Well water - can it kill 4 well pumps?

Matt Simis

Think Ive posted here before, but today found my 4th well pump (over nearly 3year period) dead. No longer pressurises, I can remove the bleeder cap as its running and it just froths the water into hot bubbles. Same as always. Primed it, bled it, checked pipe from well held water, no problems anywhere else.

4 pumps, 2 Jets, 2 Centrifugal. 1 installed professionally, 3 by me. Had 3 difference pressure tanks over the period too.
Work for 6 to 9mths then this happens each and every time.


Its a shallow water well, foot valve + piping is fine, there is water in the well, it looks clear etc. Best theory I got from the "pro's" is sand particles in the water destroying the disc/plate in the pumps. I know there is iron in the water as the pump parts frequently have orange rusty residue which eventually (over a period of years) nearly blocks pipework from the well to pressure tank.


Is there a more robust pump I could use? I talked to a Well installer and he suggested (of course!) that I get the well bored deeper.. seems like overkill and Im not entirely sure even would solve the problem.

corkgsxr

Your probably better off going deeper you might not get iron then. Iron is about the worst thing to have in water, destroys fittings, tiles etc

Seen rows of houses were only some get iron others don't. Some areas nothing can be done besides filter it.

jimjimt

Well bored deeper may cured it. Most guys well not rebore the same well. At least not where I am from.

If you have to change the pump again an all stainless steel submersible including stainless propellers will help. But only if it is maintain and cleaned at least every 6 months. Have a spare bladder ready for the pressure vessel. If you cannot do it all yourself very costly. Make sure to de-pressurized the vessel before changing the bladder. Large volume of air in their.
So if it blocks every six months clean it all every five months.

For the house a manganese green sand filter system. Do get a proper laboratory water analysis done as iron tends to carry other water impurities as well.

Iron eats through galvanized fittings. So do not use.

corkgsxr

Mm copper too, turns them very brittle.

jimjimt

Very true. God bless per

jimjimt

Very true. God bless pex