Water/well/pump issues.

[mpr1331]

New well pump...check. Jet pump.
New check valve...check
No leaks and water will run through house but pressure tank will not completely fill and pressure on pressure gauge on tank will not go above 20-22 psi and pump will not shut off. There is air pressure in pressure tank.
What do I check next? Do I dig up the well line to make sure it's not cracked? Thank you in advance for any help/insight you can give me.

 

[speedbump]

Is the new pump a shallow well jet pump or a deep well jet pump.
Shallow = 1 pipe to well
Deep = 2 pipes to well
Either way, the nozzle is plugged in the ejector. If it's a shallow well jet pump, the nozzle is in the pump and can be cleaned easily. If it's a deep well jet pump, the nozzle is in the ejector in the well and will have to be pulled.

Why did you change the pump? Was the old one doing the same thing?

Where did you install the check valve?

 

[mpr1331]

It is a shallow well jet pump.
I changed the pump because the old one froze over the weekend and cracked. I changed the check valve for the same reason. The water was flowing through the wrong way with the pump off so I figured it was broken. I installed the check valve in the same place as the old one. It's about 12-14 inches from the pump.

 

[speedbump]

Shallow well jet pumps have a jet (ejector) either on the front of the casting or built into the casting if front of the impeller. Convertible jet pumps have two holes in the front that can be used in deep well applications or you can bolt on a convertible jet to convert to shallow well.

Inside of a jet is a nozzle and venturi. The nozzle squirts water into the venturi at a high rate of speed which creates a vacuum to bring up more water. When the nozzle gets a piece of junk stuck in it, pressure cuts roughly in half. So the crud has to be removed. Some pumps have a 1/4" plug right in front of the nozzle. If your lucky enough to have this setup, you can simply remove the plug and run a coat hanger or welding rod through the hole and try to clear the nozzle.

 

[mpr1331]

Didn't work, the nozzle was clean of debris. Back to the square one.

 

[Matt30]

Definitely sounds like plugged ejector. When replacing a jet pump, you gotta be very careful handling the old well pipes, all it takes is to knock the smallest bit of iron or sediment off the pipe walls then you could plug the ejector up 2-3 times before it starts running smooth.

How much air is in the pressure tank?

 

[mpr1331]

18psi when pressure tank was empty.

 

[speedbump]

I have knocked the little piece of junk out of the nozzle dozens of times in the process of disassembling the pump only to put it back together and have the same thing happen. Once apart, clean out all the junk, remember that water in a shallow well jet circulates constantly which makes it even easier to plug the nozzle.

Wouldn't hurt to check the "eye" of the impeller for junk also. If you see junk in it, use a coat hanger bent into almost a concentric circle to clean it.

I agree with Matt, just changing a pump can stir up a bunch of rust and sulfur flakes that easily plug nozzles.