Hello,

Discovered today that our well pump is not shutting off. Not sure how long it's been doing this. The last two days I've been using the outdoor faucet a lot to water the newly seeded area of our lawn. We've discovered that when the outdoor faucet is on, the water supply to our indoor faucets is reduced to a very small stream. I started looking into possible causes for this today, and as a result went down to look at our pump and quickly discovered it was running non-stop.

The pressure gauge that is mounted below the pump motor appeared to be broken. It was holding steady around 0psi. During all of this our water supply was halfway decent. Good supply if only using one or two faucets at a time. It decreased if using any more than that.

I ended up cutting the power to it for a little bit earlier this evening. Before turning it back on I noticed the pressure gauge had dropped even further while it was off. When I turned it back on the gauge needled started to vibrate in that same really low position. After 5 minutes or so it climbed back to around 0psi and is holding steady there now while the pump continues to run continuously.

I checked the valve on top of the air tank (or whatever it's called) and when I press in the needle only air comes out. The tank is very easy to wobble back and forth now. I don't remember if it was before I cut the power to the pump.

Not sure if this is relevant but the pump motor says manufacturer is A.O. Smith Corp. Model number is C48K2N117A3. Jet pump I'm assuming, as it is inside the house.

Any ideas what's going on here? Do we have a problem with our pump or associated parts? A problem with our well?

The house was built in the late 1960's. I'm guessing it's the original well, but I really have no idea. The outside diameter of the well pipe is 3.5". It's a silver metal pipe.

Not sure about these:
2: age of well if known.
3: depth of well if known.
5: voltage of pump if known.
6: brand of pump/controller if known. (The pump motor appears much newer than the parts it's mounted on - not sure who manufactured all the other parts - or if that's even relevant)

Here are a few pictures of the setup inside the basement. You can click on them to see a larger version.

 

jess - not sure but I don't think your pictures are posted. I don't see them.

 

Could be the tank.
There is a sticky here that describes how things are supposed to work. Read that first.
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/we...well-info.html

 

Hi.

It sounds like the pump is running constantly and not cycling on and off correct?

Looks like two pipes leaving the pump through the foundation, correct? Steel pipe?

I would not think its the air tank.

Are you getting air spurts out the faucet?

It could be the Venturi, nozzle or impeller is clogged. A new jet and venturi combination may be needed.
Aside from the impeller those parts are at the well head or down in the well. The impeller is in that whole assembly below the new motor you have in the pics.

Also could be water level in well is lower from drought. Steel piping leaving the pump may be corroded also. The line closes up and can cause blockage. Replace with plastic pipe where possible to eliminate that issue.

Could be your foot valve or strainer is plugged or a check valve or the foot valve is stuck shut somewhat shut.

Could be a leak in the suction line also. You would most likely be getting air spurts out the faucets.

Are you going to tackle this yourself?

If you can take pics of your well head would be helpful. possibly you have a pitless adapter and it would be fairly easy to pull the assembly out. Then you may be able to blow those steel lines out.

I would replace those steel lines with poly pipe anyway. You may not need to trench if you find a guy with a pipe swedge that pulls new lines without trenching.

Let us know what you intend to do.. There are alot of good well guys on here that will help.

Mike NJ

 

"Looks like two pipes leaving the pump through the foundation, correct? Steel pipe?"

In which picture do you see that? I'm not saying you are wrong, but I can't see it?

 

The first pic I see a small pipe and the last pic I see a larger one....LOL.

Looks like it may be similar to page 4 figure 1.

http://www.floridapumpservice.com/as.../1695/S724.PDF


Mike NJ

 

Just one pipe leaving through the basement wall.

I had a driller out here yesterday. He tested a few things with the pump switch and said the jet is plugged. Recommended drilling a new 5-inch well given that this is an old 2-inch well. We just don't have the money to go that route though, so we're going to have him pull it up and repair the jet/replace the screen. Hopefully that will get us by for at least a few more years so we can save up for drilling a new one the next time it plugs up. (Previous homeowner said it got plugged up about 6-7 years ago and they had to do the same thing.)

 

Packer Adapter on the well head?
Here is a good PDF. Page 2.

http://www.valco-costenaro.com/nuovi..._Jet_Pumps.pdf

Mike NJ.

 

I don't see a check valve between the pump and the wall anywhere.

There is definitely just one pipe through the wall. The well head is a 3.5" outside diameter pipe, if that's relevant. Apparently that makes for a 2" well?

I have no idea how deep the well is. I found well records online for almost every other house on our "block" and they average between 75 and 125 feet deep. I couldn't find a record on file for our house though.

He wants 1500 to repair/replace the jet and also change out the screen in the well. But if the jet isn't even in the well....I'm not sure what to do now. I guess when he gets here I can ask him if he's actually talking about a foot valve?

 

Turns out single pipe is an option with deep well jet if it uses concentric piping, and that's what we have.

 

Page 4. Packer?

http://www.pumpsandwells.com/miva/Jetpumpinstall.pdf


Mike NJ

 

I have never seen a pump like that, and never seen an installation like that. Of course I've never been in a basement in a house either.

But even a blind man could see that it is a deep well jet pump /packer system.

Good luck to you Jessman.