Temporary & Emergency Water Systems   PumpChamber

Question: I have been researching the web trying to decide what to do about my low yield well. What is the difference between a Well Manager® and a PumpTec Control?

Answer: From the Franklin web site, the stated purpose is:
PUMPTEC PROTECTS A 4” FRANKLIN ELECTRIC SINGLE PHASE MOTOR AGAINST:

• Low yield wells
• Low Voltage
• Rapid Cycling
• Air or gas locked pump
• Drop in water level
• Clogged well screen
• Broken shaft or coupling
• Worn pump parts

PumpTec is a motor protector that shuts the pump motor off for a selectable period of time if the well is pumped all the way down or when one of the other listed hazards occurs. Well Manager® is a time based tool designed to maximize the output of your well, manage the delivery system, protect the well and delivery pumps against certain occurrences and protect the well against damage caused by over pumping.

When used on a low yield well, a PumpTec turns the well pump off to protect the motor if the well has been pumped all the way down and it will not allow the pump to come back on until a user selectable time interval has expired. If there is not enough water in the well to satisfy demand when that time expires, the pump will remove all of the water from the well again and again until eventually it has been able to fill the tank or raise the pressure in the connected system to the cut off point. In order to protect the pump in a low yield well situation, the well needs to be pumped empty. PumpTec can be used on systems that store water in pressure or atmospheric tanks.

Operating a well like this is called over pumping and can damage the well over time. SEE: Well Manager® and the Environment for an explanation of this.

Well Manager®, rather than pump the well down, strives to keep it as full as possible and collects only the production or a portion of it to keep the well producing. Well Manager® is designed for use with atmospheric storage systems and can be set to collect the entire production of a well or limit the amount to be withdrawn.

PumpTec is a protective device and Well Manager® is a management tool. Each is good at what it does but they do different things. If you have a low yield well it is a good thing that the pump doesn’t burn up but what you need is more water. A Well Manager gets more water without burning up the pump!

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