1: submersible pump or jet pump.
Jet pump
2: age of well if known.
Unknown; at least 10 years.
3: depth of well if known.
Probably not more than 25' since the previous well & pump combo worked fine, and I've heard that jets are for 25' well depths, max, and the water table in this area is about 5 feet under the surface.
4: diameter of well if known.
Unknown. 1-1/4" PVC comes out of the concrete.
5: voltage of pump if known.
110
6: brand of pump/controller if known.
Gould
7: size of tank if known.
Unknown. Judging by its size, it's between 5 and 10 gallons. 10 I guess.
8: The more details you can give. The more we can help.

Hi,

I'm now on day 4 without water and I don't know what I'm supposed to do at this point. Today I installed my new Gould 1/2 HP jet pump and redid all the plumbing (PVC). I waited 2 hours for the glue to dry, then fired up the pump. It seems to be running fine, and I think the pressure tank filled up (it seems a lot heavier than it was before I turned the pump on), but I have zero water pressure. I let it run for about an hour and fifteen minutes but the best I got was a bit of air pressure escaping the garden hose nozzle.

I read somewhere that some pumps shouldn't be run without water and they can burn up if run dry. Somehow I doubt that's the case with a jet pump, but I don't want to burn up my brand new $200 pump so I shut it off.

The pressure tank doesn't have a gauge as far as I can see, just a pressure valve that looks like what you see on a car tire.

Like I said, I'm clueless here, so any help would be much appreciated. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with my plumbing (except maybe the new stuff I just added), because everything was working fine before the motor burned out on the old pump.

 

Hi,

Did you prime the pump? You need to prime the pump with water before so it will start pulling the water up from the well.

Check the air pressure in the tank with a tire gauge. Add air if needed.

Install a pressure gauge. With out one is like walking with a blindfold on.

Mike NJ

 

Hi Law,

Thanks for the (very) quick reply.

No, I didn't prime it. I don't know how to do that. The pump (a Gould JRS5, which according to Gould's website might as well not exist) came with exactly no literature, and this is my first time doing anything like this. I hope I haven't damaged the pump.

When I check the air pressure on the tank, what pressure am I shooting for? And what am I supposed to add air with? I'm on a shoestring budget here so I can't afford anything fancy. I can barely afford the pump.

Where do I install the pressure gauge? At the valve I mentioned? What kind of gauge should I buy?

 

Look at figure 6 here.

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


Get a gauge and install on thetee on top of your pump. The home store has gauges.

Also install a tee as it shows on the outlet if there is not one there. That tee will be threaded on the top and you will need to get the prper fittings at the home store.

You add water there to fill the pump. Then put the cap on and turn the pump on.

Air in the tank should be added by air pump. Hand pump or compressor. Check the pressure with a tire gauge. Temperaraly shoot for 20 psi. You will need to re adjust when and if you get a pressure gauge.

Mike NJ

 

Thanks for the manual. Jesus H Christ:

THINK MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD THROW A SHEET OF PAPER IN THE BOX TELLING ME THAT?

200 bucks and they can't throw in an instruction page, much less a manual. Morons. Warranty voided my ass. If it's burnt up it's going riiiiiiiight back.

I should go back and slap the guy who sold it to me, too. I was in and out of that place FOUR TIMES, went over all kinds of stuff with him, made it clear I didn't know jack, and he never said ONE WORD about priming it.


Thanks Mike, hopefully I can work through the rest of it on my own now.

 

Yeah well I am not sure you damaged that pump. I believe the impeller is metal in that one. Other pumps have plastic type that melt. But the nozzle and jet are plastic. May have melted who knows.

But OK you need any help just post back.

Sorry just looked up. All plastic.

http://www.aggressivepump.com/Goulds...pair Parts.pdf



Mike NJ

 

It's real hard to damage a Goulds. They are very tough. If anything you melted the suction piping.

Did you try to prime the pump?

Please let me know where you bought a Goulds pump for $200, I would like to order about 50. I cannot even buy them at that price wholesale.

 

http://completewatersystems.com/?product=jrs-shallow-well-jet-pump

Is this your pump?