Shallow well pump performance?

buickanddeere · Oct 31, 2016

A pump with several stages is not required for shallow wells. Using a deep well submersible pump in a shallow submersible application just wastes power by churning water through extra pump stages.

speedbump · Oct 31, 2016

I agree, a two or three stage jet pump is not used for shallow well applications unless more pressure is required. Each stage add more pressure. A submersible pump on the other hand is far more efficient than a jet pump. You won't find many new systems installed using jet pumps. Submersible pumps are the norm and have been for a lot of years. The little FSCH I mentioned was a single stage pump with a max pressure of around 60 psi.

the old grind · Oct 31, 2016

All of 2' below floor level the 1 1/4" galv is cemented into the 4" PVC. Aligned with that and ~26' away (outside) is an iron cap, so it seems to lead to a familiar-looking pitless adapter. 12' from that at a right angle is the near corner or the stone pit. It looks like there is nearly 40' of horizontal run to add to vertical suction head and a large column to move with perhaps some frictional loss, too.

Worked till dark yesterday and awaiting the cement truck for next door, so today I should get to hose down the NH and TM to see how pump performance carries to my 'washdown' area. I'd say 130'-140' of total run from the stone pit to the end of the hose if an extra 40' of horiz suction line is considered.

I'll see if I can remove the cap to identify what's in there. Flags here mark the cap, the pit, and where the line comes from house to cap.
View attachment 486469 View attachment 486470 View attachment 486471 View attachment 486472

speedbump · Oct 31, 2016

Your attachments didn't work. The 1-1/4" being inside the 4" sounds like concentric piping to the Pitless. It's not the same hookup as I was familiar with when I lived in Michigan and they required Pitless's and Concentric Piping.

the old grind · Oct 31, 2016

Here I show
1) the pump and iron widget's relative locations on my West side (~ 24' flag to flag),
2) turning to look North, the near flag is also aligned to the pit's corner/edge,
3) the cap/well up close. It's 4" stuff and I had to peel a bit of sod to expose it.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-cbCJ3xW/0/L/i-cbCJ3xW-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9SGcHbH/0/L/i-9SGcHbH-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-v2tSV2j/0/L/i-v2tSV2j-L.jpg
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edit to get pics to work.

It makes sense to me now that a conventional point below an adapter could be backed up by the ~16 'x 18' pit/cistern a dozen feet away. At most 15' below the cap is that 60' of dense clay, so the tie in would be to assure good flow from what's only above that if drawn on heavily. Pond or no pond, we're on sand and that's the high water table I've been familiar with while living within 1/2 mi of here since '89. That point location would shorten the horizontal draw and the pit help keep it charged.

btw, more of the brush & the tall cherry on top of the pit will be downsized and/or removed soon.

I might be able to pull familiar stuff from the casing to service it.

speedbump · Oct 31, 2016

Your attachments are not working in either post.

the old grind · Nov 1, 2016

Pics fixed, and I get why folks sometimes have trouble uploading them. Ones of the pump/tank were browsed from the chip and posted. With the others I did the same but chose to 'go advanced' to preview the post. The pics didn't work after that. Hmm ...

Anyway, after pulling, screeding, floating, and finishing 7 yds of a 5-slump hours after a cold pour my 'base-grading' machines are still next door.

I should get a real test washing hosing them both down. I'll also start soaking the metal cap, Kroil, Gibbs, or heat & wax. We'll see what's down there, as I'm curious now. t o g

speedbump · Nov 1, 2016

That's not like any Pitless Cap I've ever seen. They usually stick up at least a foot above grade too.

the old grind · Nov 1, 2016

'Washdown Test':

Well,

laughing

on the 1st machine and with darn good flow as always until the tank drew down (a few mins, gals) I was reduced to a bit stronger trickle than of old. I 'shut off' and went down to see what the gauges were doing. Pump showed just above 40 PSI and the tank just above 20. I turned the valve's adjustment inward a full turn, and pump gauge dropped >10 PSI, so I returned it to the previous setting.

By the time I got back to the hose my pressure/flow had returned rather quickly. I decided to be more sparing with the go-button and went surprisingly far be fore draining the tank again. I'd worked the hose more like a paint sprayer or air blast than like I was watering roses. The difference between new and old setups is less obvious outside than in the laundry, but I did use a high flow nozzle (pretty much WFO) and usually wash down with one with several patterns and that seems to release a fair bit less water.

I'm actually quite happy with results so far, the noticeably faster (I'll measure) washer fill, and esp not hearing a pump anymore. Meanwhile, I'll go back next door and work some grade to the approach and where 'Mr Concrete' washed out. That'll give me another wash down test.

Know ye this: If/when I drill for a 'sub' someday it won't be expecting water I'd drink then either.