Flow Jet Pump

im having a well problem, is my pump bad?

my pump is not building up as much pressure as it did two weeks ago, all of a sudden it has a major loss of flow and i had to reajust the pressure switch for it to even shut off, the pressure goes down slowly from 45 psi untill it hits twenty then drops all the way to ten in an instant and has just a trickle coming out of the spickit and the pump kicks back on at 20psi but will not repressurise past 35 psi untill i shut the spickit back off and it takes probably 5 minuits to get it back up to 45 to shut the pump back off, I have a flint and walling jet pump on top of a 2- 2 and a quarter inch steel pipe in a well house, it is a 1hp. motor 110/230v model 94h110 i hope i gave enough info. what are some things to check? and what other things could it be?

Public Comments

1. Is the pressure okay in your holding tank?
2. Go to http://www.businessbusinesscontractors.com/ and click on any of the links to find local contractors that can give you some professional advise.
3. Depending on the age of your pressure tank, many have bladders that go bad every few years, does the tank hold pressure over night? How is your draw down level, how many feet are you at and how deep is the well and what is your normal draw down level? Is the draw pipe screen plugged? Does the water smell off? Is your well critter proof, nothing can get down the pipe? May be time to call the well guy?
4. yes, unless you have a water leak somewhere, then yes, it is a problem somewhere at or before the pump. the holding tank is irrelevant in this situation because it has no relevance to the pressure problem. if there is air in the line then perhaps the water table has dropped. however it sounds like something is blocking the inlet, or the pump is crapping out. it may be a good idea to pull up the end of the pipe and check out the intake to make sure there are no clogs or damage.
5. There are a few things to look at here... First question I'd ask, is how old is the pump system? Second question I'd ask, is where are you located? Specifically, are you in an area experiencing drought right now? Ok, lets start with the bladder tank... you should be able to find a valve stem, (usually at the top) - this looks just like the valve stems you see on a tire... stamped into the metal near the stem should be the suggested psi rating for the tank. Check it with a tire gauge... if it's low... add some air (tire pump, or compressor).. and this will bring up the pressure. This is USUALLY the first thing to check with regards to a loss of pressure. If it will not maintain the rated air pressure, then the bladder inside the tank is bad, and you need to replace the tank. Next thing in the system to check would be the pressure switch itself... is it performing properly? Are the contacts clean? The spring(s) in good condition? etc. Worst case scenario, you can purchase a new one, and (after turning off the power of course) swap it out, and see if that helps. Now we move farther down the system... it sounds like the pump itself is working, but there is a possibility it is wearing out... this would be the last thing to replace, because of the cost, but keep it in mind, if all the other things check out ok. Below the pump, in the well pipe, you should have an intake screen... usually a cone shape 'strainer' made of metal. If you have had a cave in, there may be some rock or other debris blocking this screen. If this is the case, then the pipe may need to be re-drilled, or removed and new pipe installed. Finally - the water level itself -- most jet pumps are installed on SHALLOW wells - and if you live in an area that has been suffering from drought - the water level may have dropped to just above your intake, and when you start pumping the water, there isnt enough available to keep up with the demand. The only solution here, is a deeper well. If you must have a new well, get some estimates, but you can expect it to run upwards of $5000 depending on where you live, and just how deep they need to drill. I know of a similar situation to yours where a homeowner had to replace their well. The shallow well, just could not supply enough water during the dry season. They replaced it with a 250 ft deep well, steel case lined, and the pump dropped in the pipe. To finance the new well, they went to the USDA Rural Development for a low interest loan (30 years at 1% interest) - their payments are around $25/month. Its a lot of paperwork, but well worth it, hehehe. Good Luck