New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Water Well Helpline Message Board

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Subject: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem

Author:
Jerry
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Date Posted: 08:19:18 04/13/08 Sun
Author Host/IP: adsl-074-170-038-197.sip.mco.bellsouth.net/74.170.38.197
I recently installed two wells in Central Florida using the Brady method. Both are 1 1/4" wells about 24' deep with the water level at about 17'. I rented a 5 hp gas pump from Lowes to develop and test them with. They produced very well.

#1 produced 26 gpm at startup and went down to 19 GPM after 1 hour of continous pumping.
#2 produced 18 GPM at startup and went down to 12 GPM after 1 hour of continous pumping.
Then I purchased my pump a 1 1/2HP Flotec Plastic sprinkler pump. I then Teed the two wells together into an 1/1/2" brady check valve (It appeared to be the best check valve).

I then tested it again right at the pump, with the combined wells and the new pump and I was able to get 20GPM. So that seemed plenty.

I then fed this into my existing sprinler system. My largest zones are 6 x 3gpm heads or 18 GPM. It appeared that the 1 1/2 HP Flotec should be plenty.

However here is the problem:

#1 Should it take 4 to 5 minutes to produce water after the pump has been primed?

#2 When running on the large zones the sprinkler pressure surges. It goes from full power down to just a small spray. It will cycle like this over and over about every 30 seconds. It does not do this on the small zones. If I try to start it up an hour later it will take it another 4 to 5 minutes to start producing water. Then the surging starts again.

Is this a suction leak?

If so how do I find it?

If it is a suction leak, do you think it is before the check valve or after it? Since it is taking 4 to 5 minutes to start producing water.

My pressure guage is only showing about 29 to 30 lbs, shouldn't this be higher?

Do I need a bigger pump?

Thanks for your help.

Jerry

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Replies:

Subject Author Date

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem Vey 14:16:23 04/13/08 Sun

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem Jerry 16:46:58 04/13/08 Sun

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem Fred Dungan 11:12:08 04/14/08 Mon

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 13:16:44 04/14/08 Mon

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 16:13:27 04/14/08 Mon

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Vey, 17:03:41 04/14/08 Mon

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 17:14:26 04/14/08 Mon

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem Jerry 10:46:14 04/15/08 Tue

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 11:23:00 04/18/08 Fri

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Vey, 17:22:56 04/18/08 Fri

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem r.staudt 18:34:02 04/20/08 Sun

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 19:12:06 04/20/08 Sun

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem r. staudt 19:12:27 04/26/08 Sat

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 06:57:41 04/29/08 Tue

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Vey, 15:25:41 04/29/08 Tue
Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- r. staudt, 16:39:26 04/29/08 Tue
Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Vey, 17:17:17 04/29/08 Tue

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Jerry, 05:57:45 05/01/08 Thu

Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem -- Vey, 20:26:42 05/04/08 Sun

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>I recently installed two wells in Central Florida >using the Brady method. Both are 1 1/4" wells about >24' deep with the water level at about 17'. I rented a >5 hp gas pump from Lowes to develop and test them >with. They produced very well. > >#1 produced 26 gpm at startup and went down to 19 GPM >after 1 hour of continous pumping. >#2 produced 18 GPM at startup and went down to 12 GPM >after 1 hour of continous pumping. >Then I purchased my pump a 1 1/2HP Flotec Plastic >sprinkler pump. I then Teed the two wells together >into an 1/1/2" brady check valve (It appeared to be >the best check valve). > >I then tested it again right at the pump, with the >combined wells and the new pump and I was able to get >20GPM. So that seemed plenty. > >I then fed this into my existing sprinler system. My >largest zones are 6 x 3gpm heads or 18 GPM. It >appeared that the 1 1/2 HP Flotec should be plenty. > >However here is the problem: > >#1 Should it take 4 to 5 minutes to produce water >after the pump has been primed? > >#2 When running on the large zones the sprinkler >pressure surges. It goes from full power down to just >a small spray. It will cycle like this over and over >about every 30 seconds. It does not do this on the >small zones. If I try to start it up an hour later it >will take it another 4 to 5 minutes to start producing >water. Then the surging starts again. > >Is this a suction leak? > >If so how do I find it? > >If it is a suction leak, do you think it is before the >check valve or after it? Since it is taking 4 to 5 >minutes to start producing water. > >My pressure guage is only showing about 29 to 30 lbs, >shouldn't this be higher? > >Do I need a bigger pump? > >Thanks for your help. > >Jerry

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