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 2019-03-14 by (mod) - pump won't prime

Dawn please see the prime-loss cause diagnosis in the article above.

Or to prime the pump, see the priming options we give starting at

WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE

And let me know if you're still having trouble.

On 2019-03-14 by Dawn Lyman

It will not prime

On 2019-02-09 by (mod) -

I'm assuming that you don't mean that the pipe has broken or dropped. You could have a pump that's jammed, a pipe that's bent jammed, or a pitless adapter jam.

On 2019-02-09 by Darryl

What would keep you from being able to pull your drop pipe out of the casing

On 2019-02-07 by (mod) -

John and Rick, probably one of the causes discussed in the article PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS. Please take a look and then ask further questions as needed.

On 2019-01-28 by John

What causes a 3 horse pump to loose it's prime

On 2018-12-22 by rick

my sprinkler system loses prime/pressure when inlet city water is turned off
after priming

On 2018-12-17 by (mod) - I fixed the small, (very small), leak in the output and the well has now been functioning

Bryan

Thanks for the update, keep us posted. How'd you learn me help others.

On 2018-12-17 by Bryan

Thanks for all of your help. I fixed the small, (very small), leak in the output and the well has now been functioning flawlessly for 4 days. I'm still concerned that the level drops in the pipes when I prime it but it doesn't seem to affect the operation at the moment. I'll leave it until I need to address it.Thanks again.

I was about to say I've checked those places, but I went and checked again and there was a tiny leak in the output pipe. I fixed that by tightening it, snapping the PVC joint and rebuilding that section of pipe

....oh boy. .....

.So now I am waiting to see if there are any more leaks.

There still is, however, a noticeable drop in the water level when I am priming the pump and no conspicuous water leaking out. Does that bring me back to the check and foot valve? How long should these valves hold the water in the pipes?

Minutes/days? Since I am seeing the water drop where I fill the line on the output, does that point to a failing check valve, (much easier to replace)?
Thanks again.

On 2018-12-12 by (mod) -

As you keep losing Prime it's probably one of the causes in the article PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS. The natural place to start is with looking for a bad check valve for leak in the water piping. You could also have a leak in the pump body itself.

Find the leak.

On 2018-12-12 by Bryan

Hi. I have read the article on losing prime and have been very grateful for all of the information on the site.

I'm new to wells and still would like some more experienced opinions. I have a well with a low flow that pumps into a below-ground 6000 gallon reservoir which is then jet-pumped into my two above ground pressure tanks.

Recently, I have lost prime on it a couple of times. If I leave the system idle for 24 hours don't use any water, when the jet pump kicks in there is a discharge of air and then the water pressure returns. Where is the air coming from? Is something going faulty?

There is a screw cap located on the line between the foot in the reservoir and the check valve before the jet pump where I can fill the intake up with water before priming the pump from the output. When I fill the intake I can see the water level drop a little after 10 minutes.

Does this mean I have a bad foot valve or when the cap screw is replaced should the check valve at the pump prevent the water level drop? Sorry for the long description.
Bryan

On 2018-11-26 by (mod) -

Judt

When you have a submersible pump, that is a pump that is in the well, by definition the pump is under water and should be self-priming. So even if some water ran out of your well piping and back into the well the pump should have no trouble in sending water back to the building.

At most you'll find an initial excess of air that will discharge at your faucets or fixtures.

On 2018-11-26 by justincase318@aol.com

I will be changing out my well tank, I will be installing a bigger one. I have a submersible pump, my well is about 500' deep. When I disconnect my old tank and rehook-up the new one is there a change I could lose prime on my submersible pump due to the water running back down while the well line is disconnected?

On 2018-11-01 by Anonymous

James,

My very best advice for the situation that you described is given more thoroughly and better organized in the article above then it would be if I try to repeat it off the cuff in a note here. Please take a look at the article PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS And go through its diagnostic steps.

That should help you. If you're left with questions I would be grateful to hear from you and we will take it from there.

On 2018-10-31 by James

Have a pump works turned on we leave the pump on it runs to much turns of then turns on again in a minute or 2. Just lost it's prime which it has done before. What do you the problem is? Bad check valve? We had major air in the lines when we turned it on it can you help?

On 2018-11-01 by (mod) - pump turns on again after just a minute or two - just lost its prime again.

James,

My very best advice for the situation that you described is given more thoroughly and better organized in PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS then it would be if I try to repeat it off the cuff in a note here.

Please take a look at the article And go through its diagnostic steps. That should help you. If you're left with questions I would be grateful to hear from you and we will take it from there.

