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 2018-06-23 by (mod) -

That sounds as if the well is losing water.

On 2018-06-23 by Anonymous

When running submersible style for 5 minutes pressure drops to zero (no water output) and doesn’t come back from few minutes to 30 minutes, checked breaker not tripped. System is from 2007 pressure switch was replaced a few months ago

On 2017-10-25 by Cynthia 1990 3/4 HP Franklin 220V Submersible well pump

The results of a well inspection on a property we are considering showed that on a 1990 3/4 HP Franklin 220V Submersible well pump, "The pump is running and delivering water but is showing signs of wear.

The OHMs are slightly high and it takes an unusually long time to fill the pressure tank back up.

Not unusual given the age" The well depth is 245 ft. with the depth to water upon completion of the well at 80 ft. The sellers response has been " Seller had a long talk with Charley's Well who explained why the well pump may be running a little slow (high water table)" Is this a legitimate reason for the pump to run with high OHMs and perform slowly?

On 2017-07-27 by Tom Hood

Replaced starter capacitor in control box.(submersible pump) Ran for a short time and shut down again. Could problem be the pressure switch?

On 2017-05-19 by (mod) -

Sujan,

I agree that placing the pump pick-up point deeper into a well will tap into a larger total "static head" - but it sounds as if the well flow rate is still rather limited.

I would not change the pump before understanding the actual current flow rate, since a pump that exceeds the flow rate will still runout of of water and risk being damaged. Also look into including a pump protection device to avoid that damage.

On 2017-05-18 by Borewell low yield & pumping issues - Please advice.

Hi , I have drilled a borewell (1006 Feet - 2015 December) - i got water in two sources (2.5 inches) one at 550 Ft and the other at 750 Ft. Earlier i used to get water continuously even for 6-7 hours/day. but nowadays i am getting water continously only for 30 minutes , after that i am not getting water. i need to wait for 1:30 hrs to run the next cycle.. i placed the pump at 850 feet, (4HP 40 Stage/ AQUQ TeXMO - Model RF10A/40) -

so i am planning to lower the pump at 990 ft..so atleast will get water continuously for 1 to 1:30 hrs

1) As per local service center technician, he advised to add 10 more stages on the same pump (by changing some parts on the existing pump like shaft,impeller etc) - to support 1000 feet (approxi 1 stage = 22 ft)

Is it fine to proceed ? Will 4HP will support 50 stages ( i saw some brands including texmo(Aqua) , Texmo(Taro) have some models with 4HP 50 Stages)..

2) As per dealer he asked to purchase a new 50 stage pump (only) that will work with existing 4HP (RF Series) motor.. but this is again a new investment.. so please adivce which one is better 1 or 2...

Regards,
Sujan.
sujanindian@yahoo.co.in
Bengaluru - Karnataka - India

On 2017-05-12 by (mod) -

If electrical power to the pressure control switch is turned on, then the switch should turn on the pump. If the plumbing line that represents the output from the pump simply open that is disconnected from pressure tank, then you'll see water coming out if the submersible pump is working.

On 2017-05-12 by David Stone

I have a well with a submersible pump that has not operated in approximately 10-15 years.
There is no switch, no panel box.
Just wires running from pump to pressure regulator.
I have disconnected the tank and want to determine if pump works.
I have power available, but I know NOTHING about the pump itself, what should I do ?

On 2016-06-15 by Ahsan Sajjad

Kindly suggest the suitable material for submersible pump casing and impeller to be used in the tank for drinking water.

On 2015-11-28 by Anonymous

Sand coming out with cold water well mate submerge able pump system

Question: pipe diameter vs flow rate vs head vs pump horsepower

(June 24, 2014) Mike T. said:

Does the diameter of the pipe affect the flow rate with 120 foot head and a endless supply of water on a 5hp. ?

single phase pump, while the pump has a 2 inch outlet and the pipe is 4 inch feeding a pond. what about the weight of the water trying to return down hill?

Reply:

Mike,

I agree that the head pressure in an uphill pumping system can be significant. That's why you may need a check valve on the line to avoid loss of prime when the pump stops.

The pumping rate of various well pumps is indeed given in more detail by a table or chart that shows the pump's output capacity as a function of the head or "lift" that the pump has to overcome.

