[Kilau]

I have a shallow well pump that recently lost its prime, ran dry, and burned out its pressure switch. I replaced the switch with a better one (one that cuts out on low pressure), but it turned out one of my wells had lowered enough that it was allowing the pump to suck air. I don't know why but my pump has always been connected to two 2 inch wells, teed together. The pump sucked directly off the wells, no drop lines or anything. I found that out when I cut the top off one to check its level. Also, when I had the pump out to replace the switch I checked the nozzle, tube, diffuser, impellor, and the rest of the pump parts, everything was okay.

Today I had two new 2 inch wells water-bored and sank. As the guy who did the work was leaving he recommended running an 1-1/4 inch pipe down each well with a foot valve on the bottom. He said I should "T" together the 1-1/4 inch pipes and use them as my suction line. I understand the value of using a foot-valve (preventing the water from going back down the well if I lose prime) but I am unsure if it is the right thing to do.

I have always has very good pressure and volume from my pump. One of my sprinkler zones has 8 heads (four at 3.0 gpm and four at 1.5 gpm) and the pump maintained 45 psi while running that zone. I am worried the smaller suction lines and restriction of the foot valve will reduce the pump's output.

The new wells are completely 2 inch, screens and pipes. There is 23 feet of pipe on top of 13 feet of screen. The static water level is 11 feet from the surface. From setting a hand pump on top of the wells, their output seems to be great, we had no trouble pulling up clear water with hand pump after back filling around the wells.

I have a 1-1/2 hp Goulds J15S shallow well pump. Its suction opening is 1-1/4 inch npt and the discharge is 1 inch npt.

1) Will the two 1-1/4 inch suction lines with foot valves on each reduce the pump's output ?

2) If it will not reduce the output, who makes a foot valve with minimal restriction, that will last, that I can attach to 1-1/4 inch pvc?

3) How would I top off the wells, since the well is 2 inches and the drop pipe and elbow would be 1-1/4? It would be under a about a foot of dirt and I don't want dirt falling in. Also, I figure eventually I will have to pull up the drop pipe and replace the foot.

4) Unrelated, is it okay to run a shallow-well jet pump with high-volume no pressure or should their always be a little pressure on the discharge? I ask this because I have a pool fill that when I open it, the output pressure always dropped to zero. I got a lot of water, just the pressure was as close to zero as possible-no restriction at all on the discharge line.

Please forgive me if I rambled, I wanted to provide enough information so that anyone willing to help me did not have to guess at what I had. Thanks to anyone who has some information.