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

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Subject: Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem

Author:
r.staudt
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Date Posted: 18:34:02 04/20/08 Sun
Author Host/IP: ool-18bd33da.dyn.optonline.net/24.189.51.218
In reply to: Jerry 's message, "New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem" on 08:19:18 04/13/08 Sun

>One thing that was never addressed in any of the posts was that both of your wells produced less water after you developed them. They should have produced more water after developement since this is supposed to remove the fines from the formation around your well point. Over pumping a well with a large capacity pump is not the best way to develop a well. A pitcher pump and compressed air work much better at opening up a water bearing formation.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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Re: New Sprinkler Pump Pressure Problem Jerry 19:12:06 04/20/08 Sun

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>>One thing that was never addressed in any of the >posts was that both of your wells produced less water >after you developed them. They should have produced >more water after developement since this is supposed >to remove the fines from the formation around your >well point. Over pumping a well with a large capacity >pump is not the best way to develop a well. A pitcher >pump and compressed air work much better at opening up >a water bearing formation.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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