Flow Jet Pump

Deep well pump troubleshooting?

I am replacing my deep well pump and can't get it right? there seems to be air in the lines but I have already replaced the lines in the well? I have primed the pump and used soapy water, Any ideas? yes that is true in a submersible pump but I have one that is in the basement, there is a jet in the well that is submersed in water.

Public Comments

1. A deep well pump should be immersed in the water at the bottom of the well and should not require priming. Are you sure that the pump is under water at the bottom of the well?
2. Jet pumps are used on SHALLOW wells, not deep wells. They're annoying to find leaks in, too. Without previous plumbing experience, it's easy to not tighten something properly - either too much, or too little. So, let's hope you have it properly connected together, without leaks, and with a good foot valve. When you prime the pump, does the water stay at the top, or does it keep going down? It's normal to need to prime a jet pump numerous times, depending on how much slope downhill is in the pipe from where the pump is on down. I used to work on one system that used a jet pump to pump from a river, and it used to take a full hour of tediously filling it up, plugging it in, then repeating, in order to work all the air bubbles out. That was after the system didn't have any leaks, and we replaced that part every season. I don't know if this story contains any usable ideas for you or not.
3. I really feel sorry for you on this one. I've dealt with many of these things in the past and they can be a real pain. Steps I've used in the past, fill the primer with water, if possible fill the incoming water lines too. If you have a shut off valve on the discharge side of the pump you can use this to bleed air as well. I break the line on the discharge side of that valve and sometimes opening that slightly as you're bleeding the pump will help bleed air out. Keep repeating the steps until it picks up the water. The biggest thing here is patience! It can be very frustrating and troublesome but it will pick up the water eventually. Good luck :)