smo0thie
New Member
So we recently started having issues with our jet pump and have decided to replace the whole jet pump setup to a submersible pump. I’m trying to get all the details squared away before the swap. Probably should have posted earlier, but I’m just wanting some pointers on a few things.
The well:
24” bored well, 50’ deep, 25’ to static water level, 260’ to house + 20’ elevation increase
Yield and dynamic water level unknown
Well-X-Trol WX-102 (4.4gal/1.2gal drawdown) pressure tank
Sta-Rite ALD series water end A.O. Smith 3/4 hp motor
1” and 1-1/4” poly downpipes
10” x 55” AN tank w/ 5 gpm backwash
New setup:
Goulds 10gpm 3/4hp submersible (already have)
4” pvc flow sleeve
sch 80 1-1/4” downpipe (planned) with SS couplings (on the way)
Symcom 233 pump saver (on the way)
CSV1A (already have)
Keeping pressure tank & AN tank
I have learned that the pressure tank was woefully undersized with the current set-up, but since there’s very little room in the well house, I decided to go with the CSV. From what I gather, it should be good enough with the CSV, but I have been toying with going to a bigger 10gal in-line tank.
Looking at how the CSV works and the pump charts, it looks like when the water is shut off and the CSV is holding flow to 1gpm, the pressure on the pump side of the CSV will be in the 135psi range. I do not actually know the rating of the poly pipe in the well, but after taking measurements of the O.D., it looks like it’s 160psi poly. With it potentially being 40+ years old and me being new at this, I felt it would be better to go with the much higher rated sch 80 PVC to have a greater measure of safety with the higher pressures caused by the CSV and with any water hammer that may occur.
So my current hang-up is getting the Sch 80 pipe threaded. I found some at a Lowe’s about 15 miles away and they do thread pipe, but I kind of doubt they have the PVC threading dies (they only actually list that they thread metal pipe). I also am not sure that the workers at Lowe’s really know what they are doing. My other options include buying a cheap Chinese made pipe threader with no PVC dies available, or shelling out $200+ for the Ridgid head with PVC dies and ratchet handle, which I may only use one time. Am I over thinking this? Can you get acceptable threads on PVC with the standard dies that Lowe’s will use or with the cheap thread cutters?
I am also not sure how deep the foot valve is set in the well. So part of me wants to have a thread cutter on-hand so I can cut and thread the pipe to get the new pump set at the same depth. I have also considered getting one more 10’ sch 80 cut into 1’, 2’, 3’, & 4’ sections and threaded at Lowe’s to have options without having a thread cutter on-hand. I could also set the pump at some other pre-determined depth, but not sure what is common for bored wells, as all the recommendations I have seen are based on drilled wells. Before I re-filled the AN tank with calcite (previous owner let it all dissolve), I didn’t notice any sediment. Is there a general depth guideline for bored wells?
Another concern is if the pump and wires will be slapping the concrete walls of the well upon start-up and what (if anything) I should do about it. I read one article that recommended using 1/2” poly pipe as conduit for the wires to prevent chafing against the casing, but this was in a drilled well. With a 24” well, would this be an issue? The access hole in the casing lid is offset probably 4” - 6” off the edge of the casing, not centered.
Finally, with this being my first experience with a submersible, I was thinking of using a safety rope, although I have read on here that this is generally not recommended. But most objections I see are about the pump getting stuck, which I can’t see being a problem with a 24” well. I am just looking to be cautious not only after it’s in there, but trying to figure a way to have the whole thing held securely while I’m threading pipe and dropping it in. I will be working inside the well house with the roof removed to drop the pipe, so it will probably be just me in there with my wife possibly feeding me the next pieces of pipe through the roof. I don’t know how I would hold everything from just the pipe without one of those special vise-grips for downpipe.
Thanks in advance,
Jay
The well:
24” bored well, 50’ deep, 25’ to static water level, 260’ to house + 20’ elevation increase
Yield and dynamic water level unknown
Well-X-Trol WX-102 (4.4gal/1.2gal drawdown) pressure tank
Sta-Rite ALD series water end A.O. Smith 3/4 hp motor
1” and 1-1/4” poly downpipes
10” x 55” AN tank w/ 5 gpm backwash
New setup:
Goulds 10gpm 3/4hp submersible (already have)
4” pvc flow sleeve
sch 80 1-1/4” downpipe (planned) with SS couplings (on the way)
Symcom 233 pump saver (on the way)
CSV1A (already have)
Keeping pressure tank & AN tank
I have learned that the pressure tank was woefully undersized with the current set-up, but since there’s very little room in the well house, I decided to go with the CSV. From what I gather, it should be good enough with the CSV, but I have been toying with going to a bigger 10gal in-line tank.
Looking at how the CSV works and the pump charts, it looks like when the water is shut off and the CSV is holding flow to 1gpm, the pressure on the pump side of the CSV will be in the 135psi range. I do not actually know the rating of the poly pipe in the well, but after taking measurements of the O.D., it looks like it’s 160psi poly. With it potentially being 40+ years old and me being new at this, I felt it would be better to go with the much higher rated sch 80 PVC to have a greater measure of safety with the higher pressures caused by the CSV and with any water hammer that may occur.
So my current hang-up is getting the Sch 80 pipe threaded. I found some at a Lowe’s about 15 miles away and they do thread pipe, but I kind of doubt they have the PVC threading dies (they only actually list that they thread metal pipe). I also am not sure that the workers at Lowe’s really know what they are doing. My other options include buying a cheap Chinese made pipe threader with no PVC dies available, or shelling out $200+ for the Ridgid head with PVC dies and ratchet handle, which I may only use one time. Am I over thinking this? Can you get acceptable threads on PVC with the standard dies that Lowe’s will use or with the cheap thread cutters?
I am also not sure how deep the foot valve is set in the well. So part of me wants to have a thread cutter on-hand so I can cut and thread the pipe to get the new pump set at the same depth. I have also considered getting one more 10’ sch 80 cut into 1’, 2’, 3’, & 4’ sections and threaded at Lowe’s to have options without having a thread cutter on-hand. I could also set the pump at some other pre-determined depth, but not sure what is common for bored wells, as all the recommendations I have seen are based on drilled wells. Before I re-filled the AN tank with calcite (previous owner let it all dissolve), I didn’t notice any sediment. Is there a general depth guideline for bored wells?
Another concern is if the pump and wires will be slapping the concrete walls of the well upon start-up and what (if anything) I should do about it. I read one article that recommended using 1/2” poly pipe as conduit for the wires to prevent chafing against the casing, but this was in a drilled well. With a 24” well, would this be an issue? The access hole in the casing lid is offset probably 4” - 6” off the edge of the casing, not centered.
Finally, with this being my first experience with a submersible, I was thinking of using a safety rope, although I have read on here that this is generally not recommended. But most objections I see are about the pump getting stuck, which I can’t see being a problem with a 24” well. I am just looking to be cautious not only after it’s in there, but trying to figure a way to have the whole thing held securely while I’m threading pipe and dropping it in. I will be working inside the well house with the roof removed to drop the pipe, so it will probably be just me in there with my wife possibly feeding me the next pieces of pipe through the roof. I don’t know how I would hold everything from just the pipe without one of those special vise-grips for downpipe.
Thanks in advance,
Jay