome to Terry's forums Popz,

I recently had the same problem, and I just left the old nozzle/packer in the well. It works just fine.

If you have a regulator on your well pump, You may need to adjust it.

The regulator sets the pressure that the jet will get, and changes the flow rate.


Have a great day.


DonL

Thanks DonL

I'm a little bit confused by your post. In our area it is a no-no to use a cast-iron jet in a pvc well or else it will rust in two, such as what happened to DonL. A cast iron jet is OK in a galv. well. You say you're drop pipe was galv. but the jet still rusted off? Was it in a galv. well or a pvc well? Galv. pipe should not be used in a PVC well, you should use sch 40 pvc with belled ends for the jet with special adapters on each end to convert back to 1-1/4" threads for the well head and jet.

Also you cannot push the jet down past the casing as the casing should extend all the way to the water bearing zone, there are no un-cased wells in this area. You can push the jet down, but it will not hurt to let it sit just below the new one. Also since there is already one footvalve in the well you might be able to just get by with no footvalve on your new jet and use the built-in footvalve. Make sure you use a brass jet, if you go back with cast-iron you will have the same problem again in short order.

You should still be getting plenty of water even though the old jet is stuck in the well. Most jet pumps will pump about 6-12 gallons per minute and the water can easily flow through the old jet into the new one. You may have a pump problem, or if the well is galv., the screen might be getting plugged.

Good Luck.

TX Wellman
Thanks for your response. Actually the draw pipe I pulled out was iron or steel. I must have mistakenly said galvanized. Anyway it was old rusted iron in a 2" PVC casing. The stuck nozzle is about 40 ft down. The static water level, if I'm saying it right, is 12 ft down. It doesn't have a jet pump system now. It's a 1 hp pump with a draw pipe going down 30 ft. with a filter screen on the end. I get pretty good flow but the pump cavitates every now and then...it seems that the water has a hard time keeping up. After reading your reply my guess is that flow through the stuck nozzle would be sufficient, if not for a clogged screen. Keep in mind, I am not a well person but from what I have read, the casing is probably slotted down near the end, maybe in a bed of gravel, to let the water in. Would it be possible to push the stuck nozzle, if it would budge, past the slots so the water would enter the casing ahead of the clogged screen? My fear is not enough slotted casing and I would block the holes with the nozzle or break the casing. For all I know that idea might be way out there. Just don't want to do something stupid. Thanks again.

Popz,

I would just leave the old packer where it is. and install a Brass Flint & Walling/star Water 2" Packer Ejector, Above the old one. Using SCH40 PVC.

You can get a 2" Packer Ejector at Stanton's or Almeda Water Well in Manvel.

If you try banging the old one down, You may have even more problems. I had no luck moving mine, so left it there as Texas Wellman suggested, and it works just fine.

But you will need a 2" Packer Ejector, If you want to make it work properly like it did before. Brass is the only way to go.


Have a good day.


DonL

I have pushed them down in the past. Sometimes they will go down, sometimes they will not.

More than likely the shallow well jet pump is out-running what the well is capable of, either because the stuck jet is restricting flow just enough or the well is just not a strong producer. I never can understand why someone wants to put iron or galv. pipe in a 2" PVC well. It is not a good combination at all.

Sometimes when the jet is stuck in the well you cannot get a good reading of the water level because the old jet has leathers and footvavle that will not let the water level go down to it's true level. So what you're measuring at 12' might be a false reading.

Thanks for the help. Very much appreciated

DonL said:

Popz,

I would just leave the old packer where it is. and install a Brass Flint & Walling/star Water 2" Packer Ejector, Above the old one. Using SCH40 PVC.

You can get a 2" Packer Ejector at Stanton's or Almeda Water Well in Manvel.

If you try banging the old one down, You may have even more problems. I had no luck moving mine, so left it there as Texas Wellman suggested, and it works just fine.

But you will need a 2" Packer Ejector, If you want to make it work properly like it did before. Brass is the only way to go.


Have a good day.


DonL

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Thanks for the help. Very much appreciated

Thanks for the help. Very much appreciated