Yikes! Well pump replaced.

   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #1  

Alan L.

Elite Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2000
Messages
3,212
Location
Grayson County, TX
Tractor
Kubota B2710
2005 was $2500.

2014 $5,672.34.

500 foot well, 5HP 20gpm pump, motor, and control box replaced. After the job was done I asked what if I put a 10 gpm pump, maybe a 2HP? Would have saved $2,000. Not sure I could tell any difference.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #2  
That is one heck of a well set up. Will it actually flow 20 gpm 27/7?
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #3  
That is an expensive pump if it's just servicing a dwelling

Ag use might need it, but a house? Never!
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #4  
Holy heck, you had me at 500 ft.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #5  
Thats a huge pump for a house a 2hp 10gpm would be plenty. ( depending on your static water level, flow rate etc..) But saying that the price isnt too bad if thats including installation. Just to pull a pump that deep runs $600. To $800.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #6  
2005 was $2500.

2014 $5,672.34.

500 foot well, 5HP 20gpm pump, motor, and control box replaced. After the job was done I asked what if I put a 10 gpm pump, maybe a 2HP? Would have saved $2,000. Not sure I could tell any difference.

My neighbor just put in a new well last year, 5 inch pvc, 200 ft deep, it cost $4500. I think it is a 1 hp submersible pump.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #8  
I asked what if I put a 10 gpm pump, maybe a 2HP?
Holy heck, you had me at 500 ft.

I'm not sure, but 600' TDH might not even be possible with a 2 HP pump, so you'd likely end up with 0 GPM flow.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #9  
I hope they upgraded the electrical feeding it. 5 HP is a whack of power.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #10  
I'm not sure, but 600' TDH might not even be possible with a 2 HP pump, so you'd likely end up with 0 GPM flow.

Depends on the level of the water in the well. the pump only works against the elevation between point of use and the _top_ of the water. Of course drawdown also comes into play.

Harry K
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #11  
Alan that's an ouch! I have to get a new well drilled, booking the guy today, seems anything well related costs a ton, but it's really hard to live without. I soon will feel your pain. Hope the new hardware works as it should for a longtime.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #12  
Alan that's an ouch! I have to get a new well drilled, booking the guy today, seems anything well related costs a ton, but it's really hard to live without. I soon will feel your pain. Hope the new hardware works as it should for a longtime.

If you can find someone with an old cable tool (or hammer) drill rig. They are slow and cost a little more per foot but they dont always have to go as deep. A rotary rig uses a type of drilling mud that can seal up smaller veins of water, so the driller misses it and keeps going deeper and anytime you go deeper everything costs more, pump, wire, well, etc..... A cable rig just uses water to drill so even if theres a small amount of water in the well the driller will notice it. The only downside is some areas a cable rig cant drill because of limestone, granite etc so then your stuck with a rotary rig.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #13  
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #14  
If you can find someone with an old cable tool (or hammer) drill rig. They are slow and cost a little more per foot but they dont always have to go as deep. A rotary rig uses a type of drilling mud that can seal up smaller veins of water, so the driller misses it and keeps going deeper and anytime you go deeper everything costs more, pump, wire, well, etc..... A cable rig just uses water to drill so even if theres a small amount of water in the well the driller will notice it. The only downside is some areas a cable rig cant drill because of limestone, granite etc so then your stuck with a rotary rig.

No outfits like that in these parts unfortunately.
Alan how the set up so far?
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #15  
Seriously, why do you need such a large pump? Even if the static was close to the TD I'm still not sure you need a 5-HP. I would think that a 3 or possibly a 2-HP would be enough.

Do you know your static level? What is the make/model of the new pump?

2005 was $2500.

2014 $5,672.34.

500 foot well, 5HP 20gpm pump, motor, and control box replaced. After the job was done I asked what if I put a 10 gpm pump, maybe a 2HP? Would have saved $2,000. Not sure I could tell any difference.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #16  
2005 was $2500.

2014 $5,672.34.

500 foot well, 5HP 20gpm pump, motor, and control box replaced. After the job was done I asked what if I put a 10 gpm pump, maybe a 2HP? Would have saved $2,000. Not sure I could tell any difference.

You may have saved money if you bought the 10 gpm pump but it looks like you would have low water pressure and less 10 gpm because of the depth of the pump in the well. I found this chart on the web when I searched on "size submersible well pump" Performance Chart for GS Stainless Steel Series, 4", 3 Wire, 10GPM, 2HP, 230V, Submersible Pump The blue area is for a 2hp 10 gpm pump. At 500 feet you would get 9.9 gpm at 20 psi. That is a little low for me. If the pressure is increased to 40 psi the flow rate decreases. I think your well driller sold you a pump that would give you the amount of water you needed and the pressure you need to use the water because of the depth of your well.
Our water in the country is expensive to get and maintain. Hopefully you will not have to replace it again anytime soon.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced. #17  
Yep we are on daylight expanding time. :)
That must be nice... I've always said thay I might get everything done if the days were just 8 hours longer. :D
U
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced.
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Yes it does 20 easy 24/7. Original pump was a 25 and no problem there either. Driller says it it probably producing 35 or so. It is servicing my house, but I also have a 2 bedroom apt in my metal building and we are constantly watering something in the summer, sometimes several hoses going at once. They charged me a little extra because they got their rig stuck for 2 days, plus the guys had to come out 2 different days. Labor was $1600 which seems a little high. Two guys maybe 7 hours each, plus the service rig. The pump/motor/control box was about $3500 by itself.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced.
  • Thread Starter
#19  
If you can find someone with an old cable tool (or hammer) drill rig. They are slow and cost a little more per foot but they dont always have to go as deep. A rotary rig uses a type of drilling mud that can seal up smaller veins of water, so the driller misses it and keeps going deeper and anytime you go deeper everything costs more, pump, wire, well, etc..... A cable rig just uses water to drill so even if theres a small amount of water in the well the driller will notice it. The only downside is some areas a cable rig cant drill because of limestone, granite etc so then your stuck with a rotary rig.

The formation here is well known and they tell me you have to get past the first couple of pockets to get good water. The more shallow water is heavy on iron and sulphur.
 
   / Yikes! Well pump replaced.
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Seriously, why do you need such a large pump? Even if the static was close to the TD I'm still not sure you need a 5-HP. I would think that a 3 or possibly a 2-HP would be enough.

Do you know your static level? What is the make/model of the new pump?

I don't know what the new one is, but the old one was Berkeley model L20P4JMGS-03, Franklin motor. The new one is Berkeley and looks exactly the same so I would assume it is basically the same. When the well was first drilled I was not given the option of what size pump - the driller says he matches the pump to the well production and at the time that was 25 gpm. Then they just replaced it with what was in it both times it has been replaced. I should have gotten on here and asked about what I'd be giving up going with a smaller pump BEFORE calling them out to fix it. Also should have discussed the cost up front, but frankly i was so tired of taking a bath in a gallon jug of Dollar General spring water I would have paid nearly anything to get the water flowing.
 

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