# Well pump control box delema



## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

We have an 11 year old submercible pump and motor, and a control box from 1957. I replaced the control box tonight, but noticed it doesnt have a thermal cuttoff switch in the new one. Can I buy one seperately and wire it into the control box ? Can I just put a 10 amp circuit breaker in there ? Or should I just make sure I have the correct amperage circuit breakers in the main power panel for the pump ? The pump has its own breakers in the panel, 2 of them side by side for 220 I guess. The control box said something about 8 or 9 amps, so im thinking something like a 10 amp breaker protection ? Would that mean buy two new 5 amp breakers, or two 10 amp breakers ? Aside from having the pump and motor pulled and replacing the motor with one that has the built in thermal cuttoff switch, what would be my best plan of attack here ? Dennis


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

I would think the new control box without the thermal shut off is better than the one you had. Since the thermal shut off is located in the motor, you should have two wires with no where to put them, right? Are there no terminals marked in the new box for the thermal switch in the motor? P1 & P2? You can put these two wires in series with the pressure switch or contactor if you have one. Submersible pump motors are under water and not subject to overheating in most cases. Overload and short circuit protection are all that is required.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

The thermal cuttoff switch was a circuit breaker, in the old box, that would kick out if the current drain was too high. I guess it had a bi metal switch in there, hence the term thermal cuttoff switch. Just another circuir breaker. Im told that since the pump and motor are 11 years old, the pump motor probably doesn't have a thermal cuttoff switch in it. Im going to try to get the specs on the motor today, but im not sure we have the model number of motor. I just dont want to take any chances and burn the house down. lol If by chance the motor does have a built in thermal cuttoff switch, an extra circuit breaker in the box won't do any harm. Just some added insurance in case this motor doesn't have one.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

The motor has 3 wires coming from it, red, black, and yellow. From the main power panel, there are 2 wires, black and white, black is L1, and white is L2. There never was a gnd wire going into the box. It's been working fine since 1989 when we bought the house, but we had to replace the pump and motor in 1997, so thats 11 years ago. The origional pump and motor lasted 51 years ! The pump guy was amazed, and wanted to keep the pump and motor for his collection, as it was the oldest he had ever pulled up.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

We found the receipt from when the pump was replaced 11 years ago. The pump is a 12 SB 10412, serial number E9728498, but I can't seem to find anything online about it. It would be nice to know if that has the thermal cuttoff switch built in or not. Anyone have a way of finding the specs on that thing ? There are no numbers showing seperate pump and motor, just that one part number. Im lost at this point. Now were lookin at one of those fancy protection boxes that looks for under and over voltages and other abnormalities. Supposed to be the ultimate protection for pump motors. I don't know what else to do... Dennis


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Generally speaking, 2 wire pump motors have built-in thermal protection, 3 wire ones do not. The protection for 3 wire motors is at the control box. 

Does the new control box have 3 terminals for the motor? Is this installation actually working? I've never seen a control box for a 3 wire motor that didn't have thermals built into it. Doesn't mean they're not made, just I've never seen one. 

The thermal overloads are usually a small reset button on the bottom of the box. It's sized to a specific motor horsepower. Some control boxes have one, the ones for bigger motors (usually 2HP and up) sometimes have two. 

Motors need two types of protection, short circuit (and ground fault), and overload. A circuit breaker will protect it (well, actually, protect the wiring system) in the event of a short circuit or a ground fault, but not for overloads. A more precise device is needed for overload protection. That's what the little reset button on the bottom of the control box is for. 

If your control box has a reset button somewhere on it, and it's sized to the motor (HP), then you're protected. 

Rob


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Nope, it just has a relay and capacitor in there, no circuit breaker, no reset button. I was looking at a Pumptec protection box, but it says :
*PUMPTEC FEATURES*

Works with Franklin 4” single-phase 2-wire or 3-wire induction-run submersible motors up to 1 Hp and 1.5 Hp capacitor-run motors.
We have a starting capacitor, but no run capacitor, so I guess that unit won't work with our system. 
Yes, the motor has 3 wires, red, black, and yellow.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Oh, it says "and 1.5 HP capacitor run motors, so maybe it will work.


