Pressure washer ran well dry, washing tractor

[Egon]

Flow rate determines how much farther hole is drilled to provide reservoir. If water is pumped out faster than flow rate and level in drilled reservoir "draws down" below pump...no water. Since pumps usually require water for cooling, running it dry can cause damage.

Flow rate is used to determine the size of the pump.

Many domestic downhole pumps have the motor on the bottom so it is always in water.

 

[k0ua]

It would appear that the down hole pump is oversized

This may be possible, neighbor said the former owner mentioned putting in a bigger pump with the idea of sellling water to the other 3 vacant lots if they ever were built on. I bought the other lots, to keep them from being occupied. The pump is 1 1/2 horse. or so it says on the controller. I dont know if that is all that larger than the average pump. All is good so far.. we havent run out again.. but I am not going to be running the pressure washer any time soon.
James K0UA

 

[Egon]

The pump HP is only an indication of flow rate possibilities. The head required is another big factor.

 

[clemsonfor]

Yeap id does not really matter if its 3HP you only were using X gallons per minute, not really that much running the pressure washer, you could use the same thing with a 1 HP unit.

 

[nickel plate]

Our 5-1/2 gpm well has a submersible pump filling a poly 3000 gal holding tank with a booster pump on the tank's outflow valve to supply more than adequate pressure to the house and landscape. When we used to have only a household bladder storage tank even before the irrigated landscape was put in, I would on occassion run the submersible pump dry and then wait an hour for it to kick back on. No longer have that problem but still remain careful about managing our water usage. This is way on the outside as there are only two of us plus 1-1/2 acres of lightly irrigated mostly natural landscape and a small 20'x20' seasonal vegetable garden using the water, assume 1000 gals per day will take a little over 3 hours to replenish the holding tank.

 

[TWD]

Sounds like some storage tanks are what you need :thumbsup:

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Our 5-1/2 gpm well has a submersible pump filling a poly 3000 gal holding tank with a booster pump on the tank's outflow valve to supply more than adequate pressure to the house and landscape. When we used to have only a household bladder storage tank even before the irrigated landscape was put in, I would on occassion run the submersible pump dry and then wait an hour for it to kick back on. No longer have that problem but still remain careful about managing our water usage. This is way on the outside as there are only two of us plus 1-1/2 acres of lightly irrigated mostly natural landscape and a small 20'x20' seasonal vegetable garden using the water, assume 1000 gals per day will take a little over 3 hours to replenish the holding tank.

I have a well that is very low flow in the summer, but has plenty of water in the winter. I installed a 2500 gallon spun poly cistern with a booster pump. Half a gallon a minute is thousands of gallons a day. Also, when the well goes completely dry, which it did in 2003, I was able to call for a water delivery from town, which got us through until the well recovered.

I was able to install the cistern slightly above the house. The bottom of the tank is about level with the window sills, which means about 8' drop from a full tank to the house fixtures. It's very low flow, but enough water to fill the toilets when there is a power outage. I can also tap enough water for cooking from the kitchen sink. It's very handy, and saves hours of generator time.

 

[k0ua]

Ok the problem is solved, new pump, new pipe, and dropped the new pump 91 feet deeper into the hole. also some new parts in control box as a precaution. (start cap. and relay) the pipe looked really bad, at least the pipe in the water from all the rust. I scraped the rust barnacles off and there was a black layer from the galvanize oxide, and some of the steel was eaten away. But all that did not keep the water from working last saturday. either the water level had dropped a bunch last saturday, (unlikely) or the pump hiccupped (likely ).. hope my water problems are over. guess the front hydraulics, grapple and snow blade projects will have to wait
and I now only have 1 arm and 1 leg, had to give up the others. :laughing::laughing:
thanks for info/suggestions.
James K0UA

 

[jinman]

James, little "luxuries" like water sure do get in the way of having tractor fun sometimes. Let's hope you get your arm and leg back soon and can afford lifes real necessities like tractor goodies.:laughing:

 

[k0ua]

thanks Jim, yes it is nice to have the assurance of water again, ran the pressure washer, have watered the new dirt work all afternoon, put down 60 lbs of fescue seed, and generally enjoyed the water. The arm and the leg will grow back some day:laughing:

James K0UA