Multi well to a pump With two foot valves

[TeeTime]

Hi,

I live in a low ground water. Most wells around here are about 10 feet. I was going to use a submersible for my sprinkler, but decided that was the wrong application. I have drilled two wells(don't ask why,that's another story) I purchased a 1 1/2 hp irrigation pump. I planned on using only one well with a foot valve, but had a thought to use both wells. Can I use two foot valves and tee them up to my pump suction? Do I need a check valve?

Also these wells aren't In the best location, using a submersible would have been great because I could have the pump in the well. With this pump it's above ground, can I run my suction pipe a 100 feet from my wells so I can put my pump closer to my house? I'm confused about the performance chart because of the depth of well, but this is a 100 feet inside a sprinkler trench. Is it the same performance?

[LLigetfa]

How many GPM does that 1 1/2 HP pump produce and how many GPM will your spinklers use? I doubt you could move too many GPM with a 100 foot long suction unless you make it big enough. Maybe Cary will be along with his calculator once you provide some numbers.

Could you not put the pump into a pit close to the wells? Pumps always push better than they pull. See this thread where the guy tried using 300 feet of 1 1/4" pipe on a 1/2 HP jet pump.
http://www.terrylove.com/forums/show...ring-rc-track-)

[TeeTime]

I guess I'm doing a decorative rock. My pump chart says, if I'm reading it right at 70ft at 68gpm.

Do you have any comment about the two foot valves, can you pull from two wells at once? What is a check valve?

If suction is mainly horizontal instead of vertical, does that matter?

Thanks

[LLigetfa]

Pumps enemy is something called Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPSH

A pump can lift very little vertically. What it does is lower the pressure on the inlet so that atmospheric pressure can push the water to the pump. A long horizontal intake has friction losses that eats your intake budget. The greater the GPM, the greater the friction loss. The smaller the pipe, the greater the friction loss.

A footvalve is a checkvalve and yes, you can run two lines in parallel.

[valveman]

70' is only 30 PSI. You don't have any room for other friction loses. 68 GPM is a lot, like 30 sprinklers at a time. Will your wells make 68 GPM? You are going to need to place the pumps very close to the wells, and use very large pipe before and after the pump. A foot valve in each well should be the only checks you need. What pump do you have?

[TeeTime]

70' is only 30 PSI. You don't have any room for other friction loses. 68 GPM is a lot, like 30 sprinklers at a time. Will your wells make 68 GPM? You are going to need to place the pumps very close to the wells, and use very large pipe before and after the pump. A foot valve in each well should be the only checks you need. What pump do you have?

It's a Franklin turf boss FTB15CI 1.5 HP

Would I be better of with one check valve or two foot valves?

I'm running about 6 to 8 heads per zone. So I only need around 30 to 40 gpm.

I would like to move the pump closer to the house if possible, but obviously still need my sprinkler requirements.

Thanks

[valveman]

For 40 GPM I would use a 2" footvalve in each well with 2" pipe. Then manifold into a 3" suction line and keep it as short as possible to the pump. Then 2" discharge unless it goes a long way.