Shallow well pump not producing water

I just finished my shallow well. It is 1 1/4 in with a well point at the bottom. I have a check valve on the WellPoint attached is a ball valve to a pitcher pump. Below the ball valve is a tee with another ball valve attached to the pump.

If I close the pump with the ball valve and use the pitch pump. The well works great.

If I close the pitcher pump with the ball valve the pump won’t produce and water.

Any suggestions?

Hi Patrick;
Looking at your photo, I am confused.
I see the check valve and both ball valves.
I get that the pitcher pump works great while the ball valve is shut to the pump.
What I do not see is where you have any outgoing lines from the pump.
Perhaps it is buried? Where does it go?
Have you tried priming the electric pump?
Any air in the line can cause it to lose suction, I suspect that could be your problem.

The top of the pump is a hose bib attached to 1 inch pvc. There would be air between the well point and the check valve before you get to standing water.

I have seen videos that this setup will work.

Why does my pitcher pump produce water but the electric pump won’t

This is a picture that you can see the outlet

A few troubleshooting steps:

1. Prime the pump line including the section for the t that goes up to the high ball valve ( the upper portion might be trying to go into vacuum) You should be closing the high ball valve as soon as you see water coming out of it to prime that whole section.

2. Check the listed static pressure of the point check valve ( it might be to high for the pump once the elevation head is added on) Divide the static pressure by gravity and water density to get its equivalent in elevation in ft or m.

Total head = well depth + valve pressure/(density *gravity)

The pitcher pump I am using says that I shouldn’t use it for a well deeper than 26 feet. The same as the electric pump. The pitcher pump is at the highest point and it works.

I have tried priming the electric pump many time.

I have also removed the pitcher pump and primed it from the tallest ball valve.

Still not working

I took a closer look to the picture and it looks like your inlet is connected to outlet of the pump unless there's an arrow hidden by a pipe

The outlet of the pump is on the top. The inlet label is on the side under the inlet port. Just can’t be seen in the picture

Does your tank have a valve to change the air pressure? If it does I would let some air out until you get some water out

Do you get any water out at all?


Is there a foot valve, or are you relying on the check valve to maintain prime?

The air bladder in the tank? It’s filled to 23. Per the manual.

From what I understand if there was a leak in the bladder than when you took air out of the tank water would be present to.

I took air out to check the charge when I first installed the pump. No water came out. I re charged it.

Wouldn’t water in the bladder mean it’s leaking?

Seemed like only the water that was came out was water that was used to prime it.

Was not able to get any water from the well.

No foot valve. Just a sand point and the check valve on top

You're right, there would be water if the air pressure is low. I was suggesting hat you lower the bladder pressure to allow the pump to use concentrate energy on pulling the water up and not so much on sending it far through high pressure at the outlet

I will give it a try. Right now it’s a 23 psi. It has a 30/50 pressure switch.

What PSI would you suggest?

I would lower it by 2 psi until water comes out at the other end

If you connect a hose to the inlet do you get water out?

Water come out of the outlet

What did you have to do?

I can’t hook a hose to the inlet. The well it connected to that port.

I will lower the psi and see if that helps.

Thank you

How deep is the water?
The 26 foot limit occurs because the water vaporises when you try to lift it 26 feet, and will not lift.