Submersible well pump diagnostic questions & answers:

This article provides a series of questions & answers that can help diagnose problems with submersible pumps used in water wells, including pump operation, loss of water pressure, pump noises, pump control problems, banging pipes, and what to do about floodwater contamination of a well.

This article series describes the components of a submersible well pump water system, how the pump, well and controls work, what the well pump components look like, and what they do. We give submersible well pump troubleshooting advice and invite questions.

Submersible Water Pump Diagnostic FAQs

Here we provide detail about the individual components and operating characteristics of drilled wells using a steel casing where a submersible water pump has been installed in the well to deliver water to the building.

These questions and answers about submersible well pumps (the pump is in the well) were posted originally

at PUMP, SUBMERSIBLE OPERATION - you will want to review the installation, troubleshooting, and repair advice organised there.

Our photo (left) shows the process of pulling a well pipe and submersible pump.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2017-11-21 by (mod) - causes of mud in the water

Leak in through well casing or water level in well extremely low

On 2017-11-20 by Shiv

mud water from submersible pump

On 2017-06-28 by JP

I have a 3" 3 wire submersible pump I use to water the yard. The pump states, on the side that it is a 115V pump. I wired it through the control box, matching the color coding. I can't get the pump to work when in the well u less I give it 220V. It the runs for 3 seconds and shuts off and repeats every min or so.

I can get the pump to work on 115V just fine when I have it above ground, in a can of water. What am I doing wrong? The only other component is the pressure switch. I have replaced it twice. I would greatly appreciate any advice you can provide.

On 2017-05-08 by (mod) - what size pump do I need?

1 to 1.5 hp.

On 2017-05-07 by Anonymous

I have. A well 400' deep and 100'feet from the pressure tank with a 1" line what size pump do I need?

On 2017-05-06 by (mod) -

Raymond,

Check for or have your electrician check for low voltage to the pump (watch out for shock hazards).

The other causes for reduced pump power commonly include a damaged impeller assembly or low water in the well. For a complete list of diagnostics use the search box just above to search InspectApedia for

NO WATER PRESSURE

On 2017-05-06 - by (mod) - I was unaware that the water delivery rate is dependent on the actual water pump itself.

Yilliang Peng said:

Thank you for all the advice regarding submersible water pumps! I was unaware that the water delivery rate is dependent on the actual water pump itself. I will have to make sure that if I ever have one installed, that it is done correctly. I do not want anything like leaks or floods to occur. Thanks for all the great information!

On 2017-05-06 - by (mod) - restoring lost pump power

Raymond

Check voltage to the pump

Then you look for piping leaks or a bad pump impeller

On 2017-05-05 by Raymond - Lonestar pump lost power

I have a lonestar pump and it seems its lost some its power, it turns but not under any stress. Is their a power pack or a capacitor that controls it that i can change.

On 2017-01-30 by (mod) -

Annika Larson said:
I did not previously know much about deep well pumps, but my husband and I are looking at moving into a home that has one.

This detailed article really helped me understand better the structure as well as the maintenance required for submersible well pumps.

I did not realize that a typical 3-4 bedroom home requires a water delivery rate of 8-12 GPM as you mentioned. I will be sure to share this information with my husband, thanks for sharing!

On 2016-07-14 by sathak

submersable pump lubi 2 inch 380 vlot amp 9.5 pump inside water no working what solution

On 2016-03-16 by (mod) -

Anon: your comment is in an article on sump pumps used for de-watering basements.

But pump and well controls are discussed in depth at InspectApedia.com - found by searching for WELL PUMP or related terms at this site.

In any event thanks for the helpful comment about raising the well pump to reduce mud and silt pickup.

About recovering lost well depth due to mud and silt entry, there are repair methods available including jetting and pumping out settled muck from the bottom of an existing well or drilling within an existing casing to deepen a well. But first I'd want an accurate diagnosis of the problem.

For example if mud is entering the well through a split or perforated well casing, it's a casing repair that's needed: search inspectApedia.com for WELL CASING REPAIRS or for WELL SLEEVE to read details.

On 2016-03-16 by Anonymous

After a month long period of heavy daily rain in NC several homes in my area started pumping up muddy water. So I assumed there was some form of well wall collapse. I raised my pump 15 feet above the new bottom (found by lowering a weight on a string).

