Jet pump question.

[etpm]

This forum seems like the best out of all the forums to post this question because lots, if not most, rural homesteads are on a well. I have two wells, one a deep well that I had drilled and another shallow well that came with the land when we bought it. I have decided to use the shallow well for watering. So I need a pump. I have been looking at portable jet pumps. All the ads for them mention nothing about stopping the flow. They show folks watering with hose and some sort of nozzle. Anyway, can these types of pump be used without turning the pump off when watering is done? I don't mean letting the pump run for hours this way but maybe for 15 or 20 minutes. Is this safe?
Thanks,
Eric

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

This forum seems like the best out of all the forums to post this question because lots, if not most, rural homesteads are on a well. I have two wells, one a deep well that I had drilled and another shallow well that came with the land when we bought it. I have decided to use the shallow well for watering. So I need a pump. I have been looking at portable jet pumps. All the ads for them mention nothing about stopping the flow. They show folks watering with hose and some sort of nozzle. Anyway, can these types of pump be used without turning the pump off when watering is done? I don't mean letting the pump run for hours this way but maybe for 15 or 20 minutes. Is this safe?
Thanks,
Eric

Just add a pressure switch. Maybe a tank to make it all work right.

 

[jaxs]

I don't know what this world has come to. Nothing comes with installation instructions any more. I'm building my own house and can't believe plumbing,hvac,concrete,lumber nor electrical components include installation instructions. Sad to say no one has been able to tell me how in terms I understand.

 

[ponytug]

I think that there are many advantages to a second well for irrigation uses.

However, I wouldn't buy a jet pump for even a shallow well. I think that they may have had a certain utility a long time ago when pipes and labor were cheap, and motors and pumps were unreliable. These days, I would get a submersible pump, and either plumb it into an always on wide open irrigation system, or add a pressure switch and a pressure tank. I have done both, and it is easy, if the well isn't deep. Just my $0.02...

All the best,

Peter

 

[steve tym]

As long as the pump is moving water it will be happy.
If I set up a pump like this for a customer, I normally leave one hose connection without a valve so it is always open.
Or a tank and pressure switch. There are pump/tank packages available out there.

 

[Carl_NH]

If you know the well has a good flow rate and the static water level when pumping is 15-20' a single stage jet pump will work - HD has one for $170. Otherwise you need a more expensive 2 stage pump and two pipes will be able to pump from about 80', might as well get the submersible.

However, I agree with others - get a 1/2HP submersible, tank and switch is the easiest and don't need to deal with priming etc. and pumps dont like to run dry, so get a low pressure cutout switch to prevent running dry.

 

[sandman2234]

I think that there are many advantages to a second well for irrigation uses.

However, I wouldn't buy a jet pump for even a shallow well. I think that they may have had a certain utility a long time ago when pipes and labor were cheap, and motors and pumps were unreliable. These days, I would get a submersible pump, and either plumb it into an always on wide open irrigation system, or add a pressure switch and a pressure tank. I have done both, and it is easy, if the well isn't deep. Just my $0.02...

All the best,

Peter

Having lived in a home with a 110 well and a water table at 90 feet, with 5 kids, 2 parents and 200 head of brood sows, it would have been nice to have a second well to divide up some of that water use! A well has its max capacity in flow, and we reached ours pretty often, which is why I learned as much about pumps and wells as I did!
David from jax

 

[steve tym]

A submersible pump, tank and switch will make your life the easiest.

 

[scootr]

We have 2 wells. Both have submersible pumps at the bottom. They pump into a 5k gal storage tank which has a float valve cut-off switch to tell the wells when to stop pumping.
The jet pump is between the storage tank and the bladder tanks (2). The jet pump has a pressure switch which turns the pump on/off based upon the pressure tank(s) pressure.
The storage tank is uphill from the house and barn. In the event that power and pressure fails we still have a gravity feed.

 

[etpm]

Hi folks,
I understand about submersible pumps, pressure tanks, etc. I am looking to avoid all that. I want to use a portable jet pump and would like to know if I can completely block the flow without damaging the pump. I am not gonna spend the money on pressure tanks and so on. If I want a permanent system I will need to dig ditches for power and put in another well house. I really don't need to do this and don't want to spend the money. I just wanna run an extension cord to the portable pump. Can anyone answer my original question?
Thanks,
Eric