New pump, no water...Help!

Hi guys, I need a hand if you don't mind. Just bought a brand new 1/2hp convertable jet pump. I hooked it all up and I'm have a real tough time priming it. Acording to the directions that came with the pump all I have to do is fill it with water, turn on one of the taps in the house and let 'er rip. That is not seeming to be the case. When I follow the priming instructions the pump runs and runs with the pressure meter sitting on zero, but occasionally reaching a max of 10 lbs for a few seconds, the falling right back to zero. I have a clear hose going from the pump to the pressure tank and I can see water trying to reach the tank but it's not making it.If it helps the pump was replaced because the original was probably at least 25 years old. For the last 2 weeks of it's life it would only pump to about 40 lbs of pressure then keep running and running. It finally quit running altogether.
The guy at the store said something about the ejector on the pump possibly being plugged with dirt, rocks, ect...I've been told that based on the way my pump is set up that I have a "deep" well. All I know is that I have a large, round concrete structure with a heavy lid on it in my back yard.
I would apreciate any suggestions.
Thanks, Mike

You are gonna have to check out that well I believe,if you are fortunate you will only have to replace the foot valve at the bottom of the intake pipe,if you are unfortunate the well is shot and you go from there.
I went thru the same thing with a 25 foot hand dug well once,certainly not a "deep well".New pump,still wouldnt prime,replaced foot valve,still no luck.Had to drill a well.Expensive but no alternative.Looking back,the cost was not that bad if stretched over years.

Exactly what kind of connection did you have with the old pump. Is there one pipe on the inlet of the pump or two? We are trying to find out if you have a shallow well pump or a deep well pump.

If you got a convertible pump, did you get ejectors for it? Can you post a picture of the setup?

What is the make/model of the new pump?

Try to take that cover off and measure how far down it is to water. If it is more than about 25 ft below the elevation of the pump, then you will have problems making a shallow welll pump work.

Thanks for the replies.

The old pump had two lines going out of the house attached to it, one is a
1 1/4" line, the other is a 1" line. All I know is that two different dealers told me that this was the configuration of a "deep well." I was also told that when I got home I was to unbolt and remove the ejector from the new pump and save it in case it needed to be replaced inside the well.

The new pump is made by GSW Pump Co. under the Master Craft name and sold by Canadian Tire.

Let me know if you need anything else...I'd really like to get this figured out!

a Model 561471 (561 series) convertable, 1/2hp.

I can get a picture of the pump later today if needed.

"The guy at the store said something about the ejector on the pump possibly being plugged with dirt, rocks, etc..."

The guy told you that the ejector was probably plugged and then sold you a pump that won't solve that problem. He should stick to selling tires.

Here is a link on deep well jet pumps. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex639?opendocument

Your original pump was set up as a "deep well jet pump". There is an ejector in the well, at the bottom of those two pipes. There are two different types of deep well jet pump installations. There is the kind that puts two pipes in a larger pipe, and one for smaller wells which is called a "packer". You need to find out which you have. See the pictures at this link. http://www.aymcdonald.com/GenInfo/Pumps/Jets05%202-4.pdf

The first thing you should do is learn about your well. Is that thing covered by concrete a pit with water in it, from which the pipes bring up the water? Or is it just a place to provide access to pipes that go into the ground?

I would get that cover off and look down in the well. If there is water in there, then measure the depth to top of water, and depth of the water.

If it is just a pit, then you want to determine if there is one pipe into the ground with your two pipes connected to it (a packer type system), or two pipes that go into a casing, perhaps with a seal at the top.

Did this new pump come with a backpressure control? I'll bet not, since they told you to take the shallow well jet off the pump and save it for who knows what. Usually when you buy a convertable pump you buy it with a backpressure control or shallow well jet. Which ever is needed. In your case you got the opposite of what you needed.

If your water level is deep enough, that pump won't work without this control valve. So I would go back to the store and ask for the bpc.

bob...

Consider a submersible.