PumpSaver

[davegonz]

Anyone have experience installing/using a well PumpSaver? I have a 520 foot deep well that supplies my house in Austin. We have had a really hot and dry summer so far and I have been thinking of installing a PumpSaver to protect my pump from burning out.

 

[splitshot]

We instsalled Franklin Sub Monitor's on 2 of our 3 wells after lightning surges took them out. Good investment, I beleive they have saved them several times since. These units also protect from under voltage, over voltage, loss of phase, and amp issues.

 

[davegonz]

Cool. I guess there are several different brands out there. PumpSaver, Pump-Tech and the Franklin unit.

 

[splitshot]

IIRC, the Franklin units we bought ran somewhere around $750 ea. But we are running 75 horse power three phase units and the pump set is at 900'.

You might check with your installer and see if one of the units is better suited for your needs.

Or, send Mace a pm, he knows alot about this.

 

[davegonz]

Our pump is single phase 220, and not more than 3HP. Hopefully it won't be as expensive as your setup. I'm also looking into supplementing the well with rainwater collection and feeding into a 2000 gallon poly tank.

 

[davegonz]

I just got a Franklin PumpTech plus put in and it seems to be working fine. Wasn't cheap, but certainly cheaper than putting in a new pump.

 

[splitshot]

I just got a Franklin PumpTech plus put in and it seems to be working fine. Wasn't cheap, but certainly cheaper than putting in a new pump.

Ain't that the truth. I have a feeling you'll be thanking yourself for doing this.

Just be happy your not pumping 300 gpm, the last one we replaced ran 35k

 

[davegonz]

Update on my well

We have been getting a bunch of "Underload" conditions on the PumpTec...which means that the Pumptec is shutting off the pump b/c it's pumping air and not water. The recharge time now is getting worse.

Today during lunch, there was no water coming out of the faucet. I went and checked the pumptec and it was in an "Overload" condition which means it was taking 25% more power to run the pump before shutting down. The manual says that the pump could be siezed or clogged up with sand/silt/sediment.

We are getting annexed in January and won't have city water in 4-5 years. So here's my question, should I just install a 3000 gallon tank and have water trucked in for $75 and wait until I'm annexed in 4-5 years? Putting in a new well and pump is about $8-10k (600 foot deep).

 

[splitshot]

On of the reasons it may be running higher amps is because of the "head" (static water level) in the well has dropped, which needs more hp to push it to the surface.

Did you check the amps at start-up and about a minute into pumping? If they are at acceptable levels, you might be able to limp along for a while with a timer and a large holding tank. Just a thought..

 

[Mace]

Is there any way for you to figure out if you are actually pumping air or not?

Are local GW levels decreasing?


Can you lower the pump setting?

It is also possible to put a pump in the well that is driven by a diesel motor, then surge the well to reduce the sanding issues. Not cheap, but it could increase the specific capacity of your well to where you could use it again.

 

[davegonz]

Mace, GW levels are dropping due to the drought like conditions going on in the area. My neighborhood has had several wells go dry.

I can't tell you 100% if it's pumping air since it's now giving me an overload condition. I'm thinking that the low water levels has my pump now churning up lots of sediment and it could be choked up making it suck up more power.

I've got a guy coming out to take a look at the pump saver to see if they can by pass the overload setting and let it pump for a bit to clear things up.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

Pump techs turn off on an amp drop when pumping because the pump load will drop when it sucks air. You should be able to bypass the pump tech and check the tank to see if it's pumping. You should see dirt in the tank if it's pumping sediment. You can check the amp draw to see if it drops with a clamp on amp probe. I've seen Pump Techs trip for no reason. There are well screens that can be put over the pump to help with dirt. The easiest one is a 4" PVC pipe with a cap that you run the pump line through. It hangs past the pump intake 3 or 4 feet and makes the pump pull the water from the bottom of the open pipe. Most sand and sediment will settle out before the pump picks it up.


Kevin

 

[Mace]

There are well screens that can be put over the pump to help with dirt. The easiest one is a 4" PVC pipe with a cap that you run the pump line through. It hangs past the pump intake 3 or 4 feet and makes the pump pull the water from the bottom of the open pipe. Most sand and sediment will settle out before the pump picks it up.


Kevin

Running a shrouded sub pump is an excellent idea no matter what,

Sand tends to only be sucked in right at the pump intake, even more so with only a 2hp pump... If you can modify that, then you are better off.

Can you hook a hose to the discharge line before the tanks? If you can, get a bucket and run the line into that, you will easily see if the pump is producing air or not..

 

[davegonz]

Well, I had the pump pulled and it was bad. The bearings apparently were out. I am now going to get a 2500 gallon storage tank to help with the slow recharge/capacity of my well. SUCKS to spend all of this money on a well and not on my truck.

 

[davegonz]

Forgot to mention that the existing wiring was out of code and 520' of new wiring had to be installed. Have you priced out the cost of 520' of 4 conductor wire?? Good GOD!

 

[Mace]

how old was the pump???

 

[davegonz]

11 years old. Is that a good life span?

 

[Mace]

yeah, you got your money's worth..


How far from the bottom of the well did they set the pump? Did they tag bottom to verify fill?

Did they clean out the bottom of the well?

Sometimes you can have a considerable amount of secdiment in the bottom of hte well. By bailing this out, you can possibly set the pump deeper and get some more life out of the well..

 

[splitshot]

X2 on the bailing, the sediment in one of ours came up 40'.

We always have them "video'd" to see what kind of condition the casing is. The slits are usually starting to clog up, so we have it brushed and bailed.