Posted - 06/20/2005 : 12:49:41
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Dear sir/mam,

My name is Larry Kidd and live on a small ranch in Elko Nevada. I have always had a water pressure problem and in turn have learned to live with not using two water faucets at the same time. This year the pressure problem has gotten worse and I have done all the least costly repairs to fix the problem. It has helped to some degree but I still cannot fill the washer and have any type of pressure left to wash dishes or fill the toilets without a good hour of letting the tank catchup. My system is set for 60off and 40on and I have ensured that the air bladder is set at 36psi. My Franklin 1 1/2hp submersible pump had been in service for approximately nine years and has had to battle with large amounts of iron. I am thinking it is time to replace this pump and am wondering if the pump is too small for a well depth of 330 feet? Should I go to a bigger motor and will it provide water at a better faucet pressure without losing pressure after just a few moments?


admin
Forum Admin



USA
17 Posts
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 13:29:48
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Hi Larry,

Do you know anything about the well. Like how many gallons will it produce? Do you know the water level?
A pump that old could be just wore out or could be loaded up with iron.
In order to size a pump to that well, we would have to know the water level and the wells production capability.
These things are very important to properly size a pump.
I can size one that will go the limit of your well depth, but you might be able to get by much cheaper if the water level is higher. The deeper a pump can go, the more it costs.

bob...


Gary Slusser
New Member



USA
7 Posts
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 14:32:42
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It sounds to me as if your well can't keep up, not the tank. The pump may be loaded up with iron as Bob says or the inlet could be plugged with either rust or IRB (iron reducing bacteria); either will reduce the volume of water you can use and prevent the pump from building pressure.

Any air in the water at any time?

Any snotty, slimy, clear or colored jello like stuff from the water line down in any toilet tanks? To inspect, use a flash light etc. to look for an oily film on the water in a toilet tank. Look from various angles. Then flush the toilet and wipe the palm of your hand from the water line down. If a rough or slippery feeling you probably don't have IRB but any snotty, slimy, jelly like substance, then you do.

If so, shocking the well will not clear the pump inlet in 99% of the instances of this problem. You'll have to pull the pump and use a wire brush and Iron Out etc. on the inlet screen. I've got pictures of this problem and you'd be surprised how many openings can be plugged solid with hard encrustations. I've never pulled a pump apart to inspect inside the wet end so I don't know if simple cleaning will help or if the pump should be replaced.

Gary
Quality Water Associates
www.qualitywaterassociates.com
Forum: http://www.qualitywaterassociates.com/phpBB2/index.php


admin
Forum Admin



USA
17 Posts
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 17:04:31
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I cleaned one once in my test tank. When I started the water was clear, when I finished it was gold and gookey.
I won't do that again. It took a lot of boxes of Iron out, and lots of hammering on the liquid end, stopping and starting the pump, lots of pressuring up and down of the pump. After about an hour of messing with it, it was back to normal specs. We shocked the poop out of the well and the problem was solved. If the pump hadn't been only about 6 months old, we would have never messed with it.

bob...


Esteban
New Member



Mexico
1 Posts
Posted - 06/21/2005 : 12:00:40
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Many times you will find that the iron will accumulate on the drop pipe and little by little will put a little pin sized hole in the drop pipe that will get bigger as time passes. The pin hole will also shoot out a pressurized stream of water that hits the casing causing other water quality problems. In fact, you may not have a problem with your pump although after that many years, I'd probably change it anyway.