Just had a well put in. Thoughts appreciated

Carl_NH · May 6, 2020

Hello 1930, - I like the Ocala area and have spent some time there - nice part of FL!

If you have a 4" well casing, 50' static water level in the well with a 150-180' total well depth, and at least 4-5 GPM output (your well driller must provide the GPM as part of the contract and in order to get a home loan etc) then get a 3" Diameter 1/2HP pump like a Grundfos or similar, and install this on 1" 200 PSI Poly pipe.

Then a cap at the top and a pressure tank like a WellxTrol with a few hose bibs.and a pressure switch and plug to fit your generator. You can install this setup in a few hours - just have all the materials you need. I like this site Aqua Science: The Most Trusted Name in Water Treatment where you can review pumps and costs etc. They are in the NE but there are similar vendors in FL.

Usually in FL - no freeze issues, most don't have a pitless adapter (below ground connection)- the pipe comes out of the well seal cap.

1930 · May 6, 2020

Thanks for the info

fried1765 · May 6, 2020

Carl_NH said:
Hello 1930, - I like the Ocala area and have spent some time there - nice part of FL!

If you have a 4" well casing, 50' static water level in the well with a 150-180' total well depth, and at least 4-5 GPM output (your well driller must provide the GPM as part of the contract and in order to get a home loan etc) then get a 3" Diameter 1/2HP pump like a Grundfos or similar, and install this on 1" 200 PSI Poly pipe.

Then a cap at the top and a pressure tank like a WellxTrol with a few hose bibs.and a pressure switch and plug to fit your generator. You can install this setup in a few hours - just have all the materials you need. I like this site Aqua Science: The Most Trusted Name in Water Treatment where you can review pumps and costs etc. They are in the NE but there are similar vendors in FL.

Usually in FL - no freeze issues, most don't have a pitless adapter (below ground connection)- the pipe comes out of the well seal cap.

Grundfos pumps = made in Denmark.
Goulds pumps = made in USA.(Seneca, NY)

Carl_NH · May 7, 2020

fried1765 said:
Grundfos pumps = made in Denmark.
Goulds pumps = made in USA.(Seneca, NY)

Fried - Yes agreed I buy Goulds GS series and prefer to buy American, but they don't make a 3" submersible from what I know. Whereas Grundfos make a lot of the 3" pumps and parts/motors are readily available.

You could put a 4" pump in a 4" casing but this leaves less than 1/8" clearance and if the pump is hitting the side wall when it turns on the SST wire guard will eventually wear and short the wires.

fried1765 · May 7, 2020

Carl_NH said:
Fried - Yes agreed I buy Goulds GS series and prefer to buy American, but they don't make a 3" submersible from what I know. Whereas Grundfos make a lot of the 3" pumps and parts/motors are readily available.

You could put a 4" pump in a 4" casing but this leaves less than 1/8" clearance and if the pump is hitting the side wall when it turns on the SST wire guard will eventually wear and short the wires.

I didn't realize that Goulds does not make a submersible pump for a 4" well.
I put a 1/2HP Goulds in my 220' Nova Scotia well, (pump at 200') but that was a 6" well, with very low recovery.
I use a Goulds J10S shallow well pump (19' to water) at my place on the Cape, with wonderful soft water.
Goulds are great pumps!

TheGoose · May 11, 2020

Goulds certainly makes pumps for 4” wells.

npalen · May 12, 2020

I have not read all the posts. Had my well drilled in 1976 for lawn irrigation only with 5" pvc casing. Run a half horsepower submersible pump with shutoff valve and no pressure tank. Was told way back then that it doesn't hurt a submersible to deadhead. I have checked amperage and it drops off to almost nothing when the pump is deadheaded. I have replaced the pump one time in the forty four years.

aczlan · May 12, 2020

npalen said:
I have not read all the posts. Had my well drilled in 1976 for lawn irrigation only with 5" pvc casing. Run a half horsepower submersible pump with shutoff valve and no pressure tank. Was told way back then that it doesn't hurt a submersible to deadhead. I have checked amperage and it drops off to almost nothing when the pump is deadheaded. I have replaced the pump one time in the forty four years.

Not quite correct, if you deadhead a pump for extended periods of time it will overheat, short periods of time you can get away with deadheading a submersible pump because the water around the pump will transfer the heat, but if you do it for too long the water inside the pump will heat up and the seals will fail because they have not had enough water flow past them to cool them off.

Aaron Z