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Interesting.....That's the first 3 wire control box I've ever heard about that doesn't have overloads built into it. 

Rob


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

what is the brand of pump? those numbers don't mean a lot to me without a manufacturer.

I see a problem with only one cap as well if your old one had 2 caps.

as to thermal overload; I have had the button type MM speaks of and a breaker specific to the load as well. If it is a cap start/ cap run, there are usually 2 overloads. You need an overload to protect the start winding and a second one to protect the run windings. They draw different loads and the main breaker is too large for this protection. It must be able to handle the total load (both windings)

toss up the name and model # of the control box too. some of this stuff is available on the 'net and we can look it up.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Right now the best I can do is tell you the 1 HP control box came from Tractor Supply, and was a bit over $70.00 out the door. 
The old box from 1957 had a start capacitor, a start relay, and a thermal cutoff switch (3 terminal).
The new box has a start relay, and a start capacitor only. 
Im told, by the owner of Red Bluff Industrial Electric that all the new pumps have the built in thermal cutoff switch in the motors.
He also said that since our pump is 11 years old, it may not have that in there. 
That is the only number on the receipt, and there is no mention of the brand name. 
The well is still running fine. I drained it today and gave it a precharge of 25 lbs (3 psi below the cut in pressure), oops ! the book said 2 psi. 
I think that the Pumptec box is what we need now in order to be fully protected. We also ordered the digital clamp on AC ammeter from Harbor Freight. Its on sale right now for only $9.99 and $6.99 shipping, online.
It has 20, 200, and 1000 amp ranges for AC.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

> =freeonthree;177272]Right now the best I can do is tell you the 1 HP control box came from Tractor Supply, and was a bit over $70.00 out the door.


you can't see any name on the thing? Kind of odd.




> The old box from 1957 had a start capacitor, a start relay, and a thermal cutoff switch (3 terminal).


the old box only had 1 cap? then the only thing different is no overload, right?

. 


> Im told, by the owner of Red Bluff Industrial Electric that all the new pumps have the built in thermal cutoff switch in the motors.


He lied



> He also said that since our pump is 11 years old, it may not have that in there.


 good possibility but they did have thermal overloads way back then too.



> That is the only number on the receipt, and there is no mention of the brand name.


then I am lost with any info on the pump. Maybe one of the well guys that post will recognize the numbering system as some specific brand.




> The well is still running fine. I drained it today and gave it a precharge of 25 lbs (3 psi below the cut in pressure), oops ! the book said 2 psi.
> I think that the Pumptec box is what we need now in order to be fully protected. We also ordered the digital clamp on AC ammeter from Harbor Freight. Its on sale right now for only $9.99 and $6.99 shipping, online.
> It has 20, 200, and 1000 amp ranges for AC.


Sounds like you are good to go except for the overload. With no info on the pump, it would be tough to get a correct ovreload anyway. Once you can meter the load, you might try contacting Franklin to see if you can purchase an overload that would be appropriate.

Not sure what the Pumptech box does. I read a bit about it but it;s late and it was not pertinent at the time. I'll look tomorrow if nobody else has come up with any other answers.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes, only difference is no thermal cuttoff switch. I just don't have the new box, or the box it came in, in front of me, and I have my leg off already. lol 
I think the new pump and motor are goulds and franklin brands. The old box was a Jacuzzi (spelling ?). 
I'll try to get the brand name of the new box online now...
maybe our pump has a thermal cutoff. That would ne nice...
How do you do the quote thing ?


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

The new box is a Sure-Dri SD-F305, 1 HP/230 volt, for use with 4" submersible pumps. The pump motor is 11 years old and is a goulds or franklin. Do ya think it might have the thermal cutoff switch built in the motor ?
The new pump was installed 6-11-97.
The box that the new control box came in says Pentek, but the label on the box says Sure-Dri


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Submersible pumps come in two pieces; the pump and the motor. They can be purchased separately, or as a factory assembled unit. Goulds is a respected manufacturer of pumps. They don't make motors. Franklin is a motor manufacturer, specializing in submersible pump motors. Both of these manufacturers have been around for a long, long time. 

