Jet Pump Questions

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I recently replaced my old bladder-less galvanized well pressure tank with a new one. I couldn't add air to it any more. No air would go though the fitting, and it looked so rusty that I wasn't about to even try to replace the fitting. One day I came in from outside and the pump was running continuously. After letting the pump cool down, I bled the tank and pumped some water back in, just to verify the pump was still working. It seemed to be OK, so I decided it was time to replace the tank.

I'm almost certain the gauge on the old tank ranged from about 35 (or 40) to 55 for the cut in and off pressures. But when I returned the pump to service after installing the new tank, it wouldn't generate more than 40 psi.

I don't know if my old gauge was bad and reading high, or the pump seals were damaged the day I found it running continuously. I can't find any information about my old pump. It's an old Tait pump and all I have is the model number, which I can't look up. I've read that some of the older pumps ran with 20/40 switches, so I'm wondering if maybe my pump is fine and my old gauge was bad.

I'm thinking about just putting it in service and adjusting the cutoff to 40 psi and just seeing how it goes, if the water pressure in the house seems normal, I'm done. If it seems like a trickle, then maybe I need a new pump too.

If I have to replace the pump, I'd like to match the old one in size. Does anyone know anything about the Tait model 5CN, B.M. (build model? ) W87338L? [I looked on the other side of the motor housing later and found a tag that indicates it is 1/2 HP]

If not, any general recommendations? Mostly it's just me and my wife. We use about 400 gal per week. We have two additional house guests for about another month and are using about twice the volume. But this is a backup system, so I don't want to oversize the pump. I also need to power it with a modest generator (4000 W) during power outages.

I'm thinking about a Wayne 1/2 or 3/4 HP pump.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

P.S. my pressure tank has a 36 gal capacity.

Thanks.
 
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Tait was a great pump. If you go with a Wayne, you will be getting about 10% of the quality of the Tait. Sure Wayne's are cheap, but that word works for price and quality.

I sold Taits up until about 86 or so when all the buy outs started. The place I bought them from at that time loaded me up with pumps on a special deal then left town. That was the end of Tait as I knew it.

The drop in pressure could be the gauge, it could be the water level in the well or maybe some junk in the impeller. If it won't shut off anymore, something changed.

If you want a quality pump at a decent price look here: Jet Pumps
 
How much air pressure is in the tank? You will have to drain the tank to get an accurate reading. For a jet pump you dont need any more then 18-24PSI in most applications. More air doesnt always = more pressure, as you are now pushing back against the pump if your air pressure is higher then what your pump can produce.
 
Tait was a great pump. If you go with a Wayne, you will be getting about 10% of the quality of the Tait. Sure Wayne's are cheap, but that word works for price and quality.

I sold Taits up until about 86 or so when all the buy outs started. The place I bought them from at that time loaded me up with pumps on a special deal then left town. That was the end of Tait as I knew it.

The drop in pressure could be the gauge, it could be the water level in the well or maybe some junk in the impeller. If it won't shut off anymore, something changed.

If you want a quality pump at a decent price look here: Jet Pumps

What brands of pump would you recommend?
 
Tait was a great pump. If you go with a Wayne, you will be getting about 10% of the quality of the Tait. Sure Wayne's are cheap, but that word works for price and quality.

I sold Taits up until about 86 or so when all the buy outs started. The place I bought them from at that time loaded me up with pumps on a special deal then left town. That was the end of Tait as I knew it.

The drop in pressure could be the gauge, it could be the water level in the well or maybe some junk in the impeller. If it won't shut off anymore, something changed.

If you want a quality pump at a decent price look here: Jet Pumps

What brands of pump would you recommend?
 
The Betta Flo SW series is a very good pump and so is the new Goulds knockoff pump I'm selling. The pump itself is exactly like the Goulds and all parts are interchangeable. The motor on that pump is what's impressive. It weighs a ton which tells me that it has all copper winding's instead of aluminum like so many of them do today.
http://shop.pumpsandtanks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65
 
How much air pressure is in the tank? You will have to drain the tank to get an accurate reading. For a jet pump you dont need any more then 18-24PSI in most applications. More air doesnt always = more pressure, as you are now pushing back against the pump if your air pressure is higher then what your pump can produce.

I started out with 28 psi because I wanted to set the switch to 30/50, but the pump would never generate more than 40 psi and never stop. So I drained the tank and adjusted the bladder pressure to 18 psi, then set the switch to 20/40 and it seemed to work, but the water flow is a trickle compared to what it used to be. So I'm thinking I damaged seals the day I found it running constantly and it just can't generate more than 40 psi of head anymore, and it's time to replace the pump. I could probably set the switch to 30/40 and make the current pump work, but work it would, cycling on and off quite a bit. Sooner or later I would have to replace it anyway. It might as well be now is what I'm thinking.
 
The Betta Flo SW series is a very good pump and so is the new Goulds knockoff pump I'm selling. The pump itself is exactly like the Goulds and all parts are interchangeable. The motor on that pump is what's impressive. It weighs a ton which tells me that it has all copper winding's instead of aluminum like so many of them do today.
http://shop.pumpsandtanks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65

I'm not opposed to spending a little more on a pump that I won't have to replace in 5 years, but I'm afraid the shipping from Florida to Michigan on a pump with a motor that weighs a ton would be extreme. Do you think Goulds still used all copper windings? I'm thinking if I bought a Goulds from a local source I could save a half ton on shipping, or not pay shipping at all if I pick up the pump myself.
 
Do you think the Beta Flow uses all copper windings? I see it weighs 10 lbs less. How can you be sure the Goulds Knockoff is a good pump? You've only been selling them for a month.
 
Everyone seems to think Goulds pumps are the best pump since sliced bread. I say they aren't any better than any other name brand (Wayne, Flotec, Water Ace etc excluded) but they always had an AO Smith motor which was a very good motor. Lately, I'm not so sure, they keep getting lighter and I'm pretty sure they are assembled in mexico like so many other items these days. The heavier SEI motor I believe will be a very good motor as these people don't seem to have jumped on the lets make it cheaper bandwagon yet. I haven't done so yet, buy you could price the Goulds against my pump. I think you will find the Goulds name makes them quite a bit higher. That and if you spend $500.00 or more, I pay the freight; which usually isn't more than thirty some dollars.
 
Is it the Gould's knockoff that has the SEI motor you're talking about? What kind of warranty does that pump have
 
Like everyone else it has one year from date of sale or 1.5 years from build date. Yes it is the SEI motor. It's a beast.
 

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