Priming point for shallow well pump

Re do it with PEX pipe and you will be a happy guy.

Raucina said:

Re do it with PEX pipe and you will be a happy guy.

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Can I use this PEX for all piping or just from well to pump? We're talking 1 1/4" here...

I only use pex to 1" - I did not see larger pipe in your photos

Raucina said:

I only use pex to 1" - I did not see larger pipe in your photos

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Good observation Sir! It was suggested to go with pipe the size of the pump suction port i.e. 1 1/4". What say ye?

I say ye that if the suction port is what appears to be 3/4 copper, then 1" pex is fine. Also if it works NOW without cavitation or problems, [you get enough water without weird noises] then its more ok.

There is nothing to gain by using PEX. PE is the 'norm' and the easiest to use and all you need is a nut driver or screw driver compared to a special crimper. And 1" PE has a larger ID than 1" PEX because PE is IPS and PEX is CTS; iron pipe size and copper tubing size. And your pump is 1.25", although 1" will work fine. Any well seal will want the larger OD of IPS and not seal the smaller CTS OD of PEX.

We were discussing the plumbing in the photos and TO the well head, not down the hole. I have seen a lot, but NEVER PE pipe inside a home....[not legal here anyway] for this guy to use PE pipe in his basement, he would have to corner the market on clamps and the typical bad quality fittings available, and then fight small leaks for months. The plastic fittings have die cast marks on them that cause leaks if not sanded off. The galvanized ones are chinese debri steel that rot thru in a few years. Some of the brass ones are nice if lathe cut and of known provenance. PE is for long runs with FEW joints. PEX is for complex interior work with almost no chance of drips like PE.
If you dont want to buy the plastic ring compression tool, then brass insert fittings and Oetiker ? {SIC} crimp type SS clamps work fine {Graingers}

I think you will find PE is legal anywhere from the pump all the way to the tank. Then plumb with whatever the code says. I'm with Gary, I've never seen PEX anywhere but in the home after the tank.

bob...

Looks to me that all this plumbing is inside the house. Once you work with PEX inside or out, you dont go back. Its rated for underground use and is the same or less cost than PE. He will certainly have close to zero chance of suction leaks with PEX rather than PE.

Never used it in a deep well- have not found any MFG's data on that.

Raucina said:

Never used it in a deep well- have not found any MFG's data on that.

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I plan to use it when I swap out the submersible with a combo of submersible and windmill cylinder, pretty cool stuff, heat it up with a heat gun and it turns clear, and used it with a brass hose barb connector, I'll heat it back up again and put hose clamps on it, but I'd bet it wouldn't even pull free if I didn't do that. Only 95' to the pump so, not really a deep well test.

Rancher

Raucina.... In large regions of the US, PE is used down the well to 500+ feet with up to 1.5 hp 25 gpm pumps hung on it. Or to a jet pump in the basement or the pressure tank for submersible pumps. It doesn't matter if it is buried or not.

Belewmoon has exactly the type of setup that PE shines on. All he needs for his jet pump is one continuous piece from a 1.25" sch 80 PVC male x insert (barbed) fitting into the inlet of his pump and two SS hose clamps on it and run it all the way to the well then a SS 1.25" male x insert and 2 hose clamps at his pitless adapter (about 3-4' deep at the well in MD).

Since about 1955 a few million wells (there are like 1 million+ in PA alone, which until the 2000 census, had the largest number of rural population of all states; TX took the lead then) are done as described above and the same way (although a few use sch 40 PVC; yes in the basement!!!) all over the east coast from Maine to Georgia and west through the Midwest.

From Fl to NM where pressure tanks are installed outside, sch 40 PVC is used and used into the building. The union and politically driven codes in CA and a few other states prevent the use of PE and PVC. They are doing the same with PEX and the battle over CPVC still rages.

PE is great stuff. I love it and use it whenever possible outside and in wells. The fittings are crap and hose clamps do not seal evenly.

California has hardly any unions compared to the east coast. Like the Texans, we can still carry our guns in town as long as in plain sight. Would not try it in LA however.... And we use PVC and PE all the time outside, and down wells.

PVC is a toxic waste in my opinion - bad chemistry and explodes when frozen, BUT its cheap for big diameters and great for non potable uses and conduit.

PEX is just crosslinked PE - its molecular structure is lined up in better order. It's just the next generation plastic with far better engineered fittings.

CPVC does not essentially exist any more far as I can tell, big lawsuit about the fittings years ago.

Rancher, I recall your post about the dual use well pump system. Good idea, I recently drilled a 60 foot well with water at 10' and 60 gpm [extraordinarily rare in this area] and plan to set a submersible and hand pump. You can still get a great hand made hand pump from the Pennsylvania Amish -brass and cast iron - if you look hard enough online. If I wasn't in a valley under the pines, I would do a windmill also.