Q&A on how to prime the well pump & how to diagnose & fix repeated loss of well pump prime:

This article series describes how to prime a water pump to restore water pressure to a building.

Recurrent Lost Prime in a Well Pump? - How to Fix Repeated Water Pressure Loss

These questions and answers about troubleshooting a pump that keeps on losing prime were posted originallyt at PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS - be sure to review that article.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-07-08 by (mod) - converted Saer M 100 pump to single pipe system, weak pressure

Perhaps you are pumping faster than the well's flow rate

Watch out: keep in mind that a single line jet pump (above ground pump) can't lift water more than about 25 ft.

A submersible pump, however, is not going to have that same issue.

The Saer M 100 is a 230V pump whose specifications are given in the image I provide here.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Saer is an Italian pump producer with operations world wide.

SAER ELETTROPOMPE S.p.A.

Legal and administrative headquarters:
Via Circonvallazione 22, 42016 Guastalla (RE), Italy
Tel. +39 0522 830941 – Fax +39 0522 826948

From abroad: » info@saer.it

On 2018-07-08 by mar

Hi good day, i have a problem with my shallow well its Saer M 100 and we converted it to a Single pipe system ,

after installing the ejector and casing adapter as shown in the diagram there is water coming up but the pressure coming up is not strong and after about 5 to 10 minutes the water coming up decreases,

and then there will be no water coming up at all. Is there a problem with my motor?.

On 2018-06-12 by (mod) - lose prime when run outside spigots

Thanks for the interesting and unusual question. I'm not familiar with a reason that using an outside faucet would cause loss of well Prime.

Generally if you're losing Prime it's because there is a leaky foot valve or a leaking well piping such that the pipe between the bottom of the well and your above ground pump leaks back into the well or into the ground feeling that pipe ultimately with air. A pump that's just seeing here cannot her a water.

I suppose it's possible that the anti siphon feature of an outdoor faucet could be leaking air into the system in combination with a leaky foot valve. Those are things your plumbing will check.

On 2018-06-12 1 by Paula

I need help. If we use any of our outside faucets, there are three of them. We very quickly lose prime. Any suggestions? If we replace them will that help? Or do we just never use the outside faucets?

On 2018-05-01 by (mod) - missing gasket, lost pump prime

Yes it sounds as if a gasket was omitted or the pump not successfully re-assembled.

On 2018-05-01 by jessie

i just had my flortec body part number N76-46P replaced. the pressure trank has n pressure inside the tank. when i was pouring water inside the hole to prime the the tank an pump i noticed water running outside where the flortec body connects to the pump.

is there suppose to be a gasket in between those pieces or inside the body for it to seal off ?

an i dont know what was suppose to be inside the flortec body part i was trying to make sure i had all the pieces inside it. i did not get anything with the body but the shell . an do i need to hook up electric to the pump when im trying to prime it? an will need to add any ar the pressure tank or will it build up its own?

On 2018-04-24 by (mod) -

that sounds like your pumps pumping rate is ahead of the flow rate of water into the well. In other words you're well flow rate is inadequate.

You may be able to add controls to prevent the pump getting ahead of the flow rate or add a larger water storage tank in your home. Otherwise you'll need to take steps to increase the well yield.

On 2018-04-17 by Sherry

My pump loses water pressure while running bath water. Takes awhile to build back up. HELP

On 2018-02-24 by (mod) -

Chris

That sounds as if a check valve at the pump or a foot valve in the well has failed and needs to be replaced

On 2018-02-24 by Chris

Pump turns on and off like suppost to .But as soon as it shuts off i can hear water running back out the outlet pipe towerds pump an bladder tank .then I half to reprime it .

On 2018-01-13 by (mod) -

Robert,

There could be a broken shutoff valve that you think is open but is closed (such as a broken stem on a gate valve), or a valve can be clogged as can a pipe elbow, or the hose bibb itself could be broken internally, or if you're in a cold climate it could be frozen.