This cleared up my problem. The other home owners with this problem want to remove their pumps and drill out the existing well back to original depth. The well company rep said that's not possible, you must drill a completely new well. Is that true?

On 2016-02-25 by (mod) - put the pump in the bottom of a 20 gallon plastic keg?

Yours is an interesting well design but not one I know. I'd be worried about mud and silt and about the pump far exceeding the well flow rate.

On 2016-02-25 by David

My submersible pump will sit inside a 20 gallon plastic keg on the bottom of the well. The keg has holes drilled in the upper 1/2 to allow water to drain in.

Can I sit the bottom of the pump directly onto the bottom of the keg or will that interfere with water being sucked into the pump ?
cidrni2002@yahoo.cpom

On 2015-12-21 by (mod) - lost pressure until cycled circuit breraker

SBr

It probably indicates a developing problem with the pump motor - or an intermittent - say moisture-dependent - short circuit. That would be unsafe; If the problem recurs I'd ask for help from an electrician.

On 2015-12-21 by sbr1491@gmail.com

I have a below-ground cistern with a submersible pump to supply water and pressure to my house. Last night, there was no pressure so I cycled the breaker to the pump off/on and it immediately began working. This has never happened before and the breaker was not tripped.

Does this indicate a current or future problem? I have had this pump since 2009 without ANY prior problems.

On 2015-09-25 by Anonymous

Options include

A deeper pit and a raised pump to let sand and mud settle

A sediment filter around the pit walls

On 2015-09-25 by Sirinanda

We frequently experience submersible pump failures due to over heating of the motor caused by excessive mud and sand inside the well covering the motor.
We want to know how to protect the motor from this over heating failure.

Are there safety devices that can be fixed inside the well to sense non cooling of the motor or to sense over heating of the motor.
Can we avoid this failure by installing the pump just above the deepest fracture level.

On 2015-08-23 by (mod) -

Stephen

Also see DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION at https://inspectapedia.com/water/Drinking_Water_Purification.php

On 2015-08-23 16:46:54.170861 by (mod) -

Yes Stephen it is common for floodwaters to contaminate a drinking water well. And we've been following with concern reports of recent flooding in India - flooding in India has been widespread in 2015 beginning in July and most recently including in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

There is nothing you can do about that problem except find sanitary drinking water elsewhere until the floodwaters have subsided. Then you'll need to sanitize the well as well as house piping and water tank. See the following article:

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Flooded_Well_Disinfection.php - WELL DISINFECTION PROCEDURE, POST FLOODING - and let me know what questions remain.

On 2015-08-23 09:38:43.617781 by Stephen Raisz

I live in INdia. WE just had a flood at my house. I have a deep borewell (more than 300 ft) with a submersible pump. Is it possible for the flood water to contaminate the well? The flood is gone, but the water has a bad taste. IT could be the overhead tank needing cleaning which we'll do, but I'm wondering if we should do anything to the well itself like chlorinate.

On 2017-12-31 by (mod) - my end cycle stop valve quit working, does that matter?

Lloyd

Take a look at SHORT CYCLE STOP VALVE (found by using the InspectApedia on page search box to search for that phrase)

and let me know if that leaves you with questions.

On 2017-12-31 by Lloyd brundage

My system has an end cycle stop valve in it that doesn't work anymore. What did it do and what part is currently used in its place. Can i just bypass it?

On 2017-05-28 by (mod) - why a pump motor fails when gets up to speed but test ok when disconnected

Possibly a defective winding that opens when the motor gets up to speed

On 2017-05-28 by Alex

I connected my submersible pump directly to 240 voltage it should run constantly but it doesn't it runs for like 3 seconds an then it turns off for about 10 seconds on again for three off again and so on what is the problem I appreciate anybody's help

On 2017-02-01 by (mod) - Do submeribles pumps have foot value

A submersible pump ought to have no problem losing prime as it's under-water itself - so perhaps the pump is damaged or the well is dry or there's a piping leak.

Submersible pumps still want a check valve in the system to keep water from draining back into the well - else you'll be pushing excess air back into the water system at each pump-on cycle.

Also search InspectApedia.com for SNIFTER VALVES

On 2017-02-01 00:07:39.940713 by Anonymous

submersible loses its prime when u shut the power off

On 2017-02-01 by Anonymous

Do submeribles pumps have foot value

On 2016-09-28 by (mod) - separate water shutoff valves for each trailer.

