Submersible well pump recs please

[wheelbuilder]

For me it's because the controls on the 3 wire are susceptible to failure and lightning hits that the 2 wire are not. I've replaced multiple control boxes due to failure but never a 2 wire pump.

If I remember right, the control box is just a starting capacitor, (in a metal box) like on a table saw. They were reasonably inexpensive. Some customers kept a spare.

 

[npalen]

I have a Jacuzzi 3-wire 1/3 HP submersible pump on my well that replaced one installed in 1976. It's used three seasons out of the year for 1/2 acre lawn irrigation. No pressure tank just direct feed with a timer switch up until last Spring when an automatic controller installed.

 

[workinonit]

If I remember right, the control box is just a starting capacitor, (in a metal box) like on a table saw. They were reasonably inexpensive. Some customers kept a spare.

Mine had a start and maybe a run cap as well as a relay that couldn't be purchased as an individual item from the pump company and a couple of other components that I can't remember. The relay and caps were the failure items. The control boxes were expensive. Just my experience.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

If you just put a new pump in, it is a good time to check how many ohms between the wires and write it down.

I think the Franklin installation manual shows how and has a place to write them down. It makes trouble shooting a little easier in the future. If you have an ammeter you should check and record the Amp draw also.

And, I forgot. Do a flow test the same time you measure volts and amps. With the flow rate and pressure plus the set depth you can calculate the water horsepower. From Amps and Volts, you get Watts, and from it the wire horsepower.

That tells you how efficient your system is, and gives you something to indicate that the impeller an scrolls are wearing. It is handy to know your pump motor is reading ab out what it was when you installed it, and that the production is dropping.

i have the guys at work test every pump twice a year. When they start it in the spring, and just before they shut it down in the fall. Calculating the pump efficiency, and tracking how many kiloWatts the system is using lets you plan for replacements, and schedule them for the fall during the seasonal shutdown, or the Spring before startup.

 

[etpm]

Is it a 3" or 4" well? I always heard the Grunfos was the best pump for a 3" well. I had a 2HP, 3 wire Franklin that my contractor burned up for me and I replaced it with a 1.5 HP Franklin. I would never have a 3 wire pump again.

6 inch well. Pretty standard size around here.
Eric

 

[Fxfymn413]

Buy the pump now and put it on the shelf until you need it. It might surprise you how long your present pump will last.

I pulled a neighbor's 500 foot deep pump this past spring and was quite shocked at how much pumps cost these days. As I recall any of the brands you are considering were north of $1K for a 1 HP 2 wire pump.

 

[workinonit]

6 inch well. Pretty standard size around here.
Eric

Sure an glad we don't have to punch 6" wells around here. There are people here still running on 2" shallow wells. I almost had one drilled a few months ago just for irrigation. Deep water well water isn't nearly as good for crops as shallow well water.

 

[FERLING]

There are certainly lotsa folks on this site who are on a well. I am. For a little over 20 years, when I had the well drilled. Now I am looking to replace my pump. Just out of caution because 20 odd years seems like a long time to me and I don't want an emergency well pump replacement.
My well will provide 15 GPM constantly. At about 16 GPM it will start to suck air. I will, rarely, over pump the well. But I haven't done that for at least 8 years. I do though pump very close to 15 GPM fairly regularly.
The pump currently down the 62 foot deep hole is a Grundfos 3 wire pump. It has been doing its job perfectly for the twenty some years since it was installed. I am thinking about once again having a Grundfos. However, I do not want a two wire pump and I don't want electronics down the hole. I am not sure if Grundfos offers a 3/4 22 GPM pump without the soft start feature. Even though I realize electronics can be very robust and last far longer than mechanical components I don't like the idea of them being incorporated into the pump itself. Right now my pump controller is mounted topside and if it fails I can service it. I don't have to replace the pump because electronics failed. And I don't have to replace electronics if the pump fails.
So, any suggestions for pump brands? I am not that concerned about price if the pump lasts 20 or 30 years. 200 bucks extra over 20 years is only 10 bucks a year.
Thanks,
Eric

If it’s working don’t mess with it. It may run another 10 years were a new pump may only last 10 years. Buy a replacement pump at a good price and any other items you may need for pump replacement. I have found out if you have a replacement in waiting usually the one working last longer. When old pump quits you can replace it in less than a day if you have the extra parts needed. Nothing worst than to replace quality with something that may end up inferior in the long run!

 

[cqaigy2]

I'll be replacing mine, hopefully when the weather gets a bit better. Currently the pump motor is pulling 10 amps so seems something is going wrong after 25 years. Here is what i'll put back in. Unfortunately, pretty sure it's be more expensive.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

So, how deep is your well? The pump is designed for 280 to 620-ft set depth.