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View Full Version : Can I install a bigger (more gpm) pump?


cnsulli
Jul 6, 2009, 12:25 PM
My well is 700' deep. The line goes down about 650' feet. I have run a tape measure down the head and hit water at 8 feet.
I have a submersible pump rated a 1 and 1/2 gpm. Needless to say
It takes a while to fill a bath, or anything else for that matter. My pressure bladder comes on at 60 psi and off at 70 psi but that doesn't improve the gpm and a shower will slowly decrease in pressure. Can I install something like a 5 gpm pump? I have owned the house for 4 years and replaced the pump twice. The first time was a manufacutrers defect, the second, two years later, was not. Is 700' just too much for a 1 1/2 gpm pump?
I believe it is a 1/2 hp motor.

jlisenbe
Jul 6, 2009, 03:35 PM
I'm not real familiar with wells that deep, but remember that, at 650 feet down, your pump has around 270# of head pressure just to get the water to the surface. That will impact volume, which is what you are complaining about. 1/2 horse does seem rather small for that depth. I have a half horse pump and it does great, but it's only 120' feet down. If I was you, I would do two things:

1. Google some pump suppliers on the internet ("residential water pump"), call them, and ask for specs for various pumps. You will need to know the diameter of your well casing (4" or 6"), the depth of the pump (650'), and the voltage, which in your case surely must be 220 volts.

2. You might consider pumping into a holding tank (not pressure tank) of several hundred gallons, then using a second pump to go from there to your house. That would allow your pump to build up volume in the holding tank during times of slack demand, while still allowing your family to draw sufficient water when needed.

Hopefully, someone else on this site will have more experience with these very deep wells than I do. BTW, were you saying that there is water only eight feet down in the well? If so, why on earth is your pump 650' feet down?

mygirlsdad77
Jul 6, 2009, 04:08 PM
. BTW, were you saying that there is water only eight feet down in the well? If so, why on earth is your pump 650' feet down?



This would be my first question also. If water level is only 8' deep, then why such a deep well. I would think you could raise your pump up quite a bit and see much improvement. Also, I think your pump is probably rated for much higher than 1 1/2 gpm, it's the depth that is causing your poor flow. This is going to involve some serious testing, on either your part, or the pros. If you need the depth that you are currenty at, you most likely need a lot bigger pump. However, with depths that deep, you may have a problem with well recovery, hence the deep deep well. Just a lot of info that we can't help you with. I would suggest having in a well driller, tester to determine what the best options for you are. Good luck and please let us know how things work out.