Shallow well jet can't keep up...?

michiglen

michiglen

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This is a GREAT forum, and I've gotten a lot of help just by reading other peoples problems, but can't find anything quite like my current situation. I've got a shallow well jet w/a 7 year old Well Xtrol 203 tank and a Lowes 30/50 pressure switch. Everything works perfectly under light use like a sink faucet or single toilet flush, but anything heavier like the softener recharging or washing machine filling seems to suck the pressure down below the switches cut-in point and the pump never starts. It easily reaches 50psi as long as there's no water running, so I don't think it's a dirty jet. (?)
 
Everything works perfectly under light use like a sink faucet or single toilet flush, but anything heavier like the softener recharging or washing machine filling seems to suck the pressure down below the switches cut-in point and the pump never starts.
Click to expand...

Do you mean to say, that the pump motor doesn't start when the points on the pressure switch close or do you mean the pump can't keep up and the pressure just gets lower instead of higher during large water uses?

bob...
 
Your right that it's not a dirty jet. It sounds like a plugged screen or a lowered water level. Beyond that, I'de be guessing.

How old is this system and what horsepower and brand is the pump?

bob...
 
It's a STA-RITE pump. Can't remember the HP rating-I'm at work now. I'll look when I get home and reply then...

THANKS for the help!

Glen
 
We bought the house 15 yrs ago, and the well is probably at least 10 yrs older than that. It is shallow, (Less than 100') and ended in glacial outwash sands and gravels in a somewhat rural hilly area that is a 3-way watershed at the edge of Michigan's Saginaw Valley. There are fairly permanent wetlands within 100'. The well head looks to be about 3-4" in diameter. That's about all I know about it.
 
That tells me it has a screen at the bottom and it's probably really plugged in that time period. You may find a Driller who can use Nu_Well Tabs on it or possibly pull it and replace it with a new clean screen. Usually (when done right) when the screen is pulled, a vacuum is pulled at the bottom of the casing causing most of the hardened mineral that gets knocked off the screen up into the casing along with sand and gravel that can be cleaned out my several methods so you are putting the new screen into a fresh bed of sand/gravel.

bob...
 
Thanks Bob! That makes a lot of sense. I'll be calling some local drillers for prices. Now my wife can calm down... She was in a panic, thinking we needed a new well!

:eek:
 
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