Franklin motors haven't changed much over the years. The 2 wire ones usually have built-in thermal overloads, the 3 wire ones usually don't. Just because you have 3 wires coming out of the wellhead doesn't mean you have a 3 wire motor. Check for resistance between all of the wires. If one wire is open (infinite resistance), then your motor is 2 wire, and the installer just didn't have any 2 wire cable handy. 

To properly size the thermal overloads, we'll need to know the full-load amps of the motor. Of course, we don't have that information, but if we had accurate resistance readings between each of the 3 wire combinations (BLA to RED, BLA to YEL, and RED to YEL), we very likely could determine the HP of the motor, and thus the amps. We'd also need to know the approximate length of the wire (distance from the control box to the well, and depth of the well), and the wire size (gauge). You could also hook it up, turn it on, and measure actual current. 

The reality of pump thermal overloads is this; it's just about impossible to overload a centrifugal pump that's properly installed. With centrifugal pumps, the HP needed decreases with rising pressure. About the only way to overload a submersible pump is to have a deep-well pump installed in a shallow well. It is possible however, for the motor to fail to start. This can happen in a number of ways, a bad capacitor or a bad start relay are the most common. Mineral deposits on the shaft and impellers can also lock it up, but it's rare. In this case, the motor sits there and hums until one of 3 things happens.
1) The thermal overload trips (if there is one). 
2) The circuit breaker in the electrical panel trips. 
3) The motor burns up. 

Obviously, #3 is the least desirable, but if it's fed power and doesn't start in about 20 seconds, that's what happens. 

The control box you described seems to be a sort of universal replacement. The reason it doesn't have thermal overloads in it is because it is designed for a range of motors, not one specific motor. The old box was designed specifically for the motor it operated, thus the thermal was properly sized. 

The risk is up to you, if the old pump never tripped the thermal overloads, the new one likely won't either. On the other hand, article 430 (motors) of the electrical code requires that every motor be protected against overloads and failure to start. A properly sized circuit breaker will protect against failure to start, but a properly sized thermal overload or a set of fuses is needed for overloads. I really don't know how a manufacturer can get away with building a control box without thermal overloads, unless the instructions say that the installer needs to provide separate overload protection. 

Rob


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Yep, after I installed the box I saw where it read that the motor must have a thermal cutoff switch built in. Thinking back 11 years ago, im kinda remembering the guy saying something about being double protected now, while talking about the old box, and said since the old box was working fine, he saw no reason to replace it. I will take the resistance readings, and post the results. The relay and cap are in the cover, and connect thru heavy slide in terminals, so I shouldn't have to remove any wires to take the readings. If what you say is true about 3 wire motors not having thermal cutoff switches, then why would the box have terminals for 3 wire motors and say the TCO must be in the motor ? Hmmmm.....


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

The thermal in your motor works just like the type used in a hair dryer. Overheats, opens the motor winding within the motor. Just connect the motor as described in the control box diagram.

What readings do you plan to take? If you do not have a winding diagram for the motor, you are wasting your time. The breaker in the panel will protect the circuit and the thermal in the motor will protect the motor.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

I see you didn't read the post before my last one. Our pump and motor were replaced in 1997, 11 years ago, so it may not have a thermal cutoff switch in it.

Micro Mind said"
"To properly size the thermal overloads, we'll need to know the full-load amps of the motor. Of course, we don't have that information, but if we had accurate resistance readings between each of the 3 wire combinations (BLA to RED, BLA to YEL, and RED to YEL), we very likely could determine the HP of the motor, and thus the amps. We'd also need to know the approximate length of the wire (distance from the control box to the well, and depth of the well), and the wire size (gauge). You could also hook it up, turn it on, and measure actual current."

You see, we don't know whats down there. The guy didn't write down any useable info. The part number on the receipt won't come up online, and the dude is retired now. The well is running fine now, but were afraid that we don't have any protection other than the power panel. The old control box was origional from 1957, and had a thermal cutoff switch in it. Thats what was tripping, and shutting the pump down, so I replaced the whole box, then discoved that there was no thermal cutoff switch in it.

