Need Help on Several Well Fronts, Quickly!

[Whoodle]

Hi, all, and thanks in advance for your valuable advice.
I'm at a critical time where some big decisions need to be made about my system after pro diagnosed hole in the well-pipe yesterday. All details about my system are clearly spelled out in the pic I’ve attached below.

We just did major landscaping & needed to water with a sprinkler; wanted soared to about 30 INCHES High Pressure with shower and faucets seem OK, as flow rate for them is low and I'm getting 40 lbs pressure @ galvanized tank. Pump seems to run constantly, drawing ~3 amps at 'rest' and kicking up when water is called for in- house.

I called company that dug well in 1998 and acidified+new pump in 2010, great guy, I trust him, as he seems hesitant to recommend $$ replacements when he comes back to pull the pump, maybe acidify well and replace pipe...so I have one day to decide…

1. IF the 10 yo pump looks good, should I replace with a new one just because of its age...kinda like you replace the water pump when you replace the timing belt w/a car? Pro is on fence, I’m leaning towards doing it; he has a skinny Grundfos he says is good for my 4” well, if i go that way
   
   
2. The tank looks ancient, and a tiny stream of water is shooting out of its pressure-gauge onto my gravel crawlspace floor, where its located! SO, do I replace it with another galvanized, or fiberglass, air-over-water tank...or switch over to bladder/diaphragm setup? Again, pro is a bit old school, but since we’re putting in new pipe and fittings, I’m thinking it makes sense to take advantage of this ‘opportunity’ & modernize the system itself vs. just replacing the tank.

I’m not itching to spend $$$ for the fun of it; that landscaping was a big financial commitment, and now the well’s crapping out the same week!, but I don't want to be too cheap/conservative and have to go thru this again in 3-5 years cuz I need a new pump.

I await & appreciate your advice and input; this forum has been helping me out for almost 20 years now; we homeowners really appreciate you all!

Dean, Libertyville, IL
Well Info Pic [zoom in on green label on LH side for details]
Is this link better? https://dochub.com/dean-smithc3bc61...D/20171105-190647-jpg?dt=WyR2P9BvJq_fo3Y2a4qR

 

[Reach4]

We just did major landscaping & needed to water with a sprinkler; wanted soared to about 30 INCHES High Pressure with shower and faucets seem OK, as flow rate for them is low and I'm getting 40 lbs pressure @ galvanized tank. Pump seems to run constantly, drawing ~3 amps at 'rest' and kicking up when water is called for in- house.

Wonder if your picture would show the line from the well, the pressure switch, and the input to the pressure tank.
Your picture does not work for us. Test with a different browser or computer to see what we see. That happens when you did not make the picture or folder public.

IF the 10 yo pump looks good, should I replace with a new one just because of its age...kinda like you replace the water pump when you replace the timing belt w/a car? Pro is on fence, I’m leaning towards doing it; he has a skinny Grundfos he says is good for my 4” well, if i go that way

Steel casing? A Grundfos SQ is probably a good choice. PVC casing? I would opt for a "4 inch" pump probably. Those are about 3.9 inch for most, but are about 3.75 on the slimline/trimline models.

I had a 12 year old trimline pump put back into 4 inch steel casing when I got my pitless installed, but there is always the risk it would get stuck. I am not a pro.

I would tend to move to the pre-charged tank to a diaphragm tank. (diaphragm, not bladder). That requires they plug the drain back valve/hole. On the other hand the diaphragm was doing some treatment of H2S and iron, so that is an advantage of getting another air over water tank, but with a blow down valve to let you clean out any sediment from time to time.

 

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[Whoodle]

I added an additional link to the photo, does it work? here it is again https://dochub.com/dean-smithc3bc61...D/20171105-190647-jpg?dt=WyR2P9BvJq_fo3Y2a4qR

Yeah, he brought up the Grundfos sq because he can use PVS pipe without fear of it getting stuck & snapping PVC trying to pull it out. He'd use galvanized again if he puts in my old pump, as you can pull a lot harder to get it loose. Price diff between PVC and steel offsets a PORTION of the cost of the new pump

What advantage would a wider pump bring to the table. With a well flow of only 14 gpm (probably a bit less after 10 years), I don't need a more powerful pump...but are their other reasons that a 4" pump is better than 3" if they otherwise have the same gpm/'power'?

I guess I can rattle off some stats...
72' depth
24' water level
galvanized 4" liner
pump set @ 63' on 1"galv. steel pipe
flow rate 14 gpm MAX (in 2010)
12gpm ITT Red Jacket pump, 2-wire 220v
42gal galvanized steel tank w/bleeder valve @ 18'

 

[Valveman]

I agree with your pump man. Steel pipe with a 4" pump or PVC pipe with the SQ. Probably lean toward the SQ and PVC and be more concerned about how to control the pump. As was said getting rid of the bleeder down the well will allow you to switch to a diaphragm type tank. Then you can use a PK1A to control the SQ or the 4" pump, and git rid of that monster tank.

 

[Reach4]

What advantage would a wider pump bring to the table. With a well flow of only 14 gpm (probably a bit less after 10 years), I don't need a more powerful pump...but are their other reasons that a 4" pump is better than 3" if they otherwise have the same gpm/'power'?

I am not sure. I was concerned about the SQ running over 10,000 RPM vs about 3450 RPM with the Slimline/Trimline pumps. However they seem to be fairly reliable, and I am thinking I will go that route if I ever have my circa 2002 pump replaced.

PVC has the advantage of not adding rust. It will be threaded schedule 80 with couplers every 20 ft. I had my PVC couplers on PVC pipe replaced with stainless, although schedule 180 pvc couplers are good if you don't overtorque them.

When they pull the pipe, note the waterline. That will tell you what your static level is these days.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing write-up.

 

[Whoodle]

Thanks, all. That Pk1A thing looks AWESOME, Cary...and the reviews are insanely good everywhere I look!! $500-600 barely buys you a good 46gal pressure tank...to get something that has the controls & the ability to perform as good or BETTER than traditional setups...and put it in my CRAWLSPACE... seems like a no brainer to me!!

I should also mention that we have a fair amount of iron in water. Not a lot...my water guy (softener) has come out twice in 6 years I've owned current home & tested it; Iron level is such that I don't need a separate iron filter, but it's still 'there' (and I use iron-fighting salt in softener).

 

[Whoodle]

• Any issues w/that PK1A getting clogged or damaged by iron in water?
• Do all (most) of you agree with Cary that this is a great option?
• Are there any other options similar to the PK1A from other mfgs?

 

[Valveman]

• Any issues w/that PK1A getting clogged or damaged by iron in water?
• Do all (most) of you agree with Cary that this is a great option?
• Are there any other options similar to the PK1A from other mfgs?

. The CSV1A valve in the PK1A is designed to handle iron and other debris from the well. The gut pack called an "A-Cart" is easily cleanable and replaceable if needed.

. Hundreds more reviews to see if you have any doubts, and I nearly always agree with myself.

. Yes there are at least a couple more companies who copy the CSV as close as they can. Even though some of them make a pretty good copy, I don't like to mention their names for some reason.