On 2018-01-13 by Robert G Sattan

Here is my problem: No water from hose bib. Now in the house the water coming in passes by an on/off spigot, when turned on water comes out under nice pressure,

just pass that is the turn off valve leading to the pipes that feed the hose bib. When the valve is on there appears to be no water going to the pipes that feed the hose bib and no water comes out of the hose bib. What's wrong?

On 2018-01-12 by (mod) -

Monica

If the pump is leaking it needs repair or replacement - you risk water damage and of course loss of water.

On 2018-01-11 by Monica Welch

Is my pump good if it does not hold water and it leaks out the back

On 2018-01-03 by (mod) -

If you know how to do so without getting shocked or killed, test the current draw giant the pump specs. High may mean seized motor. Low may mean no water or a broken impeller shaft.

But first just confirm that the pump is getting power.

On 2018-01-02 by Susan

I have a submersible water pump and my electricity has been off a little over 4 months. I got elec. back on but I cannot get any water. The pump is not running. What can I ck.

On 2017-09-13 by Timmy

My water well has been constantly losing its prime. I changed my foot valve not long ago. Any suggestions as to what else it could be?

On 2017-08-23 by (mod) -

Yes, Sue, people install check valves along well piping, particularly when the length, or lift height is significant.

On 2017-08-23 by sue

Can I install a non return valve on the line along with foot valve

On 2017-06-18 18:37:00.013132 by Carl

replaced check value pump losses prime when the water is turned off

On 2017-05-22 00:30:15.289480 by (mod) -

You can try adding a valve to make priming easier, but it'd be more effective longer term to find and fix the leak: probably a bad check valve or bad foot valve

. If you just pour water into the suction line and the drive line you still risk leaving the pump body dry - running dry can damage the pump.

On 2017-05-20 by Ibrahim

I have 2 line jet pump which loses prime after 2 hours. Can i fix a valve on the drive line (1" pressure pipe) so that i can directly pour water into the drive line. Is there any risk involved in this procedure?

On 2017-05-16 by (mod) - why does my pump lose pressure?

Cheryl,

When water is running at any building plumbing fixture, including entering a washing machine, then pressure or flow rate of water at other fixtures in the building are likely to be lower.

In addition, in homes served by a private well, if a well pump protection device is installed to protect the pump against damage caused by running "dry" should well water run out, then during filling of a washing machine (or bathtub),

if the level of water in the well falls too low - well flow rate (the rate at which water flows from the ground into the well) is too weak - that device may reduce the flow of water that the pump can deliver.

On 2017-05-16 by Cheryl

What causes.well pump yo liss pressure when doing laundry

On 2017-04-14 by (mod) -

Yilliang Peng said:

I appreciate the advice on pumps and how to keep them well primed! I think that this information would be perfect for anyone who is working with pumps and does not know how to work with repairing the prime. It is important, just like you said, to double check by shutting off the home water. Thanks again!

Mr. Peng is touting Fletcher Pumps, an Australian supplier.

On 2017-02-17 by Arfats

Try City water

On 2017-02-02 by Amy S.

Have well with new foot valve, check valve, and new pump. It continually loses prime but only loses just enough water for the pump to lose prime.

Also, the pump can't build up enough pressure to cut off. Pressure tank is inside about 30' from the pump, everything was working fine until about a month ago when our old pump jet assembly froze and cracked. Any ideas as to what the problem could be?

On 2016-10-31 by (mod) - a bad check valve or foot valve.

Ben:

Sounds like a bad check valve or foot valve.

On 2016-10-29 by Ben

I have a Meyers jet pump, model #mj1005 used for the lawn connected to 4 well points that if I don't run it at least once a day it loses prime.

Does this model have a check valve in the pump or is there some sort of valve in the line between the pump and the well points? Is this something that can the average person can fix?

On 2016-09-22 by (mod) - replace the well cap and seal

INdeed if you can replace the well cap and seal you'll stop the air leak in and that ought to stop the loss of prime - and perhaps save you the costs of pulling the whole well pipe to replace a foot valve.

