Well Point Pump

13 years ago

Hello,

I want to put in a well using the well point system to fill a 1 acre pond and have access to water to top off during dry periods. I believe I have the perfect scenario. I already have a shallow well dug about 10' down but it does not produce much water. I know the water table is less than 5' down from this well as I can see the seasonal fluctuation in a low lying area near the pond. Here is my question: If I drive a 1-1/4" well point, what kind of pump system should I put on it? I will turn the pump on and off manually, but if the well does not produce enough water, I would like it to turn off on its own until the water recovers. Also, this is out in a field, and I do not want to build a pump house around the pump. Are there pumps I can use that are made to just sit outside? I have access to 110v electricity. Any advice that someone could offer would be appreciated.

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Comments (6)

lehua49
13 years ago
GC,

Look at submersible pumps. They require very little above ground fittings(access for maintenance and repair). The pump, electrical wiring and piping are all underground. The pump runs from an irrigation controller(manual or automatic). There are google sites describing the set up. JMHO. Aloha
Michael
13 years ago
Look into finding a jet or centrifugal pump, I am unaware of a submersible that would be a small enough diameter to drop down the pipe, maybe they do exist.

As far as automating for water level, can't help with those controls, sorry.

If you need to work on a submersible, the discharge line, connected to the top of the pump and running up the hole is pulled out of the hole. If that is no problem, great, if it is you might prefer a centrifugal which is located above ground.
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You are testing flow essentially at open discharge (low pressure). Per the pump specs, it is capable of at least 25 gpm at very low discharge pressure. You also report only slight drawdown from static level. That indicates the surrounding strata is not the limiting factor. The above narrows the problem down to the suction system being too rerstrictive or the pump having an internal problem. That could be clogging with mineral buildup, more in the nonmoving components, or a damaged/very worn impeller. I will hazard a guess that the problem is in the suction and the pump is okay. Is the pump noisy when running, sounding like gravel is going through? That indicates cavitation, which is forming and collapsing bubbles of water vapor. That in turn means starving for water, and it is damaging the pump over time. If it's at all practical, you could set up a temporary, short , larger suction to a container of some sort to test the pump itself. I have not worked with this shallow well stuff, so I'm not up on the details of jet pumps, well points, etc. (Here, we tend to use submersibles in deeper wells and centrifugals out of surface water or tanks.) However, one rule of thumb calls for a suction velocity under 1.5-1.6 ft/sec in this size range. That means 2 inch pipe for the desired flow. OR a couple of suction drops, preferably in 1 1/2 inch, manifolded together close to the pump. It is normal to use a suction a couple of sizes larger than the pump inlet, bushing down close to the pump. One last thing, suctions need to be plumbed so entrained air is not trapped in a high section before the pump inlet. That is, rising or level all the way to pump. Assuming suction restriction is the problem, the question is whether to enlarge the entire single existing suction or add at least one more drop. Perhaps other informed folk will weigh in, always glad to learn something new.
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lehua49
13 years ago
Your right, Michael, the narrowest one I know of is 3" in diameter. Above ground systems are prone to leaking above ground and in the well piping. Then the system has to be redone. There are plenty of past threads on this type of problem of above ground systems.

GC, increase your well diameter to 3 or 4 inches to give yourself many more options as well as more yield from your well. Aloha
Michael
13 years ago
lehua: I surmise the well point method is the quick, relatively cheap and dirty method of getting water out of the ground when it is to be had from a shallow formation. I like the idea of going with a cased well and increasing it's diameter to allow a submersible. If i was needing water bad and only had the money for a well point or just didn't want to dump much money into the project I'd maybe go with a well point understanding it's inherent limitations and demands. Then I'd start saving for a better well and pump!

Have you ever seen a control system setup to be actuated by the water depth down hole, if so, please post a link. I know of systems that are used in municipal water towers that are actuated by a high and low sensor that turn pumps on and off but access to the inside of a tower is easy compared to a well point hole :)
lehua49
13 years ago
michael,

Is this what you mean. This one works in a stilling well or small pond next to the main well.

http://www.nextag.com/Little-Giant-Low-Water-582251638/prices-html. Aloha
Michael
13 years ago
leuha:

That's the general idea I had in mind but was thinking of a much larger distance between on and off, say in a tank where pump off is at 30' deep and pump on at 40'. Specifically, to operate a well pump system based on depth to water where the objective is to turn the pump off before the water level gets to a submersible pump motor. There are many folks out there with wells with clogged screens and/or gravel formations that might benefit from being able to use what was left of their well capacity without doing more than changing the controls or installing a VSD ($$$ OUCH).

Sonar could be calibrated to work down a well :)

Well Point Pump

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