Well Pump Recommendation

[Shimon]

Our well pump is pretty old. We moved in last fall and the previous owners said it was here when they moved in 15 years ago. It still works but the pressure gauge doesn't. Replaced it with two different gauges and it still doesn't work.

Anyway, I'd like to buy a new pump and install it so it's one less emergency I'll have to deal with in the future.

Here is a photo of the pump and here is a photo of the pump label.

Any recommendations on a good brand? I've got 30A at 240V at the pump house and this thing draws about 18A while starting and about 8A running. Would like to buy something good and reliable. Thanks.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

Sounds like the brand and model you've got has a pretty good track record.

 

[tawilson]

I have Goulds pumps in my campground and home. No matter what you get, I'd get that Century pump rebuilt and keep on the shelf for a backup. Concerinig the gauge, the fitting it screws into must be plugged.

 

[heehaw]

put in a submersible pump, and use less electricity per gallon of water pumped:
heehaw

 

[Jimbrown]

That looks like a jet pump to me. Must be a shallow well. You can buy jet pumps in almost any good home store or hardware store. Home Depot sells Flotec which seem to be as good as most. You could buy one of those and a handfull of fittings and new hoses and have the thing in in less that an hour. This assumes the foot valve is still good which it might not be and then you are going to have to pull the the valve out of the well and replace it.

 

[turnkey4099]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Our well pump is pretty old. We moved in last fall and the previous owners said it was here when they moved in 15 years ago. It still works but the pressure gauge doesn't. Replaced it with two different gauges and it still doesn't work.

Anyway, I'd like to buy a new pump and install it so it's one less emergency I'll have to deal with in the future.

Were
Here is a photo of the pump and here is a photo of the pump label.

Any recommendations on a good brand? I've got 30A at 240V at the pump house and this thing draws about 18A while starting and about 8A running. Would like to buy something good and reliable. Thanks. )</font>

As Tom says, the guage is most assuredly a problem with a plugged up fitting. Pull that big plug it is screwed into and ream it out. You should also pull pressure gauge riser pipe and ream that out or replace it also.

Tom also recommended rebuilding the old one as a spare. Were it me, I would put the new one on the shelf and keep the old one operating until it dies then replace it and rebuild the old one for the next spare.

Model: Any jet pump will do but I would not go for a cheap one. Get one that has approximately the same configuration. Yours shows the well fittings exiting on the end of the pump, I have seen them exiting on the side or one on the end, one on the side.

If you haven't done it already, you should drain your system for routine maintenance.

When the pressure tank is empty, check and reset the precharge. You want 2 psi (approx) less than the cut-in setting on the pressure switch.

Drain and flush the hotwater heater. That should be done at least yearly - oftener if your well pumps sediment (mine does).

Got a sump pump in the basement? Also get a spare sump pump. When one goes out it will be a a very inconvenient time. Been there with both my house and my mother's house.

Harry K

 

[tawilson]

It's a jet pump set up for deep well service, cause of the two pipes from the pump to the well. Make sure you get one that can be set up the same. I'd take that picture to a plumbing supply house and let them set you up with what you need. Replacing it with a submersible is something I plan on doing at home. You might want to consider it and check with your plumbing buddies.

 

[SPIKER]

I agree with turnkey (harryK) on this one, buy the new partds, and all (checck & measure for fittings pipe hunks, and locations of everything) then buy a pump of similar size, make up the intermeadate connections onto the pump if you want (water pipes & electrical extension wire ect.) leave the old one in untill it dies, usually rebuilding one is ok, but after 15 years more than likely it will be a sprung leak and or a burnt up motor, depending on how mig a pressure tank you have will determine how many on-off cycles it has seen, that is biggest killer of redisinal pumps, small pressure tank causes higher rates of on and off to refill the smaller tanks.

as far as replacing it with a submercial pump, yes they are great use less energy and are extremely reliable, BUT the well may not be drilled to hold one or one may have one already broken off down deep? sometimes happens. easiest to stick with what you have.