Take care not to drop pipe or materials down into the well.

On 2016-09-22 by Jason

My well is losing prime and about every two days it is noticable by the loss of pressure coming out the faucets. I re prime the well and it's fine and over a couple of days loses pressure again. I have an above ground pump. when I shut off the power (to be able to hear) then pour water over the pump, I can hear the air leaking out (it making a squeaking like sound).

When I put my ear near the pump and it sounds like it is coming from where the pump attaches to the well, shaft, pipe that goes into the ground. I'm hoping that maybe there is a seal between the two metal plates where the pump attaches on top the well.

On 2016-08-15 by (mod) - effects of water pump torque on piping leaks or breaks

Rodney:

I suspect that a torque produced when the pump starts is the cause of this un-screwing of the coupler.

If your pump is short-cycling - starting more often than needed, the torque problem will be multiplied. You may have to use welded iron pipe.

Here is what Franklin Water says about pump torque:

During starting of a submersible pump, the torque developed by the motor must be supported through the pump, delivery pipe or other supports.

Most pumps rotate in the direction which causes unscrewing torque on right-handed threaded pipe or pump stages.

All threaded joints, pumps and other parts of the pump support system must be capable of withstanding the maximum torque repeatedly without loosening or breaking. Unscrewing joints will break electrical cable
and may cause loss of the pump-motor unit.

Now for the kicker:

To safely withstand maximum unscrewing torques with a minimum safety factor of 1.5, tightening all threaded joints to at least 13.57 N-m per motor horsepower is
recommended (Table 2A). It may be necessary to tack or strap weld pipe joints on high horsepower pumps, especially at shallower settings.

Source: 50Hz Submersible Motors, Application, Installation, Maintenance [PDF], Franklin Electric Co, Tel: 800-348-2420, Retrieved 2016/08/15, original source: http://franklinwater.com/media/123156/50_HZ_AIM.pdf

On 2016-08-15 01:20:42.193786 by Rodney

It has great pressure and it works great but right about on the 3rd or 4th day the pump quits I'm sure it's the same thing. I'll know for sure when u pull it tomoryow

On 2016-08-15 01:12:05.214615 by Rodney

The submersible pump keeps unscrewing itself even after I gluded the threaded coupler.I have to pull it out a 3rd time now. How can I make sure this doesn't happen again. Or is there a more serious problem at hand?

Question: can I use an above-ground check valve instead of a foot valve

This was very helpful and describes exactly what my problem is. One question tho. Could I forgo the foot valve and put in a check valve to save money? - Frank Hobbs 6/22/11

Reply:

Frank experts recommend replacing the foot valve but indeed I've occasionally seen people limp along for years without pulling the well piping to replace the foot valve by instead installing a check valve at the pump. I THINK that the chances of this repair working are better if your well is not deep.

In other words, your idea might work, but there is a reason that people use foot valves at the bottom end of well piping - the valve in that location is more reliable at preserving well prime.

And watch out - don't install multiple check valves.

Question: I can't get jet pump pressure up past 40 psi.

i have replaced a footvalve and a blown-out nipple at my pitless adapter. ( the well was not pitless - I dug a serious pit to do this! I have replaced the jet pump and pressure tank during the process. I checked for leaking toilets and piping leaks. The well suction line holds pressure now which was the origonal problem but now I can't get the jet pump to pressure up past 40 psi?

The pressure control switch cut outs on this system are 30 [pump on] and 50 psi [pump off] Any ideas would sure help! - Greg 4/10/12

Reply: check for a damaged pump

Greg,

When a pump keeps running and we don't think that the problem is loss of water in the well itself, I suspect that during the prior well problem the pump itself was damaged - a bushing, bearing, or impeller; on occasion low voltage or bad pump motor will leave a pump running but weak.

