Questions & Answers

What basic questions must be answered before purchasing a submersible pump?

How much water will be required for daily use? And can the well produce enough water to meet daily requirements?

How do I determine how much water my well will produce in GPM (gallons per minute)?

You can refer to the driller's log or use of an older cleanout pump to determine flow rate.

How I Use of an older cleanout pump to determine the well flow rate?

Never use a new pump for this service. After cleanout pump operates for 30 minutes at free flow, fill a 5-gallon bucket and make a note of the time it takes to reach capacity. If at any time during the 30 minutes of free flow water fails to flow, pump should be turned off immediately. Wait 3 to 4 hours, lower pump deeper into well, and throttle (use a gate valve) pump back by closing valve 1/4 turn. This procedure should be repeated until water flows continuously for 30 minutes. Not doing so could result in dry running and destruction of the pump. The pump should never be closer than 10 feet to the bottom of the well.

What are the typical well pump sizes?

5– 7 GPM Series: For low-capacity wells where a higher series would "over-pump" the well, causing pump failure; 10 – 13 GPM Series: For average-capacity wells. These are the most popular choices in farm and home applications; 20 to 27 GPM Series: For high-capacity wells where more than normal water supply is required: ranches, dairy farms, light irrigation, and light industrial water systems; 35 to 85 GPM Series: For very high capacity wells and/or very deep wells. For irrigation and industrial water systems where higher water volume is needed.

How do I determine depth of well?

Use the well driller's log or tie a heavy weight to a string, lower into well until it reaches bottom, and measure this distance.

What is the water pumping level?

The Water Pumping Level is defined as the standing water level in the well when the pump is operating, and the water being pumped out equals the water entering the well. This level is generally several feet lower than the water level in the well when pump is not operating. It should be understood that pump setting depth does not determine pump performance. The main criterion is the Water Pumping Level not the depth to water. The depth of the pump below this water level is of no significance in relation to gallons and pressure delivered by the pump.

What is a 3-wire submersible well pump motor?

3-wire submersible well pumps with Franklin motors require a separate control box that is mounted in a dry location above ground. The start capacitor in the control box energize the starting winding to get the motor nearly up to speed, then the relay contacts open and disconnect the start winding and the start capacitor for the remainder of that cycle.

How do you wire a 3-wire submersible well pump motor?

The 3-wire motor has four wires. A red (start wire) a black, a yellow and the green ground wire. The red, black and yellow all connect to their perspective terminals in the control box. The green is connected to the ground terminal. The other two terminals in the control box are the L1 and L2 connections which accept the input power. The control box includes a start capacitor, a relay and sometimes an overload protector and a run capacitor. The run capacitor stays in-line all the time and does not need a relay to disable it.

What are the advantages of a 3-wire submersible well pump motor?

If there is a problem with capacitors or relays, the 3-wire aboveground control box can be repaired easily.

What are the disadvantages of a 3-wire submersible well pump motor?

If the pump gets locked due to sand or grit, the 3-wire motor depends on the start capacitor to have enough strength to kick start the pump. If it does not have enough strength the pump and motor must be pulled for service.

What is a 2-wire submersible well pump motor?

2-wire submersible well pumps with Franklin Motors have a biac solid state start switch inside the motor. The biac solid state switch energizes the start winding in the motor to get it up to speed. When the motor is almost at normal RPMs, the solid state switch disconnects the start winding for the remainder of that cycle.

How do you wire a 2-wire submersible well pump motor?

The motor has three wires. Two of these wires are black and connect directly to the power source. The third wire is the green ground wire.

What are the advantages of a 2-wire submersible well pump motor?

If the pump gets locked up due to sand or grit, the biac switch will kick the motor in a reverse direction then back in the forward direction to try to break the pump loose. If it can’t the pump the pump and motor must be pulled and serviced.

What are the disadvantages of a 3-wire submersible well pump motor?

If there is a problem with start control, the 2-wire pump must be pulled and serviced

Which is better, 2-wire or 3-wire?

A lot of this choice comes down to personal preference. The only difference between 2-wore and a 3-wire pump is where the motor starting components are located. In a 2-wire pump, all the motor starting components are located in the motor, down in the well. In a 3-wire pump, the motor’s starting components are in a “control box” that is located above ground in your well house or basement. The one possible advantage of a 3-wire system is that if anything ever needs to be tested because of a problem, it is easier to test (and replace, if needed) the starting components that are above ground in the control box. King Pumps does not sell 2-wire motors.

What are the typical submersible pump materials of construction?

Cast-iron basic construction represents good value and is useful in many applications; Thermoplastic construction provides excellent value and corrosion resistance; Stainless steel construction has superior corrosion resistance.

What is the pump capacity required?

Each outlet that may be left on for continuous use will require about 3 gallons per minute (GPM). A 1-bathroom house is usually sized for 2 continuous-use outlets, and a 2-bathroom house is usually sized for 3 continuous-use outlets. Livestock requirements are in addition to home requirements and, of course, must be added in order to determine the final volume requirement.

What is the pump pressure required?

Many homes use a 30 to 50 pressure (psi) setting. Higher cut-in and cut-out (40 to 60 psi) settings may be needed where automatic appliances require higher pressure for proper operation.

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