Just after the pressure tank and main shutoff valve; I recommend providing separate shutoff valves for each trailer.

On 2016-09-28 by Laura Carlisle

We want to hook up another trailer to our well and pressure tank. Where should we T in at to give equal pressure to both homes

On 2016-09-20 8 by tom

What well head component holds the weight of the pump/motor and effluent pipe. Is it the seal?

On 2016-05-04 by (mod) -

Vern,

Mud suggests you're hitting well bottom.

I would hesit as te to hook up wires to an unknown pump and unknown wiring and voltage. A mistake Gould kill someone.

Besides your water test is improper if you don't flush out the well. On an old unused well I'd consider

Disinfect, flush 24 hours, wait 5 days, confirm no more bkeach, flush 24 hours, then test.

That way I think I'm testing the water supply from the aquifer, not just old water stagnant in the well.

On 2016-05-04 by Vern

I'm trying to get a water sample from a well, there is a pump in it. Can I hook a generator to the wires that are coming out of the casing?

I dropped a small piece of pipe with holes drilled in it tied to a rope and I can hear it hit something. When I bring it back up, all I have is mud on the bottom of my pipe. Is it hitting the pump

On 2016-05-02 by Anonymous

does a submersible pump need a pressure switch

On 2016-01-23 by (mod) -

Bob:

Did you check for a leak in well piping?

On 2016-01-20 by Rich

Water coming out of top of well when pump kicks on submersible pump help

On 2016-01-14 by Anonymous

Thanks for responding, The house is not downhill and I have no idea if there is any natural water pressure in the well. It is just a 10" stub of a supply line and that's what I'm concerned about. A valve there, which is easy, still leaves that 10" stub susceptible to freezing.

On 2016-01-14 by (mod) - gravity feed from a well ?

Chris,

It's possible that your house is sufficiently far down hill from the well or that the well has sufficient flow of its own ( artesian well) that water may enter your house through the supply line even when the pump is not running. In that case you need to turn off a valve at the point where that line is entering the home.

On 2016-01-14 by Chris from Maine

Hello out there. I’m completely baffled. I am trying to drain my plumbing system for the first time to protect my house from freezing. The supply line that comes through my cellar wall from my deep well pump is totally disconnected from the house plumbing and the pump is off.

THE PROBLEM is that it will not stop draining. There is not much pressure, but it’s been draining slowly for hours. Any ideas? Thanks a lot for any knowledgeable ideas.

On 2016-01-13 by jiban

so your boarding is fell.
use a new bore #anonymous.

On 2015-11-24 by Anonymous

my pump works but im getting a gray clay like and the water is dirty even with a whole house filter

On 2015-10-27 by Steve

My well does not recover well and the pump protector switch shuts the pump off. I have a chlorine pump plugged in one leg of the pumps 220 line.

When the pump protector kicks in and shuts off the pump, the chlorine pump continues to pump. I can't seem to find a better way to hook up the chlorine pump. HELP PLEASE.

On 2015-10-19 by Debra

we have replaced the well pump, switch, new electric lines and pipe. Will have water for hours to the5 days then no water for. Have had n . Breaker and now new electric line from pump to the breaker. ElectricitIan and plumber said well was dry.

Measured yesterday and hit water at 65 ft and went down to the 300 ft. Plenty of water. Pump is down at 175 ft. Still having same issues. Water for hours to day or days ??? Please help !!!

On 2015-09-10 15:02:18.499095 by George

Well guy came by this past Tuesday and put some sort of valve in the line (I assume a bleed back valve as you have described in this posting) so all looks good now.

The water drains back down to that valve every time the pump shuts off so I believe I am good for the winter months now. Thank you.

...

Sorry I did not reply earlier.

The invoice says 3200 SLIM LINE SERIES 7GPM 1/2 HP 2 WIRE PUMP, 1 1/4 " X 1" CHECK VALVE LF, BRASS MALE INSERT ADAPTER 1 LF, BRASS ROPE ADAPTER 1" LEAD FREE, 1" DRAIN FITTING AV-11.

The pump is submerged in the well. There is a check valve just outside of the tank indoors that keeps the water from draining out of the tank, with a snifter valve on that check valve......that used to let the water drain back out of the line into the well.

The new pump apparently has a check valve in the pump.....and now the water is not draining back out of the line. I have been trying to get the well guy to come back (he did email me and tell me he ordered a part that is the same one that was on the old pump and he now has the part but he will not reply to me.

