shallow well conversion to submersible ques.

[Slackdaddy2001]

I currently have a 3/4 HP Red Jacket shallow pump (I guess it is a push/pulltype) which generates around 45psi which I replaced about 8 years ago and added 220VAC to the pump. It puts out around 5 gallons per minute out of the water spicket. I am installing a irrigation system (sprinkler system) and I don't believe the current setup I have will support my house and the yard with water adequitely. I am considering removing my push / pull 3/4 hp Red Jacket setup, including the black pipes down to my point and installing a submersible pump around 3/4 HP to adequitely supplying my yard and house with adequite water supply. I was also considering installing a 1 HP submersible pump and adding a second air bladder (tank) for the supply. One of my problems will be where the top of the well is the prior owners installed an house addition. Now to access the top of the well I will have to dig 2 to 5 feet in my crawl space to access this point. For the professionals out there who do this stuff often, what am I getting myself into and is this a good route to take for me at this point? Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Bob NH]

You need at least a 4" casing in the well. Most deep well jet pumps are installed in wells that don't have a 4" casing. If they had a 4" casing, they would have installed a submersible.

If you don't have a 4" casing, then you should probably live with the jet pump until you are ready to put in a new well.

There is a long thread on this forum of what one guy went through to pull a deep well jet pump. Someone (not me) can probably point you to it, or you can search for it.

You will need to use polyethylene pipe unless you want special features in the addition that include a hole in the floor and a hole in the roof to install rigid steel or PVC pipe.

A 1 HP submersible is probably a 20 GPM pump, which is a big jump from a 5 GPM (spigot test) deep well jet pump. No matter how big the pump is, it can't deliver more than the well can produce.

It is going to be a nasty job to pull the pipes (probably steel) from the deep well jet pump. You will need to rig a hoist under the crawl space, and you will want someone with an acetylene eraser (cutting torch) to make short pieces out of long ones. Don't burn the house down.