Pump setup question

Hello all. My inlaws just bought a home down from my home and this house is a great fixer upper. It was built back in the 1930's. It was a foreclosure and who knows how long the power has been off but the house currently does not have water. I primed the pump and got it started and the first thing I noticed was that as soon as the pump reached 50 psi and turns off the pressure drops instantly and the pump comes right back on. Vicious cycle......I'm thinking the foot valve must have failed or something and the water isn't holding.

The pump is a deep well setup however I highly doubt the well is a deep well. These setups are common in this area. Water table is only 30-50 ft deep. Anyways I dug up the line to where the well casing is. The well casing is a good 10-12 ft away from where the pump lies. The double jet pump lines tee together at the top of the well casing.

My question is this. The in laws are going to be fixing this house up over a 5 year span. So they will only be using the water and power a week at a time every 2 months or so. To get the pump to work reliably can I put a check valve at the beginning of the well casing split on the suction pipe? That way water stays in the 10-12 ft run including the pump itself. Would I need to put a check valve on the exit pipe that goes back into the well casing or no? Can any of this be done to prevent having to pull up the well piping itself?

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

You might get away with just putting a check valve on the discharge of the pump before the pressure tank. That will keep the water from draining back. But if you start losing prime in the pump, you will need a check valve in the well.

valveman said:

You might get away with just putting a check valve on the discharge of the pump before the pressure tank. That will keep the water from draining back. But if you start losing prime in the pump, you will need a check valve in the well.

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The leak is on the well end. The pump is a double pipe jet pump so my question was do I put a check valve on both of those pipes (facing the correct way) or do I just need on on the suction pump at the well casing? If I need to clarify anything please let me know.

Thanks!

I was assuming you have a pressure tank? Putting a check valve after the pump would keep the pressure tank from draining back into the well. You really need one on the single pipe after the two pipes combine at the jet assembly.

Hmmm I totally understand your point and please forgive me for my lack of knowledge. Definately trying to learn here. I have a shutoff valve between the pump and the pressure tank. I turned that off to keep the pressure tank from bleeding back but the pump still lost it's prime because the the water in the pump itself was disappearing. Hence why I assumed the issue was most likely the foot valve in the well casing itself. I really would like to not have to pull up the well pipe if I could get by with installing a check valve at the top of the casing itself.

You really need to fix the problem, putting a check valve at the top of the well is just a band aid and eventually you will have to pull the footvalve and replace it. Usually that will be on Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July.....

craigpump said:

You really need to fix the problem, putting a check valve at the top of the well is just a band aid and eventually you will have to pull the footvalve and replace it. Usually that will be on Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July.....

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Thanks....I guess I will be pulling up a well after all. The check valve didn't work after all.

....or Memorial Day weekend

No one is living in this home right now Being gutted and remodeled over a 5 year span

Question....the jet assembly is on top of the well casing. How is it installed? From the part at the local hardware store it looks like it simply presses onto the pipe? No bolts, glue, clamps, etc? I can snap a pic if it would help.

celticpride said:

Question....the jet assembly is on top of the well casing. How is it installed? From the part at the local hardware store it looks like it simply presses onto the pipe? No bolts, glue, clamps, etc? I can snap a pic if it would help.

Click to expand...

I'm sure the jet is down the hole not on top. Most likely what you see is an adapter that uses a compression seal.

Down the hole will be a packer with leathers.

Yeah that looks like it in the 2" casing. The adapter is very rusted so forget unbolting it. Can you simply grab the adapter and pull it up to retrieve all the piping inside? How is the best to pull everything up so I can find out what is busted or broken?