Deep Well Single Pipe Packer - Jet Pump Priming Question

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Bxpate

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Hello all, thanks in advance for any help.

My Jet pump motor burned up so I bought a new pump/motor package. Put it all back together and now can't get it to prime. I think something might be wrong with the jet assembly down in the well. With the pump off I can fill the suction line and it stays full, but the drive portion (space between the suction line and the well casing) level drops very quickly. With the pump installed I use a water hose from a different source to fill up the casing and suction pipe where the pressure gauge installs on the pump. I take out the air bleeder bolt to let the air escape and put it back when all the air is out and the pipes are full. Then I remove the water hose from the pressure gauge port very quickly and install the gauge. In this process of installing the gauge back, there is a severe amount of suction. Turn the pump on and nothing happens. Take the pressure gauge back off to put more water in and the suction is massive.

Is my well casing compromised or are my leathers not sealing? Or am I just doing something wrong?

Thanks for your help as I'm at a loss right now.
 

Bxpate

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Correct, galv. well and the pump is a goulds 2 HP vertical jet pump.
 

Texas Wellman

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Very rarely do leathers go bad in galv. wells. It is possible that your foot valve is leaking. It was leaking before your pump went out but it was probably masked as long as you had pressure and volume in the tank.

You could use a double connector (washing machine hose) and pressure up the system and prime the pump that way. Connect the hose to a spigot on the tank and pressure everything up. Open up the 1/4" plug on the side of the pump and let out the air.

Once the pump is liquid full turn it on and adjust the regulator to about 60 PSI. 2-HP might even possibly be higher. I use 60 for the 1.5 HP pumps, but the 2 HP still has 3 stages.

Sometimes once pressure is on the system the leaking footvalve will either slow or seal.

It is also possible that your galv. casing has a hole in it. In fact, it is almost a certainty that the casing will get a hole in it. Most of the galv. wells here have rusted through within the last 20 years and had to be replaced by PVC. Most WW companies won't even work on them anymore, they will tell you to drill a new well. The last 3-4 I have worked on were no good but a couple before that I fixed.

Good luck.
 

fiberfling

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We had the same problem a few years back. Had a s pare submersible but eventually had to replace the foot valve. The old one leaked. That'll do it.
 

Bxpate

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Thanks Texas Wellman and you are correct, the three WW companies I talk to when the motor on my pump went bad would not even touch it, so I replaced the pump myself.

Not really knowing much about a packer system, but if the foot valve was bad, then shouldnt the water level in the suction line drop as well? When I have the pump removed, I can fill up the suction line and it pretty much stays topped off, but the water between the suction line and the well casing drops very rapidly after I take the water hose off of it. I'm talking like 6 inches a second level drop.
 

Bxpate

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Not really knowing much about a packer system, but if the foot valve was bad, then shouldnt the water level in the suction line drop as well? When I have the pump removed, I can fill up the suction line and it pretty much stays topped off, but the water between the suction line and the well casing drops very rapidly after I take the water hose off of it. I'm talking like 6 inches a second level drop.

Hi just checking about my foot valve question above. Trying to avoid pulling up the whole packer assembly if I can. Think the $1000 pump was bought for nothing but a huge paper weight.
 

DonL

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Not really knowing much about a packer system, but if the foot valve was bad, then shouldnt the water level in the suction line drop as well? When I have the pump removed, I can fill up the suction line and it pretty much stays topped off, but the water between the suction line and the well casing drops very rapidly after I take the water hose off of it. I'm talking like 6 inches a second level drop.


You would think so, if the packer assembly is intact.

Sounds like maybe a casing leak to me, But I am no Well Pro.


Good Luck.
 

Texas Wellman

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Since the lines are connected at the jet it doesn't make sense that one is holding water and the other is not. Is the well head tight? I have accidentally left them loose before and had that happen.

Where exactly are you located? I fix these kind of wells all the time if they are fixable.

Hi just checking about my foot valve question above. Trying to avoid pulling up the whole packer assembly if I can. Think the $1000 pump was bought for nothing but a huge paper weight.
 

Bxpate

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Texas Wellman, I think I'm on the opposite side of of Houston as where you are, will PM you about that..

If this was a twin pipe jet assembly I would think both lines should hold water equally. Since this is a single pipe packer, with the 1 1/4'' pipe as the suction pipe and the annular space between the suction pipe and the well casing considered the drive pipe, I'm just not positive as to how it works. If there is a hole in the casing, it must be huge because the water level in this annular space drops literally 6-8 inches a second.

So I guess the question is, in a single pipe packer assembly, what keeps the water level from dropping in the casing? Leathers? Hole in the casing? Foot valve?

Thanks for everyones help, I hate city water and cant wait to get back on my well.
 
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