I have a creek on my place where I have pumped water for the yard, garden, pool, etc. for many years with a pressure tank and jet pump set up in the barn. The problem is that I get a lot of sediment in the jet and it creates problems with loss of prime (even with a check valve). I’d like to put a submersible pump in the creek and only turn it on when I need water. I’d still use the same pressure tank. My question is this: I seem to remember a thread awhile back about a similar set-up and someone raised a concern about not being able to adequately ground the pump. Anyone have any advice? Thanks
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I am no plumber but, I would use a sump pump. They are already grounded through the cord and don't usually have a problem with sediment.
Any pump you use should be supplied via a 3-wire cord and should be adequately grounded, so long as you're careful with the wiring.
Trouble is I want to use a deep well submersible pump and all the ones I'm familiar with are 2-wire. I can't use a sump pump (3-wire) because of the distance involved and the height difference. The creek is about 250 feet from the house and the house sits on a hill.
That seems odd. I suppose the assumption is that the pump will be grounded by the water, and is safely inaccessible for human contact in the well bore.I wonder what they use if you want a submersible in a cistern?
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
How deep is the creek? A submersible deep well pump is designed to be mounted vertically...and they're fairly tall.
What is the height difference to the house? There's a gazillion submersible sump pumps out there. What power supply do you have, and what height?
When the local VFD wants to pump from the lake, they use something like a kiddie pool as a buffer.
A pump that can handle the muck from the lake fills the kiddie pool, the truck draws from high up in the kiddie pool to avoid the bottom. I'm sure there's still some stuff/junk that goes through the truck, but this knocks out most of it
The pump(s) filling the kiddie pool have more capacity than the truck pulling from it. They just let the pool overflow and run back into the lake. . . . I know what you mean about jet pumps and prime . . .
If you used this idea, you could have the jet pump outside the kiddie pool, but below the water level.
I won't try to answer what is best to use for what you want to do until a clearer answer to what your situation is, like what was ask by others before, how deep is the water, etc.
But I will try and educate you on typical submersible 4" pumps.
A 2 wire pump uses 3 wires and has the start capacitor built into it. The third wire is the ground, and is attached to a grounding screw on the pump case.
A 3 wire pump uses 4 wires and has control box with the capacitors in it. The third wire is for the start circuit and the 4th is the ground and is attached to a grounding screw on the pump case.
Most people use 3 wire pumps because it is cheaper to replace a capacitor above ground than have to pull and replace or repair the pump.
Amost all pumps are 220 volt except for a few models a 1/2 hp and below.
You will be better off with a 220 volt pump, because you can be about twice the distance with the same size wire.
Thanks to all who replied. It has given me some good options. Not being a plumber, I am still confused about one related thing. Kgmz, you stated that a "two wire pump uses three wires". All the two wire submersible pumps I've seen (not many) just have a two wire heavily insulated cable that is sealed into the top of the pump motor housing. I have seen the grounding screw but no grounding wire attached. Does the water in the well act as a ground?
If you are sucking sediment with the jet pump, the submersible will not solve your problems. Maybe try wrapping fine filter fabric over the intake, or plumb an inline sediment filter upstream of the jet pump.
Get a jacuzzi sandhandler deep well submersible. We have been using two of them to pump out of shallow creeks for several years now. They have a great five year warrantee that my local dealer stands behind. He will replace a failed pump on the spot without questioning you. They will pump a lot of sediment that would trash most other deep well submersibles.
Two years ago I paid 800 dollars for a jacuzzi sandhandler 1 horse pump that pumps around 20 gallons a minute at 60 psi.
Years ago I used a jet pump and cant imagine going back to that system.
karl
Best wau tp treat this problem is to install a sand separator inline before the pump, (it is not a filter), centrifigal force separates the sand from the water and there is a blow off on the bottom of the housing to blow out the sediment. Cost is a couple hundrred bucks and a 10 minute installation time