how do i stop the airlift on my water well from surging. i want it to flow steady?

Answer 1

What is the period of the surges?

It sounds like the injected air bubbles may be coalescing in the discharge line.

Do you have a foot piece installed? Have you tried different air-hole sizes and flow rates? Perhaps starting with smaller bubbles will solve the problem.

Are the sizes and lengths of your air and discharge lines consistent with those recommended in the tables at the end of Ref. 1 ?

Please post your solution and/or contact me off line.

Answer 2

I'm not sure of the question. A check valve can prevent back flow. A check valve at the end of suction line is sometimes called a foot valve. This prevents (slows down) the water from draining from the suction line and having the pump air bound. Reciprocating pumps will deliver in spurts while a centrifugal pump will deliver constant pressure. The spurts from a reciprocating pump can be reduced by pumping the solution through an orifice and having a water hammer arrestor installed before the orifice.

Answer 3

Perhaps you are referring to the water-hammer effect, wherein the water seems to spurt rapidly and continuously? A product called the water-hammer arrestor is already produced, it is a 'T' in the pipe, with the base of the T facing up, filled with air that compresses and decompresses with the hammer surges to minimize the effect. You could add one yourself very inexpensively.

I can't be certain that this is what you mean, though.
Check the link and google some to be sure.

Answer 4

I am not sure what your problem is exactly but they make something called a check valve. This allows water to flow in one direction but not another. This may help to solve your problem.

Answer 5

All you can do is add a reservoir to the system, if it's what I think it is.