How to Install a Water Well Booster Pump System

Clean any debris from the well, including sand and dirt, to supply clean water without obstructions through the system.

Obtain a booster pump kit for your well depth. A shallow well booster will do for any well under 25 feet in depth, while you’ll need a deep well booster with two pipes for wells over 25 feet deep.

Assemble the derrick over the wellhead, following the derrick manufacturer’s instructions. You can rent a derrick and winch at an equipment rental shop. Attach the winch to the center of the derrick bar over the wellhead.

Connect the foot valve of the booster pump to the bottom of the well pipe if using a shallow well booster. For deep wells, attach the foot valve to the tail pipe of the well pipe assembly, and then connect the tail pipe to the base of the jet assembly. Lower the pipe into the well casing until the top of the well pipe is even with the top of the casing. Use the winch on the derrick to help in lowering the pipe, attaching the winch to the top of the pipe using the included winch strap. If using a deep well system, then lower the jet assembly into the casing until the assembly is slightly above the casing opening with the tail pipe fully inside the casing.

Attach the suction and driver pipes to the jet assembly. Continue lowering the well pipe into the casing until the top of the well pipe is even with the top of the casing. Attach the next pipe to the top of the first to extend the operating depth of the well pipes. Lower the new pipe section into the casing using the winch. Continue in this way until you’ve extended the pipe far enough to reach the operating level of the well. The base of the foot valve should be located about 5 feet from the base of the well.

Place a well seal over the casing to seal the well and prevent debris from falling inside, contaminating the well water. In addition, the seal helps to support the well pipe in place. Connect the suction pipe from the well, as well as the drive pipe if you used a deep well kit to the booster pump. The pipe connectors will be clearly labeled. Just use the pipe wrench to screw the pipes into place using the nuts from the connectors on the pump.

Attach the output pipe connector used to link the old pump with the water supply intake pipe for the house to the new output socket on the side of the booster pump.

Hook up the power to the pump, making sure to connect both the power and the ground connectors to the pressure switch of the pump console.

Turn on the power to prime the pump by dragging water from the well into the pumping system. Priming the pump fills the pump housing and pipes with water. Once primed, the pump will usually fill the pipes and pump housing automatically.