Troubleshooting well pump ( with pics)

[Mikepier]

I recently got a used Goulds well pump. I have an existing well in my basement that I would like to use for irrigation. This is how I hooked it up.

The water in the pipe is about 20" below the basement floor, so I assumed the pump should be able to suck it out with no problem, but when I tested it out, I only get trickle of water from the outlet ( I hooked up a hose for testing purposes). I'm not sure if I need a check valve also on the input side, but I had the pump on for a good

10 minutes, and it was not spitting out a lot of water. I'm sure the connections are air tight. So now my question is from the pics, did I hook it up right? And how do I know if the pump is good or bad?

[BQ340]

Did you try priming the pump? Some pumps don't self-prime.

MikeB

[Mikepier]

Do you mean fill the pump with water? I did that. I filled it with water through the outlet pipe. Unless I'm doing something wrong.

[DD_BobK]

You need to fill the pump and the piping all the way down to the water.

When was the last time the well produced? What was the flow rate at that time? What is the capacity of the pump? hp?

Or it you don;t know those answers....Gould Model Number?

Maybe the pump capacity far exceeds the well delivery capability (the pump is removing water faster than the surrounding rock or soil can "resupply" it) and the pump is "starving"?

cheers Bob

[Mikepier]

I did not remove the top cap on the well side and fill that with water. I could try that. But there are also 2 brass plugs on the side of the pump. Not sure what they are for.

As far as he history of the pump, I don't know. But I remember the previous owner had a similiar pump, so I assume the well has sufficient water supply. From the plate , I can barely read the model # SKB713.

[Mikepier]

Correction, that number is for the motor.

The stamp on the pump itself says "Goulds 53555"

[tnom]

You need a check valve made for a inlet line. Then prime the pump. Once done, assuming you have no leaks, it should maintain its prime and pump properly.

[Mikepier]

UPDATE: This morning I removed the well cap, and filled up to the top with water, then tried the pump again, still water only coming out in spurts, and not consistent.

I understand I need a check valve, but for the purpose of testing the pump right now, shouldn't the pump work even without a check valve? Like I said, I filled up the well pipe to the top, and I poured water in the outlet pipe, so I'm sure the pump is primed.

[Harry K]

Minor correction. He needs a "foot valve" (if he doesn't already have one) - it goes on the bottom of the suction pipe.

Harry K

[Harry K]

You do NOT need a checkvalve. If you filled the pipe with water you must already have a footvalve which is the required item.

Have you pulled up the suction pipe to exam what is on the end? It should be a footvalve and that could be crudded up such that it isn't passing much water.

Harry K

[Jules Richardson]

Hmm, surely if it were filled you should at least get a brief full flow just from the water you're primed the system with, even if something were wrong elsewhere?

I'm not really familiar with wells either - that comment just seemed surprising.

Oh, I can confirm that there's no check valve at the top end of our well, incidentally, but I've never had any need to try priming ours so can't comment on experiences there (I did have it all off while doing some plumbing for a couple of hours last year and it spluttered a bit after switch on, but picked up after a couple of minutes and returned to normal)

Ours is a top-side pump though, with an 80' well and jet assembly, so perhaps a bit of a different config to yours.

cheers

Jules

[Bob F]

Check valves on the suction side of a pump are probably more of a problem than on the pressure side. The OP is talking about a shallow well, with the pump drawing the water up.

OP - Some pumps are self-priming, others are not. Which is yours?

[Bob F]

If you have a way to apply water pressure to the inlet side pipes, do so while you start the pump. When it starts to pump, shut off the inlet water and see if it continues to pump. This will help flush any air in the system.

[Mikepier]

All I can tell you is if I pour water in the pipe to the top, it eventually drains down to its standard level of 2 ft below the basement floor, so I don't think I have a checkvalve in the vertical pipe, or if I do, its defective.

[RBM]

I think you do have one, because the old pump would have used one, but from sitting idle, it's probably frozen closed, with a slight leak

[Mikepier]

So how does one remove the pipe casing to see if the footvalve is bad? I estimate this pipe goes down a good 25 feet? In sections I'm assuming.

[Harry K]

I suspect he does also and either it or the screen around it (if it has one) is partly clogged. If he has a self-primng pump, it would work on his system without a footvalve. Sounds like the maximum draw distance would only be about 20', well within self-priming range.

Harry K

[Harry K]

Good point, you say it is in a basement so, unless there is a hatch overhead, iron pipe would have to be in sections no longer than about

7'. Of course if it is black poly, you just pull it _careful that you don't kink it_ and lay it on the floor.

Harry K

[RBM]

As Harryk said, basement wells are often built into an extension off the basement, with a concrete ceiling, and directly above the well is a section that can be removed. If this isn't the case, I would pull the pipe up, cut it up and remove it. Then replace it with poly, which I would recommend if the well pipe is all galv

[dpb]

You don't remove the _casing_ at all; assuming the hole _is_ cased it's the outer wall of the wellhole and is permanent.

You pull the suction pipe by whatever means is required depending on what it is. If it is inside there either has to be an access if it has full joints (or the house was built around it which would be pretty silly thing to have done) or it is in short joints that have clearance or flexible plastic that can be coiled as it comes.

--