I Have A 2 In. Shallow (60 Ft.) Well With A 1/3 Hp Pump In My Crawl Space. Can I Install A 1 Hp. Or Higher Pump To Increase My Water Pressure? Would This Also Be Sufficient For A Hot Tub And An Inground Sprinkler? Most Wells Here Are 200ft. But The Water Is Not As Good As Mine

You can probably save a lot of $$$ and time by adjusting your switch up. The switch primarily controls pressure. The pump is more of a volume item, though volume can certainly impact pressure. At any rate, this will give you Speedball's very good description of how it's done:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbing/adjust-well-pressure-16841.html

To answer your question I'm afraid you are going to have to do a little home work.

First decide type of sprinkler head you are going to use. Find out the volume and the required pressure. Decide on the number of heads that will be on the largest zone. You would then know the required volume and pressure that the pump must produce to make the sprinkler system work
The volume that the pump can move varies with the well depth and the pressure in the tank. Pump literature should tell you the volume that the pump can move at a specified well depth and a specified pressure.
Any pump will fill the hot tub, its just a matter of how long it takes, but then you don't do it very often.

HK is right to consider the sprinkler. I would think that the sprinkler system will put a load on your system.

You can get a pretty good idea of the volume your well can deliver by using a five gallon bucket. Run a hose from an outside faucet into it. Run it wide open. Take five or six samples, one after the other, as to how long it takes to get five gallons of water. You can use that to figure system volume. It won't be rocket science but it will be pretty close. You will especially want to note what it delivers after the pressure drops and the pump kicks in.

You can probably save a lot of $$$ and time by adjusting your switch up. The switch primarily controls pressure. The pump is more of a volume item, though volume can certainly impact pressure. At any rate, this will give you Speedball's very good description of how it's done:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbing/adjust-well-pressure-16841.html
Okay. After getting to my pump in the crawl space here's what I found: The pressure gauge glass no longer exists. I don't have literature since I am the 2nd owner. I can't find where to adjust the pressure. I watched the pump cycle with these results: pump kicked on at 20lbs and kic ked off at 52lbs however it ran for 6 minutes. At 52 before kicking off. Throughout the house water flow slows to a trickle before pump kicks on. Pressure is good for a short time. This is a Myers pump (can't read the lable due to deterioration) with a GE motor. With this limited info, can you tell me my possible problems and ifg it's the pressure settings where would I adjust. One other item: should the valves to the housae and to the pressure tank be fully opened? They were/are only about 3/4 open on both. If there pump is replaced, what size do you suggest?

Thanks a bunch.

20#, as you have found out, it awfully low for cut in pressure. If you will follow the electrical wire from the pump back, it will lead you to the switch, a small grey box which controls cutin/cutout pressure. I would think that making sure you have a good switch is your first move. If you replace the pump, and the switch is still malfunctioning, then you will not have accomplished anything.

To run for six minutes at 52# is strange. When the pump cuts off, and no water is being used, will the system hold that 52# or does it drop?

20#, as you have found out, it awfully low for cutin pressure. If you will follow the electrical wire from the pump back, it will lead you to the switch, a small grey box which controls cutin/cutout pressure. I would think that making sure you have a good switch is your first move. If you replace the pump, and the switch is still malfunctioning, then you will not have accomplished anything.

To run for six minutes at 52# is strange. When the pump cuts off, and no water is being used, will the system hold that 52# or does it drop?

The pressure holds at 52# until some water is used. Running one sink wide open for 8 minutes brings the pressure down to 20#. Shower time is less and it's difficult to fight t6he temp changes. I have found the gray box and it appears to be functioning but maybe not correctly. As rusty as some of the fittings are I should probably call in a Pro before I break something and then would really have a problem. Do water pumps come with the switch or are they separate? I have a friend in the county water business who can get a pump at almost cost. Don't you think it might be my best route since this pump is old and as I said very rusty at all the fittings.

How to adjust water pump pressure, pump cut-on pressure and pump cut-off pressure - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs (http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterPumpAdjust.htm)

Switches can be purchased separately and are cheap. The site above shows how to adjust one. I have mine on 40# and 58#. I would adjust the switch before trying anything else. Remember to turn off the breaker while you're turning the nuts on the switch. The nuts themselves are not "hot", but it's easy to lose focus and brush a wrench against the contact points. I did that one time with the power on and don't care to do it again.

It might be that your pump is having trouble getting the pressure up to the cut-off point. If that's the case, then a new pump would probably help. It does not sound like your tank is the problem since you can run water for six minutes before the pump has to cut back on. Generally speaking, you should be able to get at least five or six gallons out of your pressure tank before the pump cycles back on.

By the way, when you are using water, can your pump supply enough water to keep the faucet running and still pump up to the cut off point of 52#? If so, then I would have a hard time believing the pump is the problem.


Since you refer to rusty fittings, I am assuming that your pipe is galvanized. Just be aware that galvanized pipe tends to develop mineral and rust deposits on the inside and that can impede your flow.

How to adjust water pump pressure, pump cut-on pressure and pump cut-off pressure - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs (http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterPumpAdjust.htm)

Switches can be purchased separately and are cheap. The site above shows how to adjust one. I have mine on 40# and 58#. I would adjust the switch before trying anything else. Remember to turn off the breaker while you're turning the nuts on the switch. The nuts themselves are not "hot", but it's easy to lose focus and brush a wrench against the contact points. I did that one time with the power on and don't care to do it again.

It might be that your pump is having trouble getting the pressure up to the cut-off point. If that's the case, then a new pump would probably help. It does not sound like your tank is the problem since you can run water for six minutes before the pump has to cut back on. Generally speaking, you should be able to get at least five or six gallons out of your pressure tank before the pump cycles back on.

By the way, when you are using water, can your pump supply enough water to keep the faucet running and still pump up to the cutoff point of 52#? If so, then I would have a hard time believing the pump is the problem.

Since you refer to rusty fittings, I am assuming that your pipe is galvanized. Just be aware that galvanized pipe tends to develop mineral and rust deposits on the inside and that can impede your flow.


Thanks for the referral to the web site. Excellent info. I have printed it and will turn off the breaker and do some adjusting. Yes I can leave a faucett running and it slows to a trickle but then the pump cuts on, the water flow increases and then the pump will cut off
And I have good pressure for a while and then it slows until the pump kicks on again.
Will let you know the results of my switch adjiustments and if I have to replace it. Thanks again.

I think if you raise the cut in pressure to 35 or so you will be more satisfied. The pump is able to keep up with demand, at least the demand of one faucet.