No pressure shallow well

[rwwillhunt]

I found your site while searching for an answer to my problem. This is my first post so here goes.
I have a shallow well at my hunting camp. The pipe was there when I moved in six years ago. I hooked up a 3/4 hp pump and all has been fine till this year. When I first arrived this month the guage was showing 30 lbs pressure. After turning on the water to the trailer the pressure has dropped to zero. I cannot get the pump to prime. The best I can get for pressure is @ 10 lbs. I have tried another pump with same results. The 1 1/4 inch pipe depth is 18 ft with four feet of water in the pipe. We have had a very dry summer. Is this enough water to run a pump? Since I don't have any idea how old the pipe is I think it may be rusted and the sand point is not letting enough water in to keep up. I plan on pulling the pipe and replacing with new sand point and pipe in a couple of weeks and going a little deeper.

I am new to dealing with wells so any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[Mike Swearingen]

A shallow well pump system is designed to operate with no more than 25' between the tip of the point and the pump.
I'm no expert, but it sounds like you have hit the main problem nail on the head...the water table is too low for one thing.
To prime a shallow well pump you need a gallon jug of drinking water, teflon tape and an adjustable or pipe wrench to use on the 3/4" plug on the pump head.
There is no foot valve on a shallow well point, so you should have a check valve on the suction (well) side of the pump to hold prime.
A. Turn OFF the power to or unplug the pump.
B. Wrap the threads of the 3/4" plug with 2-3 flat wraps of teflon tape clockwise only as the threaded end faces you.
C. Fill the pump head with water, turn on the pump and quickly begin hand-tightening the plug. Air and water will sputter out as you do, but that's what it is supposed to do.
D. Let the pump run until it begins picking up prime (you can see it if you have a gauge on the pump or you can hear the change in ptich of the pump).
E. If it is priming, tighten the plug with the wrench.
If it fails to pick up prime, repeat all of the steps above until it does.
Good Luck!
Mike
www.IrrigationTutorials.com

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Speedbump]

A dry summer could have caused the problem and so could the low water level in a shallow well like yours. You could also have an air leak anywhere from the pumps inlet to the top of the water in the well.

bob...

 

[rwwillhunt]

A follow up to my post concerning no water. Went to camp this weekend. We pulled the pipe their. It appeared to be intact and ok. Went back with new sand point and additional pipe. Increased depth from original 18 ft to 22 ft. We now have water again.

Thanks for your replies.