The owner of Red Bluff Industrial Electric (not a pump business, but he does alot of electrical and motor work) told me that he thought it was like 7 or 8 years ago when they started putting the TCO switches in the pump motors. If I only had a valid motor number to look up. All I have is a receipt from 1997 that says it is pump number 12 SB 10412 and that it was $484.00 before tax. I hope that clarifies things for you... Dennis


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Dennis, Sorry I did not look back at your previous post. Bad habit of mine. At least it is running and not an emergency. I would continue to work with Rob (micromind) for peace of mind. No pun intended.

I will add this. If this were my pump system I would leave it alone for now and get another new pump motor and cable. Then replace it at your next convenience. 11 years for a submersible pump is better than would be expected. This statement would be viable to me (IF) it were my only source of water.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Hmmm... I was told by the guy who installed the pump, that average pump life was about 20 years. Our old pump was from 1957, 40 years old ! The pump guy was shocked and wanted to keep it for his collection, and said it was the oldest set he had ever pulled up. lol


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

freeonthree said:


> Hmmm... I was told by the guy who installed the pump, that average pump life was about 20 years. Our old pump was from 1957, 40 years old ! The pump guy was shocked and wanted to keep it for his collection, and said it was the oldest set he had ever pulled up. lol


Dennis,
You might get another 39 years out of this one too. My pump is 10 years old and I have had no issues yet. I guess they last longer than I expected. I hope your right. Mine is 350' deep. At least thats what the Realtor told me?


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

I'd like to see 20 years, it's been 11 so far. Our well is 240 feet deep. When the pump was replaced 11 years ago, the bill was like $1600.00. Makes we want to weld up an A frame, add a winch to it, make or buy the pipe securing clamp, buy a couple of hefty pipe wrenches, and handle everything except casing issues myself. If by chance the casing ever needed replacing, it would be cheaper if the pump was already removed also. I watched the guys pull and install the pump, it was not hard work at all with the right setup, just a bit time consuming pulling 12 20 foot sections of pipe. Dennis


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

My only concern at this point is wether or not this 11 year old pump motor has a thremal cutoff switch in it. 
Im gunna take those reading for micro mind here shortly...


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

OK, here are my readings.
red/blk 13.6 ohms
yel/blk 3.1 ohms
red/yel 11.1 ohms
By the way, the cut in is 28 psi, and the cutoff is 46 psi.
I precharged the empty tank to 25 psi.
So far it's working great with the new control box.


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

I forgot that Micromind wanted to know the wire size and length, so I opened the box again. The solid copper wire measures .080in and im guessing 40 feet from well to box, tank and pressure switch, so thats 280 feet of wire roughly. While I had the box open, I noticed all the female spade connectors were just crimped on, so I soldered them all. Dennis


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

The results of about 20 minutes of research: 

1) The diameter of #14 bare wire is 0.064". #12 is 0.081". #10 is 0.102". Your wire is #12. The resistance of #12 is 1.93 ohms per 1000'. Your run is about 560' (280' out, and 280' back.) The resistance at the motor will be 1.08 ohms less than the reading at the control box. 

2) The resistance of the main (run) winding is actually about 2.1 ohms. The actual resistance of the start winding is about 10 ohms. 

3) The Franklin book shows the resistance of a 3/4HP 3 wire motor to be 3.0-3.6 ohms on the main winding, and 11.0-13.6 on the start. A 1HP model is 2.2-2.7, and 9.9-12.1 A 1-1/2 is 1.7-2.2, and 8.0-9.7 These figures assume a 30C (86F) temperature. Since this motor is in a well, it'll be colder. Resistance decreases with temperature. 

4) This is most likely a 1HP motor. The model number is probably 21450889003S. If this is the case, the book lists this motor as having built-in thermal protection. The full-load amps is 8.2 The service factor amps is 9.8 Most submersible pumps load the motors into the service factor, I'd expect the actual current to be about 9 to 9.5 This current will appear on the yellow and black, the red should read pretty close to 0, as it's only in the circuit during starting. 

Rob

P.S. This research was fun!!


