New Well Pump - now bad pipe vibration/rattle

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scabbo1

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Flotec FP4322 3/4 HP
Above ground Jet Pump
Two pipes down the well (or at least into the pump)


Pumping from?
Water Well


Pressure Tank? - image attached


Pressure Switch Setting?
On 30, off 50

Water Used For?
House Use. Number of baths 3 Number of People 5

Problems Experienced
Water Hammer (noise)

This pump is two weeks new and I installed it to replace an old Flint and Walling (great pump) Its installed and and the pump seems to be working fine BUT it (or the installer - me) has created a very loud pipe vibration in the upstairs bathroom. This can be stopped by opening the faucet in the sink and it only occurs when the pump cycles. BUT its driving my entire family crazy. It's loud enough to wake us up at night. Our current "fix" it to leave the water running. Not really a fix at all.

I have tried to bleed the pipes of air in the lines by draining the system. Starting from the problem bathroom, opening up all of the faucets and flushing toilets and working my way downstairs to the lowest point (outside faucet) and then closing. Turning pump back on and opening the faucets again etc - this did not work. FYI picture taken day of install hence water on floor - its not leaking at all.

ANY thoughts are greatly appreciated.

wellpump.jpg
 

DonL

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You should check the air pressure in the tank and adjust as needed.


Good Luck.
 

Craigpump

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Try closing the ball valve between the pump and tank a little bit.

You may have a leaking footvalve too, because unless youre using water in the middle of the night, the pump shouldn't cycle.
 

DonL

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That pump has a built in regulator and any Ball valve should be wide open.

Then the regulator should be adjusted for proper jet pressure.
 

Craigpump

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Don, many, many jet pumps have been controled by ball valves over the years.... If he closes the valve a bit and the noises go away, he has solved the issue and can then adjust the regulator in the pump.

The tank pressure should be 2 psi below cut in, for example. If the pump comes on at 30psi, the precharge should be 28 psi. Make sure the tank is drained completely and the pump is off when checking the precharge.
 

scabbo1

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28 PSI with the tank drained.

Don - assume Draining Tank is as simple as closing value and opening spigot at bottom? Then testing? - going to do this shortly.

also why would air pressure in the tank force a vibration in the upstairs bathroom pipe?

Thanks!
 
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LLigetfa

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...why would air pressure in the tank force a vibration in the upstairs bathroom pipe?

If there is too much air in the bladder, the tank could be empty at some point in time and essentially be out of the circuit. The tank acts a bit like a large water hammer arrestor.

You need to determine at what pressure the pipes are rattling. It may just be a coincidence and not even be related to the new pump.
 

Valveman

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When the pressure in the system is the same as the air-charge in the pressure tank, the bladder in the tank can bounce on the bottom of the tank like a basketball on a hardwood floor. This can shake the pipe violently or just make a couple of loud “thumps” if the system goes through this pressure fairly quickly.

The rule of thumb is to have 2 PSI less air pressure in the tank than the starting pressure of the pump. Ie; 40/60 switch, 38 PSI air in the tank. I usually do 5 PSI less air than the start pressure.

But there are times when someone opens up a lot of faucets, and the pressure drops below the air charge pressure, because they are using more water than the pump can produce. Then the bladder in the tank will bounce and cause problems. For instance at a golf course where the pressure switch is set at 80/100, we would normally put 75 PSI air in the tank. But many times the golf course will keep opening more and more sprinklers until the pressure drops to 70 PSI, and the system will shake violently. So we compensate by letting the air charge in the tank down to 65 PSI.
 
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