[Beau Geste]

Howdy,
I am planning to replace a 25-year-old deep well jet pump, and really can't handle the expense of converting to a submersible at this moment in time. Above-ground pumps are available for a couple of hundred bucks, and I think I can manage the swap myself *IF* I ca keep the job to replacing the pump itself. I'm not so sure I could manage exchanging the ejector/venturi or foot valve in the well without mucking something up.

Seems like most DW jet pumps are specified to use a model-specific jet assembly, but I can't understand why (except perhaps to match the pressures generated by a given pump power rating, 1/2, 3/4, or 1HP).

If I buy a replacement pump with the same HP rating as the current pump, can I simply leave the existing jet and foot valve assemblies in the well, regardless of specific brand? What would happen if I were to decide to move from a 1/2HP to a 3/4HP model?

My current pump controller is set with 20/30psi limits which, as you might expect, gives a pretty low faucet-head pressure in the second-story shower. I note that most modern pumps come preset with controllers in the 30/50psi range. Assuming my pressure tank has good integrity, do I need to worry about anything else in order to enjoy these higher delivery pressures?

Last (whew) any recommendations on jet pump models with good reliability (and low noise operation) would be appreciated.

[jlisenbe]

How deep is your well? If it's in the forty to sixty foot range, you might be able to pull the wellpipe up without too much trouble. That would be two or three pipe sections (probably). Personally, I'd call the company who makes the pump and toss the question out to them. That way you would have something to fall back on in case it worked less efficiently than you hoped.

Going to a 30/50 switch range should be no problem.

Let me add one more item. I have read many instances of people on this site installing new jet pumps without any mention of pulling/replacing the footvalve, so I would think you would be OK in that regard. The footvalve does not come with the pump, so it would stand to reason that they are not brand/model specific.