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Wow ! Thanks Rob ! That was some fancy calculating. I looked in the manual, at a list of motors, but it didn't get that close. That number must be a complete pump and motor assembly, and the book only shows motors. Closest I got in the book was a 2145081.
I really appreciate your assistsance with this. I need to study that info, and play with the calculator now and try to understand how to do this on my own the next time. I can't thank you enough Rob. I have the harbor freight meter coming, and it will be both fun and educational for me to check the current draw on the yellow and black motor wires. Do I need to check starting current also, or is the run current enough ? Dennis


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

While we are discussing well pumps I have a question. I have an abandoned good well on my property and was considering using an above ground pump, tank, and pressure switch as that was the setup previously. I have all this equipment stored. What advantages or disadvantages are there to above ground vs submersible. Obviously all the equipment is accessible, and I can build a stand for the equipment.
The well is about 3 feet in diameter at the top. I can open it and see the water from above with a flashlight. Its a concrete pipe type of well.
There is foot valve on two black plastic pipes that have fallen down into the well. I can see them so I am pretty sure I can get them pulled back up. Any opinions appreciated.


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Basically, well pumps come in 4 types: 

1) Straight centrifugal. These are the simplest pump there is. They have one suction port, and one discharge port. They're often called Sprinkler Pumps. Also, single pipe systems. The advantages are:
A) The pump and motor are above-ground, and easy to service.
B) They're the least expensive of any well pump.
The disadvantages are:
A) They must be installed no higher than about 20' from the water. Output falls off quickly at about 12'. 
B) They must have a provision for priming. This can be a check valve at the bottom of the well, or a hand-operated priming pump.
C) They must be protected from freezing.

2) Jet pump. This is very similar to the straight centrifugal, but it has two suction pipes. Often called two pipe systems. One of these is an actual suction pipe, the other sends pressurized water back down the well to a jet which uses a venturi (sp) to sort of ram water up the suction pipe. The result is suction lift of up to 100' or so. The advantages and disadvantages are the same as the straight centrifugal, except they can be used in deeper wells. 

3) Submersible. With these, the pump and motor are located at the bottom of the well. Most of these pumps have more than one impeller, called a stage. For a 60' well, there might be 2 or 3 stages, for a 800' well, there might be 15 stages. They are 1/3HP up to about 60HP, though I've seen larger. 
The advantages are: 
A) Higher output per HP than above-ground types. 
B) No priming, the pump is underwater.
C) If used with a pitless adapter, all piping is underground. No freezing. 
The disadvantages are:
A) More expensive than above-ground types.
B) More difficult to service.
C) The motor must have water running past it for cooling. This is not a problem in a well under 12" diameter, but in a pond or cistern it shouldn't run more than 5 minutes at a time.

4) Lineshaft. This type has a vertical shaft motor located above the well, and a casing with a shaft in it going down the well, and the impellers at the bottom of the well. The largest motor I've ever connected (15,000HP) was this type of pump. The smallest one I've ever seen was 10HP. 
The advantages are:
A) The motor is above-ground, for easy servicing.
B) Since the motor is above-ground, a big pump can be in a small well.
C) Since the pump is underwater, no priming in needed, sort of. (See disadvantages)
D) Very deep wells are possible. The last geo-thermal power plant I worked on had 4 wells 4,000' deep.
The disadvantages: 
A) These are the most expensive of any pump type.
B) While the impellers don't need to be primed, the lineshaft bearings are usually water-lubricated. Water must be poured down the well before the pump is started. If you see one of these pumps standing alone, there's usually a small barrel on a stand nearby. This holds the bearing priming water.
C) If the motor ever turns backward, the impellers (usually called bowls) will be destroyed. A lot of these motors have ratchets on them so they cannot possibly turn backward. 
D) The upper bearing of the motor holds the entire weight of the lineshaft, and is oil-immersed. The oil level must be maintained, and in the case of a very deep well, it must be cooled. 

There are other types out there, but these are the main ones.

