Well issues
#1
05-29-18, 07:51 PM
Well issues
Ok to start off I puchased a house with a well and city water. The power to the well was disconnected. I reconnected the power. Had to prime the pump.
The water lines only go to a water spicket in the basement and one outside.
The pump is a goulds VA05. The motor is goulds c48j2db11c3. It's wires for 115 volts. 1/2 hp. The inlet looks like a 2" compression fittings with 2 nuts on it. Outlet is 1". About 1 1/2 inches off of the pump, it attaches to a pressure regulator. There is a 1/8" tube running from it to the pressure switch. It's setup to kick on at 25 psi and shut off at 60 psi. The pump name plate says MGD 3697. Would this made in 1997? The motor is a vertical motor. Which I can't seem to find one online. Nor can I find a 2" inlet pump.
Problem #1 When I was testing it out, the water pump shuts off at 60. The the pressure slowly decreases tI'll the pump kicks back on. This keeps happening.
Problem #2 I used the water hose to wash the sand out of the back of my truck. Kinda low pressure compared to my city water. Seemed as if the pressure was surging non stop. Then after about 30 minutes of use I lost all pressure. I checked the pump.It was warm and the psi gauge read below 20psi. I shut the breaker off. TrI'd the pump 2 hours later and worked. But still loses pressure when it cycles off. I did notice while using the water before I washed my truck the psi would drop to about 20psi when water was running. I then tried to do some troubleshooting after the pump stopped and I noticed the pressure regulator was wide open. I closed it some and now while water runs the psi stays at 40 psi. However, I have not ran water for more then 3 minutes after the initial overheating of the pump motor. I still have pressure dropping after the pump cycles off when it hits 60 psi. I tried to find info on this stuff but I read so many different issues it could be.
I don't know how deep the well is. I do know I have a low water table. I dig a hole 2 feet deep and hit water.
Not to forget to mention, when I started the pump up initially the outdoor water spicket shot out tons of gunk and debris.
I do not know how or why or when this pump was decommissioned. Previous owner inherited the property from his grandmother who passed.
I did have to fill the pressure tank up with air. It had none to start with. I have it at about 18 psi currently.
could this be a pump seal problem?
could this be a bad foot valve? If it has one.
could this be a motor that needs it's bearings lubed?
could this be clogged pipes?
I believe there is more then 1 issue making it hard for me to diagnose by reading Internet info. Wate is ice cold and clear.
any help appreciated.
thank you
The water lines only go to a water spicket in the basement and one outside.
The pump is a goulds VA05. The motor is goulds c48j2db11c3. It's wires for 115 volts. 1/2 hp. The inlet looks like a 2" compression fittings with 2 nuts on it. Outlet is 1". About 1 1/2 inches off of the pump, it attaches to a pressure regulator. There is a 1/8" tube running from it to the pressure switch. It's setup to kick on at 25 psi and shut off at 60 psi. The pump name plate says MGD 3697. Would this made in 1997? The motor is a vertical motor. Which I can't seem to find one online. Nor can I find a 2" inlet pump.
Problem #1 When I was testing it out, the water pump shuts off at 60. The the pressure slowly decreases tI'll the pump kicks back on. This keeps happening.
Problem #2 I used the water hose to wash the sand out of the back of my truck. Kinda low pressure compared to my city water. Seemed as if the pressure was surging non stop. Then after about 30 minutes of use I lost all pressure. I checked the pump.It was warm and the psi gauge read below 20psi. I shut the breaker off. TrI'd the pump 2 hours later and worked. But still loses pressure when it cycles off. I did notice while using the water before I washed my truck the psi would drop to about 20psi when water was running. I then tried to do some troubleshooting after the pump stopped and I noticed the pressure regulator was wide open. I closed it some and now while water runs the psi stays at 40 psi. However, I have not ran water for more then 3 minutes after the initial overheating of the pump motor. I still have pressure dropping after the pump cycles off when it hits 60 psi. I tried to find info on this stuff but I read so many different issues it could be.
I don't know how deep the well is. I do know I have a low water table. I dig a hole 2 feet deep and hit water.
Not to forget to mention, when I started the pump up initially the outdoor water spicket shot out tons of gunk and debris.
I do not know how or why or when this pump was decommissioned. Previous owner inherited the property from his grandmother who passed.
I did have to fill the pressure tank up with air. It had none to start with. I have it at about 18 psi currently.
could this be a pump seal problem?
could this be a bad foot valve? If it has one.
could this be a motor that needs it's bearings lubed?
could this be clogged pipes?
I believe there is more then 1 issue making it hard for me to diagnose by reading Internet info. Wate is ice cold and clear.
any help appreciated.
thank you
Last edited by Bwalter; 05-29-18 at 08:02 PM. Reason: Spelling error
#2
07-06-18, 10:27 PM
Questions and Comments
Could you post a picture of your setup?
Is it a centrifugal pump?
When your pump turns on it is capable of building pressure, so I would rule out a bad foot valve. If you had a bad foot valve then your pump would not be able to prime and you wouldn't get any water coming out of the discharge. Have you checked any water leaks on the discharge of the pump? Have you checked for air leaks on the pressure tank?