Other key factors are the horsepower of the motor, voltage levels, and possibly piping constrictions.

Question: limits of height of water column above a submersible well pump?

(Sept 23, 2014) N.S.Sreenivasan said:
Is there any limit for the water column above the submersible pump in a bore well. We have installed a 17.5 hP pump at 900 feeet depth in a 6 inch bore, where water is available at 500 feet depth.

The pump gets very much overloades. It takes 48 Amps instead of expected 26 amps. ( 415 v,50 Hz, 3 phase. the voltage at the pump point, when running, is around 380-400 volts). please calrify.

Reply:

NBS

The pump rated lift capacity is the vertical distance from the pump bottom or entry point or water pick-up point and the highest point in the well piping between pump and building's water pressure tank or point of use. Certainly there are submersible pumps designed to lift water from the depth of your well.

Keep in mind that "water available at 500 ft" probably defines the top of the static water column in the well, and your pup will be much closer to the well bottom, perhaps at 875 ft.

That distance is given regardless of the height of the water column or static head in the well at least in part because it's the water inside the well pipe that the pump has to lift or push up - almost always a higher point than the water column in the well casing.

See this related article for details:

WATER PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

Question: humming well pump, spurting water

(Oct 1, 2014) Anonymous said:
What is wrong with the pump that for the home were you get water... it is humming instead of the regular running makes the water come in spurts or bubbles..

Reply:

Sounds like a failing pump, or dropped water level in the well, or a leak in well piping.

Question: well pump comments & questions

Rose Henderson said:

I'm getting a new pump soon, and I'm trying to learn more about it before I make any decisions. All I know is the pressure on my current pump is pretty pathetic, and I've been told I should just replace the system because that would be more cost effective. I'm still a bit lost as to what I need to do, but at least I have this to refer to if I need it. Thank you!

(Dec 24, 2014) Anonymous said:
Hi There i have a bore with a pump at 90 meters and in the past 3 months the pump seems to be burning out 3 pumps in three months my pump guys tell me its because of gas in the well airrating the water but the previous pump lasted 2 years

do you know of any pumps that can pump in these situations any help would be greatly appriciated thanks Clive Jury Cell number is 0274851260

2 Jan 2015 Anonymous said:

Water Well Question

I have a 1HP submerged water pump. I am getting full 240 volts to the control box. I replaced control box considering capacitor or relay may not be working.
I have proper voltage drop from 240 to 120 volts on RED,YELLOW, & BLACK wires running to the submerged pump.
Still no pump operation.

I have checked the resistance with the ohm meter and black is 2.2 instead of zero.
and yellow and black is 2.2 ohms
what is this telling me?
What do I check next?

Reply:

Check the resistance with the wires disconnected from the control (and power off)

Question: Water pressure goes from fine to a trickle before pump cuts on

4 Jan 2015 Miriam Johnston said:
I am having trouble keeping water pressure flow to my house . Water pressure goes from fine to a trickle before pump cuts on.

Reply:

Check for a clogged pump pressure control switch sensor port or clogged tube conducting water pressure to the pressure switch.

Re-posting Jim Furgeson's comment without link (security)

Jim Furgeson said:
Thanks for the article! I did not know that there were so many elements to a well! I think it is very important to keep the well maintained and working properly!

Question: surging in variable speed submersible pump

(Feb 24, 2015) Stuart said:
I have a variable speed submersible well pump that is surging. Would this be a pump issue or could it be a pressure system issue?

Reply:

I"m not sure, Stuart as I'm not certain how you're using the term surging. If you mean that a motor speed is varying, I'd ask my electrician to put a VOM on the circuit to see what the supply voltage itself is doing, then separately I'd ask for a current draw measurement on the pump circuit to look for abormality.

If you mean the pump is cycling on and off rapidly, that short-cycling is typically due to a waterlogged pressure tank.

In that case, in the ARTICLE INDEX, see WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - home

Question:

bryan flake said:
I am buying a piece of land to build a home on. Before I build the house, I need to put in a water well system. The home will be out in a rural area. What would be the best well pump to install? The plan is to have the pump less that thirty feet from the house.

