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Foot Valves on Well Piping: Explanation & Repairs
- What is a foot valve, how does a well piping foot valve work, and why do we need a foot valve on well pipes?
- Foot valve failures and loss of well pump prime - diagnosis & repair
- Foot valve failures and loss of water pressure or water flow - diagnosis
- Check valves on well piping: what's the difference between a foot valve and a check valve?
- Where do we find the foot valve (if any) and why are foot valves used on pump and well systems?
- Is it a good idea to use more than both a check valve on a pump and a foot valve on the well piping?
- Causes of well & pump foot valve failure
- How to diagnose a bad or leaky well piping foot valve - a cause of lost well pump prime
- BACKFLOW PREVENTER VALVE, HEATING SYS - separate article
- BACKFLOW PREVENTER, HEATER WATER FEEDER - separate article
- BACKWATER VALVES, SEWER LINE - separate article
- CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM - separate article
- CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY - separate article
- CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM - separate article
- FOOT VALVES, WELL PIPING
- SEWAGE PUMPS - separate article
- WATER PRESSURE REDUCER / REGULATOR - separate article
- Questions & Answers about locating, using, diagnosing, repairing, or replacing well pump check valves and foot valves.
- References
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Well Foot Valves: this article describes the foot valve used on well piping for water well Pumps & Water Wells: we explain what a foot valve is, how they work, why they are used, and how to diagnose troubles with this special in-well check valve found at the bottom of well piping in some wells. We provide advice about loss of well pump prime due to bad foot valves and what to do when things go wrong with the check valve.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
What is a Foot Valve and Why do
we need one on well piping?
An Explanation of Well Piping Foot Valves
Carson Dunlop's sketch (left) shows the main parts of a one-line jet pump well installation. Nearly all well pumping systems, one line jet pump, two line jet pump, or submersible well pump, require a foot valve installed at the bottom of the well piping.
A Well Piping Foot Valve is a one way or anti-siphon valve which is installed on the pick-up end of the water pipe near the bottom of the well.
The foot valve prevents water from flowing backwards out of the jet pump and well piping back into the well when the jet pump stops operating.
You can see Carson Dunlop's sketch of a foot valve here.
Foot valves are also used on deep well installations to help protect against loss of prime in the well piping system.
Since you won't normally see the foot valve on well piping (it's down in the well) we have included a photograph of a well piping foot valve at the top of This article .
Watch out: without a working foot valve, a shallow well jet pump is likely to lose prime and will stop working properly, risking loss of water supply to the building and even damage to the pump itself.
If you are having trouble losing well prime and suspect a bad foot valve or check valve, also our article on above-ground CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY, and see WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS and Repeated Loss of Pump Prime and also WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
Readers of this document should also see CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY used on submersible well pumps and at other well piping installations. Also see Water Tank Types and before assuming that a water problem is due to the
well itself, see Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case which offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost. |
Our photo (left) shows the outlet end of a well piping foot valve. As you may guess, a foot valve is basically a check valve combined with an inlet strainer (visible in our page top photograph). The strainer prevents picking up large debris that could clog or jam the foot valve in its open position (or that might damage the water pump itself).
The check valve is a one-way valve that lets water flow up from the well and into the well piping. The spring loaded check valve closes when the well pump stops pumping.
Closing the check valve prevents water in the well piping from falling backwards into the well when the pump has stopped running. We need this function to keep the well piping and water pump filled with water - otherwise the well pump may lose prime, leading to loss of water in the building.
If the well piping foot valve is leaky and water runs back into the well we increase the wear on the water pump as it has to run more often, and pretty soon
the water pump will lose its prime (water inside the pump mechanism) and it may be unable to retrieve any more water from the well whatsoever.
When a shallow well appears to have "run dry" one of the first things to check is whether or not the foot valve needs to be replaced.
Foot Valve Clearance from Bottom shows that the well piping and foot valve are inserted into the well some distance from the very bottom of
the well (inches to a few feet). We need this clearance to reduce the tendency of the well pump to pick up mud and debris from the bottom of the well.
Also see our discussion of the WELL PIPING TAIL PIECE that protects well pumps from damage in a low-flow poor recovery rate well.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about locating, using, diagnosing, repairing, or replacing well pump check valves and foot valves and loss of well pump prime or other well piping leaks and pressure losses
Question: do jet pumps come with a built in check valve or do I need a foot valve or both?
I have model pkg 1-54AP 2" single pipe jet kit for a sta-rite sld-l 3/4hp jet pump. Does the jet package come with a built-in check valve and if it does, do I need a foot valve? Thanks! - David
Reply:
David take a look at the page top photo - if your kit didn't include something that looks like that, you don't yet have a foot valve.
The foot valve is placed at the bottom of the intake water line in the well; since your jet pump is above ground, it's a physically separate component.
It's true that some jet pumps include a check valve in the nose of the pump; and it's also true that some experts recommend only using a single check valve. If your well is quite shallow, say less than 27 ft. you might get away without a foot valve. But if I were installing new equipment including piping into the well, I'd put in a foot valve - as the most reliable component, and because it's easy to do now and more trouble to add later.
Question: how do I protect the well water piping in the well from freezing?
When draining the water from a dwelling that is allowed to freeze, how does the water supply from the submersible pump, supplied with foot valve, drain so the at or above grade pipes don't freeze and break? - Nate
Reply: well piping and pitless adapter should be below the frost line
Nate:
Freeze protection for the submersible-pump well: in a modern submersible pump or even jet pump drilled well with a steel casing, the water line exits the side of the casing below the frost line (through the pitless adapter). The well piping too, should be buried below the frost line. If well piping is too shallow, indeed it may freeze up in very cold weather.
More tips about protecting a building from freeze damage are organized at WINTERIZE A BUILDING.
Question: shallow well pump keeps losing prime
I have a shallow well that the pump will lose prime. It will prime up to pressure at currently 45 psi, once demand increases the pressure will go gradually down and suddenly drop 10 - 12 psi thus losing prime at 10 - 15 psi to never recover until I prime again. Attempting to prime, there's alot of air bubbles. I just replaced the check valve and bladder tank. I times i can take a long hot shower with no problem or if I just flush the toilet it will lose prime. Can anything be drawn from this?
Reply:
Bob: on intermittent loss of well prime, you'll need to determine if the leak is in well piping between house and well bottom ( perhaps a leaky well line or bad foot valve) OR a leak at the water pressure tank or an above ground well pump. Shut off all water to the house and watch pressure in the system. If it drops then the leak is outside.
Other causes of loss of well pump prime are at WATER PUMP PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TABLE. Also take a look at WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
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 Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
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- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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- Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells [ copy on file as /water/Low_Yield_Wells_Penn_State.pdf ] - , Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
- Smart Tank, Installation Instructions [ copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] - , Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
- Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Water Ace Jet Pump Installation Manual, instructions from Water Ace Pump Co., web search 08/28/2010, original source: http://www.waterace.com/pdf/R510%20R520%20and%20R100%20Jet%20Pumps%20Manual.pdf
Consumer hotline: 800-942-3343 - instructions for the installation and maintenance of
Water Ace shallow well pump Model R510 1/2 HP
Water Ace deep well pump Model R100 convertible 1HP and
Water Ace deep well jet pump Model R250 convertible 1/2 hp.
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- Smart Tank, Installation Instructions [ copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] - , Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
- Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells [ copy on file as /water/Low_Yield_Wells_Penn_State.pdf ] - , Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
- Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
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Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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