Well pumps

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

Ok, Came home to no water. Inline pressure gauge reads zero. Check the breaker it is on. Bypass the pressure switch and nothing happens. Could be the pump right? Yank the pump then pass out. Replace the pump, find a broken hot wire and a broken ground wire. Repair everything test the pump and it comes on. Put it all back in the ground ,turn it on the pump hums but doesn't pump any water. Do I have to try an prime the pump though the Bit Coupling? Running out of ideas...Anyone out there mess with well pumps? Thanks!

jwstewar · Nov 9, 2016

No experience with wells, wish I could help you. Only one thought, is it back down in the pipe all the way so that it is actually submerged?

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

It felt like it went down. The pump is pretty heavy, the water hose is attached to the pump and you feed it down the well hole. I dropped a weighted string down the hole and it made a splashing sound at 55' The string came up wet. The water hose is hard plastic and if the pump got hung up on something I would of felt it. It was hard to believe that the water level was that shallow because we have been in a draught all summer. I'll check it again. Thanks for the reply!

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq · Nov 9, 2016

My well has a little priming switch/lever on one of the electrical control boxes. I believe I was told to hold it down for a while when turning the system on.

Not sure if that helps. Wells aren't my strongest area.

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

Thanks, I don't have a priming switch. But I do have a pressure relief valve that I need to check out.

mtntopper · Nov 9, 2016

Could of there been a plug in the pump end you may of not seen when you installed it? If you have to pull it again, check to make sure it pumps water before you drop it back down the well casing. Could of the pump been defective form the start?????

JimVT · Nov 9, 2016

I put mine on the bottom and raised it 2ft so i'm close to 90ft with new pipe and pump and it took off with no priming. I run it out on the ground till it came clear and hooked it up.
I could hear rushing water entering the tank.
if your submersible pump is good and installed correctly it should pump I even think if you have it running backwards it should pump some. what is your lift?
the intake is a screen the out put was capped to keep it clean

jim

road squawker · Nov 9, 2016

zekeusa said:
Ok... Replace the pump, ... ,turn it on the pump hums but doesn't pump any water...

I'm confused, did you exchange the pump with a different one or not?

If it "hums, then it is either:

1. stuck and can't rotate,...... Do you have a clamp-on ammeter? check the amperage draw and compare it to the FLA (full load amperage rating)

2. single phased (if it is a 3 phase motor, I don't think it is),

3. bad start cap.

road squawker · Nov 9, 2016

zekeusa said:
Ok... Replace the pump, ... ,turn it on the pump hums but doesn't pump any water...

I'm confused, did you exchange the pump with a different one or not?

If it "hums, then it is either:

1. stuck and can't rotate,...... Do you have a clamp-on ammeter? check the amperage draw and compare it to the FLA (full load amperage rating)

2. single phased (if it is a 3 phase motor, I don't think it is),

3. bad start/run cap.

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

Thanks for the reply. A friend said it might be airbound. I didn't see a plug. The inlet is in the center and has a screen. The outlet is right at the top. I dropped a line down there to see how deep the well was. I think the old pump was siting right on the bottom so I did raise the new pump a little. Ill do some investigating.

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

road squawker said:
I'm confused, did you exchange the pump with a different one or not?

If it "hums, then it is either:

1. stuck and can't rotate,...... Do you have a clamp-on ammeter? check the amperage draw and compare it to the FLA (full load amperage rating)

2. single phased (if it is a 3 phase motor, I don't think it is),

3. bad start/run cap.

Yes It is a new pump. It's a two wire (no control box required) single phase Yes I have a clamp on amp meter. I will measure the amps tonight. I turned it on before I placed it back in the hole to see if it was going to run and it got hot. So hot I couldn't hold my hand on the motor. I shut it off right away thinking it wasn't pumping water so maybe it got hot.

road squawker · Nov 9, 2016

Well, a submerged pump is cooled by the water it is in, but, it shouldn't have become that hot if you just powered it for a few seconds.

try putting it in a container under water and test again.

sounds to me like it is bound up and can't turn.

zekeusa · Nov 9, 2016

Yes, I will do that Thanks!

squerly · Nov 10, 2016

You're not putting 220 into a 110 pump are you?

road squawker · Nov 10, 2016

squerly said:
You're not putting 220 into a 110 pump are you?

Gee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! never thot of that!

....../..that would tend too let the magic smoke out

squerly · Nov 10, 2016

road squawker said:
Gee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! never thot of that!

....../..that would tend too let the magic smoke out

It will certainly make them run hot (for a while). I only mention the 220/110 as some pumps have a switch and setting it wrong can be problematic.

zekeusa · Nov 10, 2016

Thanks for all the reply. I pulled the hose up to the Bit coupler. Heard a woosh sound when it disconnected. Tried to fill the discharge hose to maybe prime the pump but it was full. Turned the pump on and it gushed water out of the discharge. Let it run and clear. re-connected everything, turned it on and no water. Turns out there was a plugged up aerator valve from a old filter system not being used in line just after the hose comes through the foundation. SOB

Jim_S · Nov 10, 2016

Glad you found it.

Jim

road squawker · Nov 10, 2016

hope you didn't throw away the original pump

zekeusa · Nov 11, 2016

No, I didn't toss it. I'll keep it for a spare.

Well pumps

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