However, a second possibility is a leak in well piping large enough that the pump just can't reach cut-off pressure. However if yours is a one-line jet pump, if there were a leak in the well piping or a bad foot valve, the system would not hold pressure when the pump was off. Therefore my first guess is the more likely explanation.

Question: how do I restore well prime after cutting both lines of a 2-line jet pump?

I have cut the two lines to a well pump and need to know how to get prime back. - Danny 7/18/12

Reply:

Sure Danny, please just scroll down to the article links at the end of these comments and you'll see where to start - with the article titled WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE

We give several means for getting water back into the pump, tank, and piping. For a 2 line jet pump, once you have repaired the two cut lines you can usually do all of this quite easily right at the pump.

Question: shallow well, F&W 2hp pump, pressure does not rise when pump turns on

I have a shallow well with F&W 2hp pump. The pump switch is set at 25-45. The pump shuts off at 45 but when it drops to 25, it turns on but does not rise. I have installed a new air tank (broken bladder), pump switch, and pressure gauge. My plumber replaced all piping on the pull side of the pump including a new check valve and eliminated an elbow. All ports on the pump are taped. House side seems secure.

Each time it cycles down I found I can get the pressure to rise by cutting the power to the pump by going through 4-5 cycles of an on/off sequence of 5 sec on- 5 sec off (assisting prime ???) Is there something else I might try before I turn to the well-foot valve etc ? Thank you - Dick 9/6/2012

Reply:

Dick

If the pump turns on at the proper time (as yours does) AND provided that the pump is actually delivering water, the we suspect the gauge may be stuck or defective or debris clogged;

If the pump "turns on" but in fact no water is being delivered, there is a different problem to find and fix - a pump that is not operating, a well that has lost water level or flow rate, or a leak somewhere in the well piping.

Check first for dirt or debris clogging at the pump pressure control switch and gauge. Also see Life Expectancy of Water Pumps - Well Pumps: how long should a water pump last? What affects pump life?.

Question: shallow well, loses prime when well sits unused over night

The comment [above] from Sept 6, 2012 sounds extremely similar to our situation. Shallow well that is legally grandfathered to exist, but no professional plumber can legally service it. Pump switch is set at 30-50 and correctly shuts off at 50. Anecdotally, it seems that if water is used soon after (within the next hour or two), the pump will correctly cycle back to 50.

However, if the water is unused for an extended period (overnight, say), the pressure runs down to 30 with water use and then the pump motor runs continuously and simply hovers at around 28-30. The fix for this behavior is to kill power to the pump at the breaker. Upon restart, the pump cycles right back up to 50 without issue.

We'll check for dirt and debris at the pump pressure control switch and gauge. After that, do you have any other advice for our situation or should we turn our attention to the foot valve and pipe leaks. Thanks for any advice you can provide. - Dan 11/7/2012

Reply: check for a leaky foot valve or a leak in the well piping

Dan the suggestions right on this page are a good place to start, beginning with check for a bad foot valve

Most often when a well and pump are capable of delivering good water pressure and flow, but prime is lost when the well sits unused, there is either a bad foot valve (or some one line jet pumps use a check valve right on the pump), or there is a leak in the well piping.

Question: shallow well loses prime unless we keep the pump operating frequently by leaving a trickle of water running

I have an almost identical problem as Dan...shallow well nobody will work on and will pump fine for days if I let a trickle of water flow in the tub so the pump has to come on every half hour or so.

If I don't have water flowing for a couple of hours the pressure stays constant (even for days) but just cycling the pump doesn't get it to work. I have to open up the pump prime fill nut a slight bit to let the air excape then tighten it and turn on the pump, then repeat this 5-8 times until enough air has been purged out to get water to flow.

There is a check valve in the pipe on the suction side of the pump and I've tried to test for air getting in at one of the hose clamps.

I don't understand how air can be getting into the system at the foot valve...isn't it like a straw where you hold your finger over the top and the water can't flow out of the bottom, so air must be getting in somewhere where the line is above the water level?

