Originally Posted by slippy
@jeff5may:
I haven't had the time to give your suggestions a try yet, but may tomorrow. I have a check valve just below the ejector, which is offset from the pump about a foot. I can't recall if I posted a picture, but the setup is:
1/2HP Goulds pump, 1 foot of horizontal pipes to the ejector, 90° elbow, check valve, tee to a valve for priming, 18 feet 1-1/2" PVC, 22 feet of 1-1/2" well screen, cap.
Standing water is about 22 feet below the ejector, with the pump not running. Pump will run at 2.5 GPM avg. for 5 minutes before getting airlocked (I'm assuming I am drawing the water out of the pipe to the point where the pump just can't lift, which I believe is about a 25' maximum for ANY kind of pump).
I can lower the pump about 2 feet. That'll give me some more water, but I really doubt if it will give me enough to sustain 2.5GPM; maybe I could run for 7 to 10 minutes, but I'm doubting if I could go much longer.
Man, I wish that I seen somewhere on all the "drill your own well" sites that it is utterly pointless to drill more than 30 feet, unless you are going with a 4" casing, which would allow an ejector (or narrow submersible) to go down in it. I really hate to say it, but I think I am just screwed. MAYBE I could do something like install a massive storage tank, drawing out as much water as I can overnight, to then be used during the day (the only time I need to worry about HVAC; this is at a business.)
I really don't want to have to hire a contractor to drill a "real" well, but I may just have to, and abandon this project altogether. I guess it could be used as an injection well, but I don't know if it will accept water fast enough. I know it won't take more than about 3 GPM by gravity alone, as I am able to prime it at near that flow rate with a garden hose.
The only other thing I think might be able to work would be to use an air lift pump, which essentially bubbles air at the bottom of the well, up into a pipe, carrying some water with it. But, that comes with its own set of problems, such as separating the water from the air. I assume I'd need to air lift up into a tank, then use a transfer pump to move that water through my heat exchanger.
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