make sure you know WHERE the items can be located quickly (pressure pump, pressure tanks, foot valves pressure on off switches ect.) if they are aailable locally then usually having replacements on hand isn't needed just wait untill it fails deal with no water for a few hrs on over night and buy the required part next day. that is if you have it available otherwise the pressure switches usually go out much faster than the pumps and can cause the pumps to die stuck switch or burnt contaqcts inside the switch make the pump get cruddy power which forces it to work much harder. the NEW style switches are pretty junky, look for a good one of those for sure.

hope that helps
happy watering.
SPIKER

 

[Keoke]

Spiker,
Century is the motor manufacture only.
No way sure, but pump looks like a Jacuzzi or Gould centrifugal set up (jet at foot vlave) for an over 20' deep well.

cheers,

 

[GaryQWA]

You have a two-line, deep well, jet pump. That type has the eductor/jet in the well, it is called the j-body and it has the foot valve on the bottom of it. The foot valve can be tens of feet below the foot valve but usually is on the j-body.

The j-body is married to the pump, so no changing the pump without the new pump's j-body with the correct jet in it or things will not work very well.

That requires removal of the j-body from the well, and to do that, you disconnect the two lines going down the well without dropping them down the well. If you drop them, you get ta go fishin' without a pole and you can come up empty. Then you may not be able to get new lines down the well deep enough or that submersible pump others and I suggest.

Goulds, AquAmerica, StaRite etc. are good choices.

To get the lines out, you need enough room to get the PE pipe out and they can be up to 180' long but may not be more than 50 to 120' long. It bends fairly easy and you just drag it wherever without scaring it on the well casing etc. if you plan on using it again; which you should. PE is the best choice.

To start getting the lines out... you have to loosen the 4 bolts in the sanitary well seal (cap). You don't remove them, just loosen because the nuts are captive to the underside of the bottom piece of steel. You have a sandwich of two pieces of steel with up to a 1" thick piece of rubber between them. The top and bottom pieces are split in two and share two bolts each. The rubber is one piece and fully around the two water lines. If the nuts are not captive, there may be threaded holes in the two bottom halves. You don't want to drop them or anything else down the well.

I loosen the bolts with a snubby (4-5") box end wrench and hammer. Just don't round off the heads; which is mostly wishful thinking due to them rusted up bad... or breaking the bolts. Then I liberally dose with WD-40 and do my best to get it down past the top pieces of steel to the ribber piece. The top pieces have a shoulder that stops them from going inside the well casing, they rest on top of the casing but... about 3/8" of the top pieces does go into the casing. So smack'em lose and get to the rubber and spray all around trying to not get WD-40 down the well.

Once I have the bolts lose and find I have one or two that I can't loosen more, I cut their heads off with my torch and heat the casing to melt the rubber and pry one half out/off cutting the rubber with my very sharp knife and grab it all with my channel lock pliers or Vise Grips and/or pry it all out with what I believe is called a Wonder Pry Bar; usually used for carpentry. The two pieces of steel and the rubber between them comes out fairly easy that way. I never cut the rubber into two pieces, that prevents dropping parts down the well. If I get one part of the top steel off, I clamp a vice grip on the remaining part of a bolt to prevent the bottom part from falling off.

Remember that you need to pry and the only thing to pry on is the thin edge of the casing. There is a lot of art in all this... lol

And remember that usually, things that are hot don't look any different than when they are cold...

I would not tell anyone to rebuild or save a pump as old as yours. Buy a new 1/2 hp 10-13 gpm and 12/x w/ground (depending on the submersible pump; a 2 or 3 wire) and the 1" line going down to the j-body now, and you'll have lots better flow, pressure and problems and it will be much quieter.

Good luck if you attempt this. And I suggest that you double to triple the estimated time you assign to the job... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Gary
Quality Water Associates