Reply:

Bryan, first drill the well to obtain an adequate flow rate. Then the well depth and properties will enable choice of an appropriate pump type, operating voltage, and horsepower depending on also your anticipated water usage and require flow rates. In short there is no "one size fits all" correct answer when choosing a well pump.

 

Question:

bryan flake said:
I am buying a piece of land to build a home on. Before I build the house, I need to put in a water well system. The home will be out in a rural area. What would be the best well pump to install? The plan is to have the pump less that thirty feet from the house.

Reply:

Bryan, first drill the well to obtain an adequate flow rate. Then the well depth and properties will enable choice of an appropriate pump type, operating voltage, and horsepower depending on also your anticipated water usage and require flow rates. In short there is no "one size fits all" correct answer when choosing a well pump.

Question: cloudy well water

(May 12, 2015) mike said:
brand new water well, water became very cloudy

Reply:

If the cloudiness disappears in a minute or two it's perhaps entrained air. If it does not then I'd have a water sample tested.

Question: loud noise when pump stops - banging pipes

(May 31, 2015) henry said:
When pressure switch in basement shuts off pump there is loud noise

(July 17, 2015) BreeHill said:
A "bang" in house pipes happens when pump shuts off. Is this a problem of pump, house pipes, or no problem at all. I have a 1 hp submersible pump and new bladder pressure tank. It feeds 100 ft of 3/4in pipe that leeds to a doublewide mobile home. Thanks for your help.

Reply:

See WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE -

Question: importance of weight of the submersible well pump

(June 15, 2015) Javid said:
Hello;
How Important is the weight of a submersible pump?

Pump specification:
weight = 302 kg
head = 125 m
flow = 25 lit/sec

Does it work properly for a deep well?

Reply:

avid a typical submersible pump like the Red Lion .5 hp weighs about 25 lbs ( 11 KG).

A 302 kg pump would be incredibly heavy, well over 600 pounds. Something's wrong with the picture you paint.

Question: pump doesn't work when in the well

(June 15, 2015) A laxman said:
if everything is ok in submersible pump when tested in lab then,why pump is not starting or working below 50 meter if duty point is 100 m.any idea

Reply:

Perhaps a bad connection, low voltage, or obscure and less likely, a temperature effect that opens an internal winding.

Question: Pump problems in the Phillipines

(June 17, 2015) Theodore said:
Greetings. I'm in the Philippines and desperate for advice/info. 4-inch well drilled to depth of 250' (actual depth now at 242' due to gravel pack). No electricity at well site and well driller claimed output was 10 GPM and he never developed the well by doing a draw-down test.

Well has been idle for two years, site now has electricity, static water level is at 20' and I have no idea if I should get a twin-pipe self-priming jet surface pump or a submersible pump. I don't think I should trust the claimed 10 GPM output. Thank you in advance.

Reply:

Theodore:

How did the well driller determine well flow rate? Normally I'd expect to see a 24-hour flow test using an adjustable rate pump.

If the static head is 20 ft below the surface you've got a 222 ft. x 4" ID volume of water (volume of a cylinder) as a static head.

At that depth you might prefer a submersible well pump.

I agree that I'd not assume anything about the well flow rate before it's actually tested. Remember to also test the water potability for safety as well.

Reader follow-up: (June 20, 2015) Theodore said:

Thanks for your response. Driller did not determine a well flow rate using any type of pump (which I didn't understand). Instead he used an air compressor to force water out of the borehole and stated that we had 10 GPM. That also didn't sit well, because I could not verify the source of the water. He caught some water in his hand and drank telling me it was cold, sweet-tasting with no salt.

After working in U.S. Navy medicine for over 24 years, this set off alarms, as water should never be consumed until tests for bacteria and heavy metals/pesticides have been performed.

But, this is the Philippines and these college-educated civil engineers will take advantage of a customers naivety whenever possible. When I measured the depth of the well and distance to water, I noted a rotten egg odor in the water (hydrogen sulfide or hydrogen sulfate) and small black or dark-brown particles suspended in the water (decayed vegetation?). I hope after the well is pumped for awhile those two problems clear up.

I had been considering the Goulds GS and HS series sub pumps, but while reading the Instruction Manual for the 4" sub pumps I discovered a problem in regards to the 4" blue Schedule 40 PVC pipe the driller had used for the borehole casing. The OD on the pumps are 3.9" and the ID on the 4" Schedule 40 PVC pipe is 3.998".

