Pump savers to prevent pump from running while dry?

[Zanne]

My brain won't let me sleep because this is bothering me. My Goulds J10S 1HP 230vac jet pump had the housing break open because it ran while dry during freezing weather.

I have a cistern that it pulls from and another pump fills the cistern but I need to replace the switch for the other pump because it keeps failing to turn the pump on when the water is too low. But that is another issue. For now I want to address the jet pump and am trying to find something easy-to-install that won't break the bank that can tell the jet pump to shut off if the water in the cistern gets too low or if it senses it is pumping air instead of water.

I saw there is something called Pumptec QD but it apparently won't work to stop a pump if there is power cycling or "waterlocked". Not sure what water locked means. I think the Pumptec Plus may be overkill. I'm wondering about the Franklin Electronics Pumptec, how it would be installed, and whether it would work.

I'm also interested in other options. My pumps are hard-wired and the pressure switch on my jet pump is mounted to the pump.

The double compression fitting had to be eliminated after this picture was taken because it kept blowing apart. The wires coming out of the jet pump to power it are not very long. They were not long enough to reach the tee on the pressure tank. They *might* be long enough to reach the metal wall and I might be able to get some sort of junction box or pump saver mounted there if I use a pvc board and some tapcons or something.

There are currently no electrical outlets in the shed to plug anything in but I plan to add some 15A GFCI outlets eventually. They will be mounted on the ridge beam on the ceiling of the shed. I have a sub panel in the shed now with 3 breakers. One for future outlets, one for the belt-driven pump that fills the cistern, and one for the jet pump.

I eventually plan to add junction boxes and conduit for the pumps and the annoying switch on top of the cistern.

It isn't too far from the jet pump to the back wall of the shed and I'll have to see how long the wires are.

Any suggestions/recommendations that won't break the bank? It was almost $800 to replace the jet pump this time and will cost at least $70 to have it installed. This broken jet pump was purchased in March 2024 so it wasn't old.

 

[Valveman]

I don't think running dry was what caused the pump housing to crack. A cracked housing is usually caused by freezing when the pump is full of water. But running dry can melt the impeller and still destroy the pump. I posted in your thread about the freezing problem and how to keep the pump running continuously and the water circulating so it won't freeze.

I don't think the pumptec or pumpsaver will work with a jet pump, but a Cycle Sensor will as long as you are using 230V.

https://cyclestopvalves.com/pages/cycle-sensor-pump-monitor

 

[Zanne]

The descriptions for them say they work with jet pumps but who knows.
I did have taps running/dripping but I guess stuff got so cold it still froze.
Is it safe to wrap a jet pump in one of those thermal camping blankets (they look like foil)? Or would that make them hold in too much heat? I'm going to try a generic version of Reflectix on the walls and ceiling to see if that helps with insulating the shed better.

The cycle sensor thing looks interesting. Will it work with 1hp 230vac jet pumps? And will it work without installing the cycle stop valve?

 

[Valveman]

The descriptions for them say they work with jet pumps but who knows.
I did have taps running/dripping but I guess stuff got so cold it still froze.
Is it safe to wrap a jet pump in one of those thermal camping blankets (they look like foil)? Or would that make them hold in too much heat? I'm going to try a generic version of Reflectix on the walls and ceiling to see if that helps with insulating the shed better.

The cycle sensor thing looks interesting. Will it work with 1hp 230vac jet pumps? And will it work without installing the cycle stop valve?

Sorry I missed this. Yes, the Cycle Sensor works with jet pumps, but we only make it in 230V anymore. Yes, the Cycle Sensor will work without a Cycle Stop Valve on the pump, although it is the only dry well protector that will work with a CSV.

Also, when you trickle water to keep things from freezing the pump cycles on and off. If it stays off long enough for the little nipple to the pressure switch to freeze, everything else freezes because the pump won't come back on. When using a Cycle Stop Valve on a jet pump the minimum flow you can trickle without cycling the pump is about 0.5 GPM. When trickling as little as 1 GPM when using a Cycle Stop Valve the pump never shuts off, the pressure switch nipple never freezes, and the continuously running motor adds heat to the room.

Wrapping pipe with insulation causes condensation and makes it hard to thaw out when it does freeze. But can't wrap over the motor as it is fan cooled and needs the air flow.