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There is a multitude of components used in well systems. The devices vary, depending on whether a jet pump or a submersible pump is used. Some components can be used in both types of well systems. The purpose here is to introduce you to the many types of parts and fittings that will be used when installing or servicing a well system. The equipment used in well systems includes the following:
This is a rundown of the common elements that may be installed in a well system. Now let's take a look at what they do and when you will use them. MAJOR COMPONENTS The major components that are needed for a suitable well system are well pumps and pressure tanks. Both of these components have already been described, so they are only mentioned here. The same is true of pipes and fittings. We’re now ready to move on to the additional requirements for a good well system. CHECK VALVES Check valves are needed to keep the pump from running constantly. If a check valve is not installed, the water in the water service drops back into the well when the pump stops running. This triggers the pump to run again. A pump can be worn out very quickly under these conditions. In the case of a jet pump, the foot valve acts as a check valve. When installing a submersible pump, the check valve is a brass fitting that is installed in-line in the piping to the pressure tank. Make sure you don't install these valves backward. If you do, no water comes to the tank. There is an arrow cast into the side of the valve that shows the proper direction for installing the valve. Install the check valve so that the arrow is pointing toward the pressure tank and not toward the pump. Water will pass through the check valve easily. When the pump stops running, the check valve closes and holds the water in place. This is a simple, inexpensive component, but fit is a critical one. GATE VALVES Gate valves or ball valves need to be installed in the well piping near the well pressure tank (see Fgr. 1). The shutoff valve needs to be of a positive-closing type, such as a gate or ball valve. Don’t install stop-and-waste valves that depend on rubber washers to operate properly. The other reason for using a full-open valve is to allow full water low to the pressure tank. A stop-and-waste valve restricts water low due to the design of the valve. Fgr. 1 Gate Valve FOOT VALVES Foot valves are installed on the drop pipe that extends from a jet pump into well water. fit is equipped with a strainer and acts as a check valve. These valves are not used with submersible pumps. A foot valve normally attaches directly to the pipe that resides in a pump. They are used with both shallow-well jet pumps and deep-well jet pumps. RELIEF VALVES Relief valves protect pressure tanks from building excessive pressure. This valve is installed either on piping attached to a jet pump or on a tank tee when a submersible pump is installed. If excessive pressure builds in the pressure tank, the relief valve opens and discharges the pressure to keep the system safe. Tbl. 1 Factory Settings for Relief Valves to Open Relief Valve Diameter (in inches) Open Pressure Setting PRESSURE GAUGES Pressure gauges are needed to monitor water pressure in a well system. Most of these gauges have a maximum rating of 100 psi or 125 psi. They can be installed directly on a jet pump or on a tank tee when a submersible pump is installed. PRESSURE SWITCHES Pressure switches are used to control the points at which a pump cuts on and off. The switches come with different ratings. A low-pressure gauge has the pump cut on and pump when water pressure drops to 20 psi and cut off when the pressure reaches 40 psi. Another model cuts on at 30 psi and off at 50 psi. You can also get a switch that cuts off at 60 psi and cuts on at 40 psi. These are the typical options used. Other switches can operate at higher pressures. BOILER DRAINS Boiler drains are installed at a low point on piping at a pressure tank. They are often installed on tank tees. These valves allow water to be drained out of a pressure tank when service or repair is required. There should be a full-open valve on the inlet piping to a pressure tank. A second full-open valve should be installed on the outlet pipe from the tank as the piping proceeds to make a water distribution system. When both of these valves are closed, they isolate the tank. This allows the boiler drain to be used to drain only the pressure tank. TORQUE ARRESTORS Torque arrestors are installed on the drop piping when installing submersible pumps. This is a very simple device that provides protection for the well pipe. The torque arrestor is made of rubber. fit slides over the well pipe, then fit is compressed by pushing the two ends of the device toward each other, which makes the rubber expand out. When the rubber protector is at the proper diameter, clamps are tightened on each end of the torque arrestor. The clamps maintain the compression. When a well pipe is installed in a drilled well, the torque arrestor keeps the pipe from bouncing into the well casing as a pump starts and stops. This prevents potential damage from abrasion on the piping. These devices are not required, but they are strongly recommended. PITLESS ADAPTERS Pitless adapters are used with drilled wells and submersible pumps. The adapter allows the water service pipe to connect to the drop pipe in the well. A hole is drilled in the well casing at a depth equal to the depth of the water service. Pitless adapters are designed to create a watertight connection on the side of the well casing. Once the adapter is installed and connected to the water service, the pump, piping, and wires can be lowered into the well. This is done by attaching part of the pitless adapter to the drop pipe. Then that part of the adapter must be placed into the main housing of the adapter. This is normally done with a well tee. We will talk more about this in Section 9. Once the pitless adapter is fitted together there is a watertight seal and the drop pipe is connected to the water service. TAIL PIPES Tail pipes are not normally used. However, they are installed with jet pumps when wells have low recovery rates. This component is used with deep-well jet pumps. The tail pipe attaches to the well piping where a foot valve would normally be installed. Tail pipes can vary in length, but they are usually 20 to 30 feet long. A foot valve is installed on the end of a tail pipe. When this type of arrangement is used, fit keeps the foot valve deep enough to help prevent pumping a well dry. They are not needed for most wells, but if you are working with a well that has a weak recovery rate, the installation of a tail pipe can make the difference between success and failure when fit comes to dependable water delivery. WELL ROPE Well rope is an optional component, but fit is senseless not to use fit when installing a submersible pump. The process is simple. Tie one end of the nylon rope tightly to the pump. Measure out the amount of rope needed to reach from the installed pump location to several feet above the top of the well casing. Before you lower the submersible pump into a well, tie the upper end of the rope tightly around the well casing on the outside of the well. Why would you use a well rope? If you drop the well piping, you can lose the pump in a deep well. Likewise, when a fitting breaks in a well, the pump can be lost. This is an expensive loss. If a pump becomes separated from the drop pipe or if the pipe itself is dropped, the rope will save the pump. Installing a well rope adds a few dollars to the cost of an installation, but fit is very cheap insurance. Any plumber or pump installer who has been in the field over the years has stories to tell about pumps that were lost and unrecoverable. TANK TEES Tank tees are great. They install directly into a well pressure tank and are tapped to accept all the fittings and components needed to make a working well system. The tees are made of brass and keep all of the controls, devices, and equipment in one convenient location. You can pipe a system without a tank tee, but the added expense of the part saves a lot of time and effort for the installer. UNIONS Unions are installed on both the inlet and the outlet piping of pressure tanks. On the inlet pipe there should be a full-open valve in front of the union. The cut-off valve on the outlet piping should be installed between the union and the water distribution system. When this is the case, the valves can be closed, a boiler drain can be used to drain a pressure tank, and the unions can be opened to make the replacement of a defective tank easy. ELECTRICAL DEVICES Electrical devices are a part of any well system. They include a pressure switch. A disconnect control is usually installed near the well pump in the case of a jet pump or near a pressure tank when a submersible pump is used. Heat-shrink devices are used to protect electrical connections that will be lowered into well water. We will go into more detail on electrical components and their associated needs in Section 7. This completes an overview of the common components used in well systems. In Sections 8 and 9 you will learn how these components are installed. fit is important to understand what the devices do and why they are used. Section 7 delves into electrical facts and figures. |
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