Backup well pump (above ground Jet-Pump)

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Feb 15, 2003
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15,553
Location
Jupiter, Florida
I have a 2HP, 3 stage Goulds jet pump (above ground) that feeds my home. For various reasons, I've experienced failures that result in a no water situation and pump overheating. Recently the pump lost it's prime, probably due to a faulty PVC threaded fitting, and ran for hours without water. This overheated the pump and melted the PVC plumbing. Leading to a significant repair. Other times the start capacitor goes bad, or the contactor-relay fries.

In any case, I'd like to have a backup well pump, maybe a 3/4 HP unit that can more easily run on generator power. That would be a nice advantage, as running the 2HP pump on my generator really requires everything else to be shut off.

Any thoughts on how to configure such a setup so the wife can switch over if I'm not home?
 
My goulds jet pump is rated 1/3 hp but really bogs my 3250 surge watts generator. Funny how this works.

I would take pictures of your valve lineups however you get this rigged and post those pictures near the pumps with detailed step by step instructions.
 
If the jet is in the well you'll need a complete parallel intake system with separate pipes down the well for the other jet. Jets are sized to match the pump hp.

If the jet is at the pump then simple check valves leading into each pump from the well would work. Manual isolation valves at the outlet of each pump should be provided, but they can be left open as long as there isn't a leak to outside or leak through one of the check valves.

Have separate power sources and pressure switches since the pressure switch is a common failure.

Running with no flow and damage from the resulting overheating is common. There should be a way to fit a thermal cutout on the outside of the pump case.
 
I have a 2HP, 3 stage Goulds jet pump (above ground) that feeds my home. For various reasons, I've experienced failures that result in a no water situation and pump overheating. Recently the pump lost it's prime, probably due to a faulty PVC threaded fitting, and ran for hours without water. This overheated the pump and melted the PVC plumbing. Leading to a significant repair. Other times the start capacitor goes bad, or the contactor-relay fries.

In any case, I'd like to have a backup well pump, maybe a 3/4 HP unit that can more easily run on generator power. That would be a nice advantage, as running the 2HP pump on my generator really requires everything else to be shut off.

Any thoughts on how to configure such a setup so the wife can switch over if I'm not home?

I started working on a similar situation and by the time I added up everything it took to work properly so she or someone staying her could manage it all - it was less to put in a whole house generator that just ran everything.
 
I started working on a similar situation and by the time I added up everything it took to work properly so she or someone staying her could manage it all - it was less to put in a whole house generator that just ran everything.
Yes this is what we did as well. As an aside it turned out the solution for our frequent power outages was to put in that generator. Now the power never seems to go off.
 
Yes this is what we did as well. As an aside it turned out the solution for our frequent power outages was to put in that generator. Now the power never seems to go off.

I wish I could say it worked that way.
I had a dozen or more outages adding up to over120 hours in a year and a half now ranging from an hour or two, to 3/4 of a day.
I'm about to start a spreadsheet to track it, its so mind numbingly bad.
 
If you don't have the pressure switch with a low pressure shutoff you're past due! They have a little lever and cut out when you drop below 10 psi. And the first diagnostic/ fix is to rock that little lever to force the pump on, perchance to build pressure.
 
If you don't have the pressure switch with a low pressure shutoff you're past due! They have a little lever and cut out when you drop below 10 psi. And the first diagnostic/ fix is to rock that little lever to force the pump on, perchance to build pressure.

Seems this is universal.
 
I don’t have a pressure sw with low pressure cutoff. But even if I did, the system operates 70-90 psi and it was still at 60 with the pump running nonstop. The water got so hot, the PVC pipe expanded for a few feet from the pump and the threaded fittings failed. Big enough repair!

The jet is on the pump so I guess the solution is simply check valves and separate wiring. Nice!
 
I would get rid of the jet pump and install a submersible. Jet pumps are inefficient. Many problems solved with submersible. I have done hundreds of conversions over the years. How deep is the well and do you know the well yield? Also how many gallons per minute do you need at peak. Do you irrigate? And how many people occupy the dwelling.
 
I would get rid of the jet pump and install a submersible. Jet pumps are inefficient. Many problems solved with submersible. I have done hundreds of conversions over the years. How deep is the well and do you know the well yield? Also how many gallons per minute do you need at peak. Do you irrigate? And how many people occupy the dwelling.
3br house with 2 of us. However we have a 9 foot shower with 6 full showerheads. We do use a lot of water, which by the way, goes right back into the ground.

The well will produce 12GPH no prob, but it's only 33 feet deep and is a 2 inch PVC pipe with internal couplings. While it's not difficult to jet a shallow well in sand, there is a shell rock layer at 20 feet, that needs to be bored through. So I can't easily put a well in myself. I'd need to hire a well driller and pay for a casing.
 
If I owned the place I would completely remove and discard the jet pump. Install a 3/4 horsepower Goulds submersible model 10GS. This unit will give you 15.4 gallons per minute at 60 psi. Pump set at 30' deep. It will use 7.2 amps 230V.
 
If I owned the place I would completely remove and discard the jet pump. Install a 3/4 horsepower Goulds submersible model 10GS. This unit will give you 15.4 gallons per minute at 60 psi. Pump set at 30' deep. It will use 7.2 amps 230V.

I'd love to do that, but well drilling ain't cheap.
 
3br house with 2 of us. However we have a 9 foot shower with 6 full showerheads. We do use a lot of water, which by the way, goes right back into the ground.

The well will produce 12GPH no prob, but it's only 33 feet deep and is a 2 inch PVC pipe with internal couplings. While it's not difficult to jet a shallow well in sand, there is a shell rock layer at 20 feet, that needs to be bored through. So I can't easily put a well in myself. I'd need to hire a well driller and pay for a casing.


Is there no casing on this well or did I misread ?
 
Where the check valve is located can screw up the guardall pressure switch. they usually dont work unless the house side pressure is dumped. I have epoxied a manual reset 150f thermal hi limit to the pump for protection. Has worked every time it was needed.

Ya can pump to about 23-25 feet to the pumping water level on a shallow well pump.

If one makes the suction line 30ft or longer the pump wont suck air if the water gets low. It just wont pump..
 
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Is there no casing on this well or did I misread ?
It is 2 inch PVC pipe, that goes about 29 feet down, and then at the bottom is a 4 foot well point. The 2 inch PVC pipe has internal connectors, so the inside diameter of the well is about 1.5 inches. That's too small to put in a submersible pump.

I could have a new well drilled, and I'd like to do that. But it would have to be in a different location and I'd need a variance for that location, as it's too near a canal. It's not as easy as it sounds, nor is it cheap.

This is a PVC internal connector. The well is drilled, but the external unions get in the way of inserting the pipe down the drilled hole. So internal PVC connectors are used.

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driven-point-well-work-800x800.jpg
 
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