Any help with how to test for air being pulled into the line would be greatly appreciated. Also, the 1" black poly line goes down through a concrete floor so pulling out the line to replace the foot valve is going to be a problem (it's an old lake cottage with a utility/pump room) - David - 12/4/2012

Reply: tricks for finding and fixing a "hidden" leak in plastic well piping: check the connections

David,

I agree that having to keep water running and thus the pump running is most likely avoiding loss of prime.

What's odd is that the pressure stays constant, but you're having to purge air to get water flowing again.

I don't think air is likely to be entering at a foot valve as it's under-water (unless water level in your well drops completely below the valve);

Air can leak into (or water out of) plastic well piping at connectors secured with hose clamps, even though such leaks may not be immediately obvious. At a shallow well served by a one-line jet pump I installed a water filter that used a clear plastic canister. When the pump would run I could see air bubbles appearing inside the filter canister.

Experimentally I added a second hose clamp at each of the above-ground well piping connectors that I could easily access. One of them turned out to be the culprit. As soon as I made a better connection there the air bubbles stopped.

This problem is a reason that well pipe fitters don't like to re-use plastic pipe connectors (elbows, unions etc) that have been disassembled. Every time we heat-up the plastic pipe to re-insert the connecting fitting we are stretching the plastic slightly. The connection may be leaky but look fine.

So if there is enough slack to do so (often not) we will cut off the previously-used end of well piping, re-heat the pipe, then insert a new connector, when restoring or repairing plastic well pipes.

From your description it sounds as if you have a one line jet pump. On a one line jet pump the air-leak in to the system can be at any connector above water, as when the pump is running it is "sucking" on the well pipe between the pump and well bottom.

On a two-line jet pump the air leak is more likely to be discovered on the suction line, as the pressure line, sending water down into the well and then back up through the venturi-operated water pick-up is under pressure - a leak in the "down" line will squirt water out, not draw air in, when the pump is running.

See PIPE / HOSE CLAMP LEAK REPAIR

Reader follow-up:

(Dec 4, 2012) David said:

You've given me what I hope is a good idea...if I heat the poly as I tighten the hose clamp it may conform better and seal off any air from getting sucked into the line which allows the water the line to fall back into the well.

I think the reason the system pressure doesn't drop is that the check valve near the pump inlet is keeping water under pressure from getting back through the pump and back to the well, so the air leak is probably on the well side of the check valve (I wondered if the check valve brass casting might be porous and allowing air in).

I will try to improve the hose clamp seal (there are two clamps at each hose connection) and report back the results.

Reply:

David

I have once or twice found a cast-brass valve or check valve with a defect or leak, others of course can be cracked by mis-handling or freezing. And we found one with a "hidden" pinhole leak in the casting of a new check valve.

If you don't have extra length to cut and re-make the plastic well line fittings, try adding a 2nd hose clamp at those fittings.

Question: got the foot valve up using a car jack

(Dec 13, 2012) jason said:

i had a similar problem. with bad water pressure. it was the screen at the bottom of the well. i used a car jack and chain to jack the well up out of the ground and put a new screen on. sledge hammered it back in the ground.

Reply:

Jason,

Thanks for the comment; indeed a clogged well screen will result in reduced or loss of water flow - a problem that might me mistaken for loss of pump prime. The difference would generally be that if there is a loss of pump prime there will be no water provided by the pump at all - as if the well has run dry. Typically when a well screen is clogging, that clog does not go from no-clog to full-clog in one instant; rather water flow declines constantly over time.

Question:

(Mar 7, 2014) Sandra kelly said:

Hi there we are at our wits end 2 plumbers and no fixes we have a single line pressure system at our home well approx 25 ft deep newer flex lite pressure tank 22 gal @ 38 psi new pump put on I woke up from a nap in the afternoon

and no water but seemed fine in the morning although dogs water dish showed rust in it later on installed a new 1/2 horse pump all lines checked up top but will not take a prime water up to the top of the pipe from well but it will not fill the pressure tank. Jumps to 40 psi on pressure gauge then drops.