Rob


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## freeonthree (Oct 26, 2008)

Thats alot of great information. I guess you've seen all the different kinds of pumps out there. You kinda sound like me talking about VW's. 
It's amazing how much information we can retain when were interested in something. I have the ability and equipt to manufacture a pump pulling rigging above the well, but it would cost alot for the metal and then a good winch for it. I wonder if a guy can rent a a portable 25 foot tall A Frame setup or something when the time comes. The replacement pump was $450.00, and the bill was like $1600.00, so renting an A frame rig may be WELL (pardon the pun) worth it. I have a 3/4 ton flatbed, now I need a crane for it I guess. Dennis


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

I wonder how they were using this pump previously. It was the house supply until I tapped county water. My well is very deep? But as I said before I can see the water with a flashlight. When the pipes fell in they must have hit bottom as the pipes are still visible.
Why would I have a 350' deep well with a above ground pump. I am in SC. Upstate. Near mountains. I would think I am hundreds or thousands of feet above sea level? Does that have anything to do with the well depth?

I think I have jet pump. It has two pipes. A large and a smaller one.


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Yours is indeed a two-pipe jet pump system. I forgot to mention that the well pipes are different sizes. The smaller one is the pressure pipe, and the larger one is suction. 1-1/4" and 1' are common sizes.

The deepest jet pump I've seen was about 100'. 

There's a bit of difference in performance in deep wells between submersible and jet pumps. 
A 1-1/2HP submersible pump in a 20' well operating at 40PSI discharge will produce about 25GPM (Gallons Per Minute). A 1-1/2HP jet pump will produce about 18GPM.
The submersible pump in a 100' well will produce about 20GPM. The jet pump in the same well is good for about 2-1/2GPM. 

The submersible pump (just the pump, nothing else) will cost about $700. The jet pump will cost about $450. The submersible pump will need a control box ($130), the jet pump does not. The submersible will need wire going down the well ($ varies widely, figure a couple hundred including the splice at the motor), the jet pump does not. 

The easiest way I know of to find the depth of a well is to tie a 16 oz. water bottle onto a string (a masons line will do). Drill a hole in it up near the cap, so there's no way the string can come off. Fill it about 1/2 full with water. Lower it into the well, and it'll be obvious when it hits the water. The string will get much lighter. Don't forget to mark the string at the top of the well. This is not exact, but it'll be within a few feet.

Rob


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

Rob,.

The deep well I did work on not too long ago it kinda oddball set up but the motor is above the ground and the impeller in the well as you descrbing and instering twist with this well set up.

This set up there is a gear box between the motor and well shaft due in case of power failure we can get a tractor PTO to hook up and run the water pump. { it do happend from time to time.} { this well have 100 HP motor on it.

not too long ago I installed a stand by generator and it did elemated the useage of tractor but the water dept told me to leave the gear box in for good reason.

Merci,Marc


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

I've seen a few of those lineshaft pumps with a vertical shaft electric motor on top of the gearbox, and a diesel engine connected to the shaft on the side. I've also seen them with a horizontal shaft out of each side. These had a diesel on one side, and a standard-frame electric motor on the other.

Pretty good set-ups, either one will run the pump. 

Rob


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Rob,
Shouldn't I be looking for the bottom of the well and not the top of the water line. There is a foot valve down there I think. I thought you were suppose to let it go all the way down, then bring it up a couple feet.
If I don't get it all the way down, when the ground water level drops my valve would/could be sucking air.
I am going to measure how deep the well is and try to get the pipes pulled back up on Monday.

My plan is to dig down a few feet against the well and penetrate the concrete pipe. Then trench (8') over to the basement wall and penetrate that wall. Bring both pipes into the basement where I will build a frame for the pump motor, and tank. Then pipe in a bypass valve to switch between utility water and well water. Do you think I should install a one way valve near the pump or rely on the foot valve in the well.......Appreciate your feedback.......John


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## micromind (Mar 9, 2008)

Putting the foot valve at the bottom of the well then raising it up a few feet is a good idea, my water bottle test was to get a rough idea of the depth of the well so you could choose the type and HP of pump. 

The foot valve at the bottom of the pipe will hold water indefinitely. Don't put a check valve anywhere on the suction side of the pump, except at the bottom of the well. The shaft seal in the pump is designed for pressure, not vacuum. Your system sounds pretty good. You'll need a pressure tank of some sort. If you irrigate, you'll find the well water to be much less costly than municipal. 

By code, anything that has the ability to push water back into a municipal system must have a backflow prevention valve. The type you'd put on a lawn sprinkler system will work. 

Rob


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Thanks Rob. I have the tank, pump motor and pressure switch stored in the basement.


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