That does not leave enough room around the pump for the water to flow properly into the pump intake. The only other option for this size casing is a 3" sub pump which is not available here. So, now I am considering either a Goulds J+ Convertible Jet Pump or a EuroStar DPJ150 or a DPJ200 (made in Italy by Speroni).

Question: slow pump start-up

(June 29, 2015) john said:
pressure switch has power and is sending power to the control box, sometime the pump will start right away or it may take a minute or 2. sometime the pump will shut off before high pressure in reached and may sit idle for a couple of minutes before it starts and complete the cycle. sounds like a bad pump not a control box or switch problem ? thanks

Reply:

John one of the most common snafus that gives irregular pump switch operation is debris clogging of the pump pressure sensor port from mud or silt in the water supply. Burned sticking contacts come in a distant second. Also check the pump voltage and if yours is a unit that uses a start/run capacitor check or replace that component.

(June 29, 2015) john said:
thanks the point on the pressure stay closed and the pump still turns off then starts up again until the pressure hits 60 that when the points open and the pump turns off.

Question: scale in the pump, loss of water

(Aug 6, 2015) Sadik said:
I got problem that while running pump suddenly stopped flow of water, found some scale in pump followed by no more flow , could you please give me the advise how to rectify this problem?

Reply:

Sure Sadik,

See WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR

Or in the Continue Reading recommendations see

WATER PUMP DIAGNOSTIC TABLE 

I suspect the pump impeller is scaled, blocked, or damaged.

Question: humming noise, no pumped water

18 August 2015 Sam malette said:
We just replaced our pump a year ago. replace hot water heater same time and bladder tank two weeks ago had great water. Got up yesterday and there is no water in the house at all. When we turn the breaker on all you hear is humming but no water is entering the house. Every one is telling me to prim the pump but it is fifty feet in the ground.

There is no water coming in the house from the well out side pump was replaced two years ago we had great water and woke up to no water when i flip the house breaker i can here the humming but still no water entering the house.

Reply:

Sam,

Obviously if the pump is a submersible you're not priming the pump - people are being a bit careless in speech.

The pump is under-water, in the well.

It should be impossible for that system to lose prime since the pump primes itself and the pipe aboe when you turn it on.

Humming sounds as if the pump motor is seized or the switch is not turning on the pump.

Search Inspectapedia for ELECTRIC MOTOR REPAIR to look at current draw to see how an electrician might check your pump to see if it's working. If the current draw is normal then the pump is probably working and the well piping has burst somewhere; if the current draw is high the pump is seized.

Question: flooded well problems, solutions in India

23 August 2015 Stephen Raisz said:

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.

Reply:

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:

WELL DISINFECTION PROCEDURE, POST FLOODING - and let me know what questions remain.

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

We introduced the different types of drilled wells and bored wells

at DRILLED WELLS, STEEL CASINGS. This article discvusses submersible in-well pumps - those water pumps located within the well bore or casing itself, typically close to the bottom of the well.

Rather than an in-well submersible water pump, other wells use a one line or two line jet pump (depending on well depth) - in those wells the pump is above ground rather than in the well. Those well types are discussed in more detail at

WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET used in shallow wells

and
TWO LINE JET PUMP used in deep wells

Watch out: the water delivery rate at plumbing fixtures is determined by the water pump as well as building water supply piping and controls. But it is a number independent of the ability of the well itself to deliver a sustained water flow - the well yield. The water delivery rate is also independent of the total quantity of water that can be run before you run out.

See WELL FLOW RATE

Watch Out: Safety warnings  are throughout any pump manufacturer's instructions. Because some pump models are capable of developing internal pressures of more than 100 psi, if your building piping, pressure relief valves, safety controls, wiring, and plumbing are not properly installed, very dangerous conditions including electrical shock, tank explosion, and leaks or floods can occur.

On 2012-10-24 20:48:17.354386 by Anonymous

Can a submersible pump work correctly on its side? If not what are some of the problems or Simpsons of the pump being on its side. Would it affect the pressure?