..to set up an appointment to come install this part). I don't know what the name of the new part is, but I believe it will replace the check valve that is in the pump....and allow the water to drain back. Since the well guy is not responding to me any longer..

.I need to get someone else to fix it. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated. Thanks, George

On 2015-05-12 (mod) - or you need a new drain-back valve

George

Perhaps the new pump includes a built-in check valve? What kind of pump is it? 1 line or 2 line jet? Located above ground indoors? What is the brand and model - with that info perhaps we can offer something more useful.

The psi setting would not affect drain-back in a way that I understand.

I would not leave water trickling running- you're asking for a catastrophe: flooded septic fields, or a frozen burst drain line. I only use that trickling approach as a very temporary approach when people are in and watching the building.

On 2015-05-11 by George

I just had a new pump installed in Northern Vermont. The old one allowed the water to drain from the line back into the well (but remain in the tank with a check valve just outside the tank) so the line/pipe would not freeze in the winter months.

(My cabin is on blocks with no basement). The new pump that was installed does not drain back into the well. The man that installed it told me they don't make those old style pumps anymore and that I would need to drain the system below 26 psi for the water to drain back.

He suggests when I am at the cabin to leave water trickling while I am there to prevent the line from freezing. Question is: Do you have any better suggestions or thoughts on this matter? Thank you, George

On 2015-04-07 by (mod) - how to get water during a power failure

Fred:

I'm unclear just what you have in mind. Certainly because a submersible well pump is normally installed at depths greater than 25 feet, often hundreds of feet, the chances that one could use a simple hand pump to draw water from such a well are very small

If you need water in event of a power failure you'll want a backup generator OR you'll want to store emergency water supplies where that source will be available.

On 2015-04-07 by Fred

I have a submersible well pump. In the event of a complete electrical failure could I manually pump water threw
the submersible into my house ?

Question: where can I hire a submersible pump in Australia?

Living in this Country for 30 years I cannot find an answer for this simple question - where to hire a submersible pump for a well described below. There is a 4" well 500' deep.

Nothing is known regarding its output. I try to help my friend to get it going (it is in a pretty remote part of Sydney, on the outskirts of the city - Blue Mountains area) - but I cannot find a soul to help us, or trace of Australian company (in Sydney area!) to be willing to get involved in the subject.

Sir! - Any suggestions? - We would be really grateful for for a help. You might have some "french connections" in this "little" country. Many thanks and regards from Down-Under Mark

Reply: Contact a local well driller for assistance. Or purchase a submersible pump - that is probably less costly than hiring (renting) a unit for any longer period

I am not familiar with the hiring of submersible pumps as in my experience, the pump is an item that people purchase and install for longer term use. One would not hire such a unit given its comparatively low purchase cost of a submersible pump compared with the much greater cost of actually installing the pump, piping, controls, etc. to provide a working water supply system.

An exception, and the one that appears to be your case, is the need to test a well flow rate capacity before attempting to connect it to a building's water supply system. Well drillers often employ a temporary pump unit that is used during the well drilling process and at the completion of well drilling to confirm the flow rate of the well.

There also are companies who specialise in well testing services using a portable, and completely self-contained well testing services, though we find these employed principally in the oil and gas industry not the water well industry.

And there are manufacturers who supply pre-packaged well stimulation and testing equipment "off the shelf". These are normally purchased by well drillers, but may be available for rental from a manufacturer or supplier in Australia.

For that purpose the driller has purchased a pump and necessary piping and controls, all of which are temporarily connected above ground just to test the well water flow, and are not connected to the building water supply piping.

If this is the sort of application that you need, you might be able to obtain that service for hire by contacting a well driller in your area. But even in this case, unless your need for a hired pump (we say "rented" in the U.S.), is needed for just 24- hours, it will still, most likely, be less costly to buy and assemble what's needed.

A more sophisticated version of a well-proving pump used to test flow rate involves a submersible pump installation whose pumping rate can be adjusted. A well driller uses this approach to find the actual rate of water in-flow into the well at different depths or to find the overall number. If I have misunderstood your application, please clarify and we can try again to be of assistance.