On 2018-10-31 by James

Have a pump works turned on we leave the pump on it runs to much turns of then turns on again in a minute or 2. Just lost it's prime which it has done before.

What do you the problem is? Bad check valve? We had major air in the lines when we turned it on it can you help?

On 2018-10-16 by Tracy

I have recently replaced all my pipes to my well and my foot valve as i had lost all water coming into my house. I also replaced the pump with a new myers pump.

I have filled all the lines with water and the pump itself but it still will not prime or build pressure. After about 10 minutes it has almost reached 10psi pressure but the pump is very hot at that point so i shut it off. It also does not seem to be filling my pressure tank very much.

On 2018-10-13 by (mod) -

Probably you need to replace the foot valve or check valve

On 2018-10-13 by Chris A

My pump lost its prime. I sit off the pump and closed the main valve. Normally it takes 2 gallons at most to prime it. I have put 8 gallons in but the line never gets full of water. Couldn’t find any obvious leaks. What do I do next?

On 2018-09-15 by (mod) -

usually there are two issues here

First you're missing a check valve, perhaps right at the pump, and thus losing Prime

second of course the well capacity and pump capacity have to be matched to the water usage rate of your sprinkler system.

If the sprinkler system is demanding more than you're welcome delivery you can sometimes solve that problem by dividing the sprinkler system into sections and running only one at a time.

On 2018-09-04 13:52:45.578790 by Carl Bellero

My well is a shallow design with only a well point (no foot or check valve) kept losing prime fried the pump have a check valve on the suction side of the feed. Only.

Was told by my well man that was sufficient but the pump vacuum gauge showed wide swings in the gauge it took a few minutes to finally build up enough pressure to start the first zone sprinklers.

Also frequent starting of the pump which clicked off by the pressure switch , finally did not shut off and boiled the h2o in the casing.what should I do to correct this mess. Thank you

On 2018-08-23 15:42:11.194521 by klrichar@hotmail.ca

Changed water pump, primed and exercised the pump 3 to 4 times and works well, leave it for 8-10 hours, pressure gauge says there is 50 lbs pressure, shower run pump down to 28, pump comes on but is not pumping won't build pressure back up,

have rechecked all of the connections (several times), but after sitting with no use for 6-8 hours and use the water, pump comes on but is not rebuilding pressure. Its a one hose system. Have installed a shut off valve at water source side to make priming easier. Would a faulty bladder in the wextral cause this?

On 2018-08-09 by (mod) -

Since the pump isn't reaching the cutoff there's a different problem: perhaps no water in the well or a damaged impeller or leaky well piping.

Look in the ARTICLE INDEX for PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING to see details.

On 2018-08-08 18:19:29.576475 by oderschvank1080

Hi good day, my pump is working just fine however, early this morning the pump just keeps running and it wont stop. Its suppose to reach 30 psi for it to cut off,

but its just around 25psi and wont turn up to 30, evenafter letting it run for almost 10 minutes. Do i have to adjust the pressure switch? I really dont know how and what to adjust, the small nut or the big one?thank you sir.

On 2018-08-01 23:42:32.876267 by (mod) -

Darlene:

Where is the pump? Above ground or under water in the cistern?

If you are using a one line jet pump or two line jet pump above ground and the pump has lost prime, try the pump priming procedures given

at PRIME the PUMP, HOW TO https://inspectapedia.com/water/Prime_The_Well_Pump.php

Check for air leaks, check valve leaks, or ultimately for a pump that's damaged and that runs but whose impeller is not moving water - that may be repairable, else it's new pump time.

On 2018-08-01 by Darlene

What can i do about my cistren it wont prime

What can I do about my sister and it won't Prime

On 2018-07-15 by Jamey

I just installed a new jet pump after roughly thirty years with the old one came to an end.

My pump kicks in at the 30 PSI as it should but fills to about 36 then cuts out. Within 5 mins the pressure drops again and pump starts. I have no visible leaks and the footvalve at the lake is new and holding and all of my joints have checked out as sealed. What is wrong?

If I shut the pump off overnight I have to prime the pump but otherwise everything else seems to be holding for the water in the line to the lake

On 2018-07-08 by Anonymous

Sir if you look at the yellow box in the picture there is water inside it, and if you see the red arrow i drew above it the water comning out is low, although the water coming is steady sometimes the volume of water coming out is low but the yellow box is full of water, im sorry for my ensglish, hope you can help me,

...

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 these

Recommended Articles

• FOOT VALVES
• WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
• WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS
• WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
  • PRIME the PUMP using a GARDEN HOSE
  • PRIME THE PUMP BY PRIMING PLUG OPENING
  • PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS

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PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER SUPPLY, PUMPS TANKS WELLS

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