How much water is in the tank before the pump turns on? If you are pumping with an empty pressure tank and there is air in the water lines of your house then you would just be pressurizing air in the water lines. Also if your tank is empty of water, and only 18 psig, then it should be 23 psig (2 psi less than your cut on pressure). Can you increase the cut on pressure settings on the pressure switch so that it cuts on at 30-40 psig?
Have you tried using other water lines besides your hose (faucet, shower, etc)? Does it give the same problems?
The fact that your system loses pressure when it turns off makes me think you're having an air leak in your pressure tank. Or you could be having a water leak in your pipes, but you'd probably notice that from water dripping everywhere.
Have you tried changing the pressure regulator?
Is it a centrifugal pump?
When your pump turns on it is capable of building pressure, so I would rule out a bad foot valve. If you had a bad foot valve then your pump would not be able to prime and you wouldn't get any water coming out of the discharge. Have you checked any water leaks on the discharge of the pump? Have you checked for air leaks on the pressure tank?
How much water is in the tank before the pump turns on? If you are pumping with an empty pressure tank and there is air in the water lines of your house then you would just be pressurizing air in the water lines. Also if your tank is empty of water, and only 18 psig, then it should be 23 psig (2 psi less than your cut on pressure). Can you increase the cut on pressure settings on the pressure switch so that it cuts on at 30-40 psig?
Have you tried using other water lines besides your hose (faucet, shower, etc)? Does it give the same problems?
The fact that your system loses pressure when it turns off makes me think you're having an air leak in your pressure tank. Or you could be having a water leak in your pipes, but you'd probably notice that from water dripping everywhere.
Have you tried changing the pressure regulator?
#3
07-07-18, 04:28 AM
Group Moderator
Problem 1: You have a leak somewhere that is allowing the pressure to bleed away. It could be a leaking foot valve or a cracked pipe.
Problem 2: What was you question in that blob of a paragraph?
Seal problem?: NO
Bad foot valve?: could be or a leaking pipe
Motor bearing lubrication: No, it's probably the thermal overload in the motor tripping.
Clogged pipes?: No, if you're getting clear water through the pipes they are not clogged.
Problem 2: What was you question in that blob of a paragraph?
Seal problem?: NO
Bad foot valve?: could be or a leaking pipe
Motor bearing lubrication: No, it's probably the thermal overload in the motor tripping.
Clogged pipes?: No, if you're getting clear water through the pipes they are not clogged.
#5
07-07-18, 01:14 PM
Group Moderator
In my area with city water...... a well is frowned upon and is required to be decommissioned.
#6
07-07-18, 02:38 PM
As stated above, most municipalities that have water/sewer require or at the very least will hassle you about having a well, because your sewer bill is based upon your water usage, and having a well means you could be pumping water into the system that is not being "paid for".
As to your systems issues,
#1. Bad check valve, or since it was down for so long, sediment buildup. Remove and clean it.
#2. Bad bladder (if you have a bladder style tank). Bladder tanks fail VERY often, even the best (Amtrol) only last for 5-6 years on average (in my experience). In a system with high sediment, this can be even shorter as the sediment causes a sanding effect on the bladder against the tank as it expands/detracts.
You should have a shut-off directly after the system, with a spigot before it. Close the shut-off, open the spigot and let it drain fully. Check the pressure on the tank via the valve on the top of the tank, not the gauge. The bladder should be set to be 2 pounds less than the kick-on setting of your system. IE:, if your pump cuts on at 40, it should be reading 38 pounds (of AIR pressure). Keep your spigot open, and start adding air to the tank. If the bladder is ruptured, you will start hearing a gurgling sound as the air starts pushing the water out of the ruptured bladder, and water will start to flow from the open spigot. This situation causes short-cycling, the #1 reason for well pump failures.
If your bladder is ruptured, and you intend to keep the well in operating condition, get the tank replaced before using the system again. Having a pump pulled and replaced will cost you around 1K or more, where the tank can be bought for about $230-300, and can be done by yourself.
As to your systems issues,
#1. Bad check valve, or since it was down for so long, sediment buildup. Remove and clean it.
#2. Bad bladder (if you have a bladder style tank). Bladder tanks fail VERY often, even the best (Amtrol) only last for 5-6 years on average (in my experience). In a system with high sediment, this can be even shorter as the sediment causes a sanding effect on the bladder against the tank as it expands/detracts.
You should have a shut-off directly after the system, with a spigot before it. Close the shut-off, open the spigot and let it drain fully. Check the pressure on the tank via the valve on the top of the tank, not the gauge. The bladder should be set to be 2 pounds less than the kick-on setting of your system. IE:, if your pump cuts on at 40, it should be reading 38 pounds (of AIR pressure). Keep your spigot open, and start adding air to the tank. If the bladder is ruptured, you will start hearing a gurgling sound as the air starts pushing the water out of the ruptured bladder, and water will start to flow from the open spigot. This situation causes short-cycling, the #1 reason for well pump failures.
If your bladder is ruptured, and you intend to keep the well in operating condition, get the tank replaced before using the system again. Having a pump pulled and replaced will cost you around 1K or more, where the tank can be bought for about $230-300, and can be done by yourself.