For determining the well flow rate using a temporary submersible pump, you will need:

• A 4-inch submersible pump. Manufacturers include Goulds Pumps, Grundfoss, Flint & Walling, Wilo, and others listed in the reference section of this article. In selecting a pump for proving well flow, you may want to select a variable speed submersible pump such as those supplied by Grundfos or E-tech. Be sure to check the power requirements, as some of these operate on 3-phase power.
• Well piping: sufficient length of well piping, I presume you will use plastic for less weight, along with suitable fittings.
• Well pipe centering devices: You may need one or more well pipe centering devices to keep piping centered in the well. A similar device, a torque arrestor system, is used to secure a submersible pump installation inside the well casing against rotating movement each time the pump cycles on and off, reducing damage to piping, connections, pumps, and reducing the loss of well pumps in the well. AGE provides this equipment in Australia.[13]
• Riserless Well Pump: alternatively, if your well equipment supplier carries a riserless well pump, such as the AGE Riserless Pump System, you can omit the well piping entirely for simple well testing. A riserless well pump includes an inflatable packer seal surrounding the pump assembly.
  
  The riserless water well pump is lowered into the well on a cable that also carries its electrical supply. The pump is sealed against the well casing walls. When the pump is turned on, it sends water from the pump intake near the pump bottom, through its internal passages, and out at the top of the well pump. This approach uses the well casing itself to deliver water from the well pump to the well casing top. AGE points out that by using the well casing itself instead of a riser pipe, the frictional head loss is reduced, thus reducing well pump power consumption. AGE is an Australian company so this may be a good lead for you to investigate.[13]
• An electrical power supply - a portable generator would suffice
• A crane or winch to raise and lower the well piping and pump to an appropriate depth
• Clamps or other control tools to prevent dropping the whole assembly down into the well and losing it during installation and removal of the set-up
• A well cap, if you do not already have one, to protect the well and casing from extraneous debris when the well testing step has been completed
• Subsequent well installation: And of course for using the well, additional components such as a pitless adapter, piping, water pressure tank, controls, will be required.

All of these are equipment that a well driller has on hand and regularly employs.

Our article WELL FLOW RATE may also be of assistance - a true well flow rate needs to be measured over a longer time period - usually 24-hours. You will also want to read WELL YIELD DEFINITION and since the properties of the well you are exploring will vary at different depths, take a look at Drill Stem Testing.

If I have misunderstood your application, please clarify and we can try again to be of assistance. Please keep me posted on how things progress in your own application, and send along photos or other details of what you are trying to do and of your well equipment if you can. Such added details can help us understand what's happening and often permit some useful further comment. What we both learn may help me help someone else.

Question: pipe sizes for well piping

(Mar 21, 2014) siva said:
dear sir,

kindly sugggest me how to select the pvc pipe grade for 2 hp texmo submersible pump . deep 600feet. ( how i can choose thickness of pipe & pressure range of pipe & wire thick for poer conection.

Reply:

Siva, standard ABS or PVC well piping sizes (diameters) are stocked by your local plumbing supplier and are chosen based on distance and needed flow rate; typically for residential piping we see 1 to 2 inch diameter. Well piping in residential ranges is not provided with varying pipe wall thickness.

Question: what is "rapid" well pump cycling & what does it mean?

(June 23, 2014) Dave dow said:
We have a well with a submercible pump. The pump cycles 3 times with a 10 minute shower

Is this excessive? Range is 55psi to 20psi. Could their be a pipe leak or something like that?

Reply:

Dave

IF you are running about 3 gpm then in 3.33 minutes you're using about 9-10 gallons of water, which is not an unreasonable draw-down cycle for a typical home pump and tank system.

IF more fixtures are running you'll see the pump run more often, and if you begin to draw water faster than the pump and well can deliver it then the pump will run continuously during that time.

More useful might be to keep an eye (or ear) on the pump cycle frequency to see if it increases. If the pump begins to "short cycle" - turn on and off more and more often, you probably will need to add air to the pressure tank OR find another problem to fix.

See WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING

...

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

Or see this

Submersible Well Pump Article Series Contents

• DIAGNOSTIC TABLE for WATER PUMPS
• SUBMERSIBLE PUMP - home
  • DEFINITIONS of WELL PUMP COMPONENTS
  • SUBMERSIBLE PUMP CAPACITY TABLE
• SUBMERSIBLE PUMP OPERATION
• SUBMERSIBLE PUMP TORQUE PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
• WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

Suggested citation for this web page

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

Or see this

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

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