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[Cchris]

We just fixed a problem on our well two weeks ago. Turns out the new pump we had put in malfunctioned and one of the wires was bad. Everything was perfect for a week and then over Christmas we had a pipe freeze so lost water again. Everything thawed out and everything was running perfectly again up until today the pump isn’t cutting off. We had it set to 40/60 at first and it would sit at 50. We could run stuff without any drop in pressure and when the pump is off there is no drop. We adjusted it to 30/50 so that the pump would shut off at 50 since it was reaching that but now it’s staying at 40. Any suggestions?

 

[Valveman]

When the pipe freezes and the pump does not shut off the water in the pump gets hot. When the pump gets hot the plastic impellers melt and can't deliver as much pressure as before. If it was barely getting to 50 PSI it was still getting hot with too little flow, and now it cannot even build 40 PSI. Could also be a hole in the pipe, but I doubt it. Either way you are going to need to pull the pump just so you can see what happened as it is all below ground.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

We could run stuff without any drop in pressure and when the pump is off there is no drop.

If there is more than one check valve, it could mask a hole in the pipe, but my guess is that Cary is right, that you melted down the new pump.

Cary, correct me if I'm wrong, but measuring the amps should give clues as a pump draws more amps when it moves more water.

 

[Reach4]

Find out what the pump is, if you can. Get a clamp-around ammeter and measure the current thru one pressure switch wire.

"we had put in" is ambiguous. Was that a DIY install, or did a well service do that?

 

[Cchris]

Find out what the pump is, if you can. Get a clamp-around ammeter and measure the current thru one pressure switch wire.

"we had put in" is ambiguous. Was that a DIY install, or did a well service do that?

We have a Pentair Myers 1 hp pump.

 

[Valveman]

Yeah if the impellers melted it will only draw 5-7 amps instead of 9 as it should.

 

[Cchris]

Yeah if the impellers melted it will only draw 5-7 amps instead of 9 as it should.

The clamp meter showed a 7.6

 

[Valveman]

Sorry.

 

[Cchris]

Sorry.

It has a starting of like a 8.8 after the initial startup and then drops down to a 7.something when it gets halfway full.

 

[Reach4]

How far down is your water?

To recap, that same pump had no problem reaching 60 psi for a week, and then it struggled to reach 50 psi, and now it can only reach 40 psi?

If you close the valve after the pressure tank, does the pressure rise better?

 

[Cchris]

How far down is your water?

To recap, that same pump had no problem reaching 60 psi for a week, and then it struggled to reach 50 psi, and now it can only reach 40 psi?

If you close the valve after the pressure tank, does the pressure rise better?

The well is 400 ft deep, and the pump is 375. The well guys said the water was at about 250 ft.

Yes for almost a week it was working fine. I was checking it regularly after the freeze to make sure since we’d had so many problems previously. It was struggling to reach 60, sitting at about a 50 so we lowered the pressure switch to 30/50 and released air from the tank to 28 so it would at least cut off but then it would just sit at 40.
Today when we were down checking the amps it was at a 45 so rose a little. It does not rise better when the valve is closed, it stays about the same.

 

[Reach4]

Is this a jet pump (above ground)? We had been assuming it was a submersible pump.

If this is a jet pump, how many pipes go down the well?

How far down is your water?

 

[Cchris]

Is this a jet pump (above ground)? We had been assuming it was a submersible pump.

If this is a jet pump, how many pipes go down the well?

How far down is your water?

No it’s submersible. By checking it I meant making sure it was cutting on and off at the right times and make sure nothing was tripped on the pumptec.

 

[Reach4]

I asked that question because when I Googled Pentair Myers 1 hp pump, pictures of jet pumps went up. It spooked me.

So here is the deal. I suspect most Ohio home wells don't have the top of their water 160 ft down. So a 1 HP 8 gpm well would lift water nicely. A 1 HP 20 gpm pump would not lift so well. HOW FAR DOWN IS YOUR WATER?

I understand it is unlikely that your water table fell a lot in the last week or so.

 

[Cchris]

I asked that question because when I Googled Pentair Myers 1 hp pump, pictures of jet pumps went up. It spooked me.

So here is the deal. I suspect most Ohio home wells don't have the top of their water 160 ft down. So a 1 HP 8 gpm well would lift water nicely. A 1 HP 20 gpm pump would not lift so well. HOW FAR DOWN IS YOUR WATER?

I understand it is unlikely that your water table fell a lot in the last week or so.

The well guys who we had put before Christmas had said our well was 400 ft deep, the pump was 375 and that thr water was 250. I am in PA.

 

[Reach4]

You would have either a 5 gpm 1 HP pump or an 8 gpm pump.

Your pump may be shown here: https://www.aquascience.net/downloads/dl/file/id/1069/product/0/myers_rustler_specifications.pdf

 

[Valveman]

If it started out at 8.8 amps, ran that way for a minute or so, then suddenly dropped to 7 amps, the well is being pumped dry. But I think it is starting at 8.6 and just slowly drops to 7 amps as the pump runs out of steam. Even a 10 GPM, 1HP can build 60 PSI no problem with a water level of 250'. So, I still think the impellers melted.

 

[Cchris]

You would have either a 5 gpm 1 HP pump or an 8 gpm pump.

Your pump may be shown here: https://www.aquascience.net/downloads/dl/file/id/1069/product/0/myers_rustler_specifications.pdf

It is the 1 hp 12 gpm 2 wire pump.

This morning when I turned it back on it reached cut off and has another time since. So I’m even more confused haha

 

[Valveman]

First thing in the morning the water level is the highest and the pump maybe able to reach cut off. But was that cut off 40, 50, or 60 PSI? That 12 GPM pump maybe your problem. a 12 GPM pump can only make 400' of max head. That means if the water level gets any deeper than 260' that pump cannot make 60 PSI. It can only make 50 PSI if the water level stays above 285'. Then when the water level is too deep for the pump to reach cut off, it gets hot and melts impellers which lessens the amount of pressure it can build even further.

If your water level is going deeper than 250' you really need a 7-8 GPM pump instead of a 12 GPM pump.

 

[Cchris]

First thing in the morning the water level is the highest and the pump maybe able to reach cut off. But was that cut off 40, 50, or 60 PSI? That 12 GPM pump maybe your problem. a 12 GPM pump can only make 400' of max head. That means if the water level gets any deeper than 260' that pump cannot make 60 PSI. It can only make 50 PSI if the water level stays above 285'. Then when the water level is too deep for the pump to reach cut off, it gets hot and melts impellers which lessens the amount of pressure it can build even further.

If your water level is going deeper than 250' you really need a 7-8 GPM pump instead of a 12 GPM pump.

So for a 400 ft well with the pump bein at 375. What is the recommended pump to get?