Well Pump Woes

[Alan L.]

My lovely wife called me and work yesterday and said we didn't have any water. I stopped at Walmart and picked up 9 gallons of drinking water, and two 7-gallon water containers. Got home and filled up the containers out of the pond.

We used the pond water for flushing the toilets and the drinking water for everything else.

The well driller showed up this morning while I was at water. Bad news. Pump won't run, so they had to pull the pump and 399 feet of pipe and replace it.

I am still not recovered from the $2,655 bill. I don't know how that skinny thing can be $2000.

Its a 20 gpm 5 HP pump Sta-rite, running on 240 volts.

I only got 68 months out of the first one, I sure hope this one lasts longer.

 

[LarryD]

Wow, that's some pump. Any reason you're putting in such a large pump? Agrigultural?

I can't say what mine cost new but it's a ¾hp. I hope it doesn't cost near that if I've ever got to replace it.

 

[Alan L.]

Larry, we water alot and run multiple sprinklers so a smaller pump probably would not be able to keep up. But I have neighbors that have much smaller pumps and they are happy. I had a chance today to put a smaller one in, but the well driller said I would be disappointed since my well can produce 30 to 35 gpm. I have a 220 gallon standard tank and plan to double it to cut back on the number of cycles. The tank fills up pretty quick.

I think the charges are probably excessive, but what do you do when you are without water?

 

[Egon]

The 5 HP pump at 400 feet is expensive. Check this site for approximate cost.

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Egon

 

[MadReferee]

I had my Goulds 3/4 hp pump replaced a few years ago. Pulled 360 ft of plastic piping, replaced all wire, rope and standoffs, new pump. Total was about $1300. Pump alone was over half of that. This pump lasted 10 yrs. Well company did it in one morning, in by 8am out by noon.

 

[dubba]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have a 220 gallon standard tank and plan to double it to cut back on the number of cycles )</font>

I am not a plumber, well driller or irrigation specialist BUT /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

When my irrigation was planned out, the installer did a draw down test on the pump to check output flow & pressure. The wells output was not the item in question but rather the pumps performance so that the irrigation could be designed to have enough of a "load" so that the well pump never shut off.

The installer said the multiple on/off cycles of an improperly designed system was what killed well pumps.

I don't know if it was a line of b/s or not, but might bear checking into..

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The well driller showed up this morning while I was at water. Bad news. Pump won't run, so they had to pull the pump and 399 feet of pipe and replace it. )</font>

Alan, do I understand correctly that you replaced both the pump and the pipe? If so, I'd say your price is about right. If that was for the pump alone, I'd say you paid full MSRP at least. I think I'd shop around for another well guy. After the well is in, almost any reputable well company can service or repair a well. What is the pump warranty on that new pump?

My well is about six years old and my pump is a Gould like MadReferee's. My well driller told me he had some wells over 25 years old with no problems. My hope is that mine is one of those long-lived ones.

 

[mikim]

If it's any consolation - I"m waiting now to receive my final bill for the well that just got put in. 488' -- gould 1.5 hp pump -- $10,088.52 total. whew ---- and it's only got a 2 year warranty. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif ..... However ..... 2655 for replacing a pump sounds a bit excessive to me too. So does the 5 hp pump ..... My well guy tells me the 1.5 will more than suit my needs including lawn watering...... keeping in mind I'm clueless about wells - this will be my first.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Alan,
That seems a bit high. Using Egons chart, I have the 1 HP pump in my well at 400 ft and it does ok, I wouldnt be able to do any irrigation. But I only paid $1500 for the pump and new pipe line.Thats installed. That was about 6 years ago so the price may have changed some.

I think anyone would be envious of your GPM of your well, those are great numbers /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

 

[Egon]

All submersible pumps are not equal. Remember this is 5 HP. at 400 ft. with a high flow rate.[ when considering conventional use] Depth means more stages for pressure and volume will require larger diameter impellers. The materials for this type of pump may also be slightly different from the conventional home owners submersible.

Egon