Could it be the foot valve or a leak in the well line? Any advice would be appreciated we are desperate thank you

Reply:

Sandra,

Sounds like a well piping leak or a bad foot valve.

Reader follow-up:

(Mar 10, 2014) Sandra said:

Thank you I was going to take the line apart up top and try to put a snake down just to check for freezing at the point where the line exits.

The cabin but I will have to do that tomorrow my tools have disappear ed into someone else's told box once I tsee iif that is the issue the next step will be digging down to the well unit sealed non accessible unit which is now going to be changed for future access we'll pull the line and replace it
I love your site absolutely outstanding thanks for the advice. Greatly appreciated

Reply:

Thanks for the follow-up and the kind words. Your questions or comments help us see where to work on the website.

DF

Question: can we get water from the well without using a water pump?

4/23/14 baremau said:

someone says that we can get water from the well without using the water pump
only the pvc vaccum pipe

Reply:

Baremau

That would be true if the well were an artesian well - that is a well that delivers water to the surface by its own hydrostatic pressure.

See ARTESIAN WELLS, Well Spools - for details.

Question: lost pump prime traced to debris in the pump impeller

(June 14, 2014) Ken from Lakefield Ont. said:

I lost the prime on my pump and tried everything to correct the problem when a neighbor suggested I may have debris in the IMPELLER CHAMBER

.I scoffed but went ahead and took the CHAMBER apart.. Sure enough I found about 7 small pebbles at the bottom that stopped the impeller to spin freely and create the pressure needed.

Reassembled the chamber and like magic the water pressure zoomed to the normal range. Apparently I had cleaned the well and diturbed the small pea gravel on the bottom and it sucked the unwanted debris into the system. Just my 2 cents.

Reply:

Thanks for posting such a helpful tip.

Next time you have reason to pull the well piping, check the screen on the foot valve to stop admitting debris into the pump impeller.

Question: shallow well pump keeps losing prime

(June 23, 2014) Anonymous said:

I have a shallow well, it is 18 feet. I have replaced everything but the pressure gauge on the well pump.

my problem is I plug in my pump and it wont build pressure. When you unplug it to reprime the pump is full and sprays water out when you unscreew the plug for priming.

I have replace the pump, the bladder tank the foot valve and the line going into my well. I know I have plenty of water in my well. When you unhook the line to the well from the pump it stays full of water, could i have gotten a bad foot valve

Reply:

A bad foot valve would be losing prime or would be preventing water from entering the piping system when the pump runs. Your case sounds more as if water is not entering the pressure tank. Perhaps the bladder is stuck to itself?

Question: water flow loss when pump turns on

(June 25, 2016) Jeremy said:
I have original 1 1/4". straight pipe in the ground for a shallow well ( no casing, just a pipe). Actual water level is 7.5 ft from the top of the pipe. Have a reducer from top of pipe for a 1" connected to a shut-off then connected to a foot valve, reduced again to a 3/4" PEX line to the pump.

The pump is brand new, changed it out with a 1/3 hp to a 1/2 hp that actually shuts on and off as supposed to,(not to mention my electric bill has gone done). From the pump 3/4" PEX line to tank (new) and from there 3/4" into the house( trailer).

All lines are new within the past year to replace old and broken black 3/4 line. Line from pump to inside house is actually above ground well protected and insulated, checked frequently, no leaks. Many times during the day ( if the water has not been used- uasually in the morning) turn on the water and we get water from the tank ( good pressure) the pump kicks on and we lose water for a few sec.

then all is good. Need to know why this happens and what can be done, tired of nickel and dimeing this for the past year.

Reply:

Sounds like you're using a driven point well; Perhaps its intake screen is clogged.

...

Continue reading at PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS FAQs-2 - more recent questions & answers about why a water pump system keeps losing prime

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• FOOT VALVES
• WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
• WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS
• WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE

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