On 2012-10-15 by nmafiro@yahoo.com

what's the price of a surbmersible well pump model R2354A well depth 25mtrs

On 2012-09-28 by Anonymous

Binod,

I agree that it makes sense to perform some diagnosis to distinguish between a well with inadequate flow rate and a well with clogged strainer or input at the submersible pump (or foot valve for jet pumps). While you could try back-pumping water through the system into the well, a more reliable and standard procedure would be to pull the pipe, pump, and strainer for exampination.

Let me know what you find, send along photos, and I can comment further.

On 2012-09-28 by mool.b@hotmail.com

my borewell is 45 feet deep 4 inch diameter with pvc pipe fitting. But certainly approximately after 4 months the water supply has reduced to minimum supply. Just after completion of borewell I used to run the submersible machine total 7 hours a day with maximum water supply. Now I feel that the filter pipe has been clogged with 2 min water supply. Would you please suggest what would be the possibilities to come back to the previous stage? I kindly request you to provide me with some suggestions.

Binod Mool

On 2012-09-23 by (mod) -

Andre,

take a look at the article titled WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING (links in our ARTICLE INDEX) - e.g. a clogged pressure switch sensor could be at fault

Stuart:

Pump vibrations can be transmitted to the building framing which makes floors or walls act like a loudspeaker - I don't think plastic wiring conduit would be as likley to conduct those pump motor vibrations as water piping.

But as you also feel vibration at the well casing head, it sounds reasonable to pull and inspect the pump itself.

On 2012-09-22 by Andre

I have been in this house for 6yrs. I have a 115 volt sub well pump, a 3 wire square d pumptrol pressure switch and 29pd perma air tank. My water now runs for about 5mins. (roughly 12 pump cycles)then looses all water pressure and cuts off. after about 15 mins

. I can reset the pressure switch and the water runs and returns to full pressure (50psi). This has been happening for a week now. Any idea of the problem that I may have?

On 2012-06-26 by Ken Richardson

Thank-You for for taking the time to answer back to my question. Ken

On 2012-06-18 by (mod) -

Good question, Ken, thanks. When reinstalling a submersible well pump, tape the electrical wires at intervals to the well pipe. Also check that the edges of the well casing are smooth so that you don't damage the piping or wiring while lowering the pump back into the well.

Don't wrap the wire around the pipe, just run it straight up and tape it every few feet so it won't hang up on the pitless adapter nor abrade against the well casing sides.

Many well installers attach a safety line to the well pump to assure that it can be removed from the well even if the well piping breaks. If used, they also tape this rope to the well piping.

But I've read advice from well pump manufacturers who specifically recommend against the safety line, expressing the opinion that the line may serve as a source of water contamination, perhaps feeding bacteria.

On 2012-06-16 by Ken Richardson

can you tape the wire from the submersible well pump to the water line going up?

On 2012-06-09 by (mod) -

Belay,

Typical residential water well submersible pumps are 3" or 4" in diameter and are installed in a 6-inch diameter casing, giving a minimum of 1-inch of clearance around the pump;

But because the pump has to pass by the pitless adapter fitting that protrudes a bit into the well casing, I'd consider 4" also a maximum diameter to be sure we can get the pump in and out past the pitless adapter.

On 2012-06-06 by belay

what should be the minimum clearance between the the surface of steel casing and outer surface of the submersible pump

On 2011-10-04 by Donny

I am a licensed plumber in virginia, in an area where there are many wells. Is there a class I can take online to learn how to diagnose and repair or replace well pumps, pressure switch, etc?

On 2011-08-24 by (mod) -

Scott, that static head is absolutely nothing - about 10 gallons. A well with such a small static head would need a terriffic well recovery rate or flow rate to keep up - or you'd need to add a cascade of water storage tanks.

Typically the well pump or foot valve is placed 2-3 feet above the very bottom of the well to avoid picking up sediment.

If your well was built that way, even using a suction pump and line to try to remove well bottom sediment is not going to give you a big static head - doubling from 10 to 20 gallons won't make a noticeable difference in well performance.

And it would be more unsual for sediment to collect in a well to great volumes, so I don't suspect your well bottom is far below the level you probed.

I can guess at two explanations:

The well could have collapsed, filling itself in to effectively raise the well bottom and reduce the water static head and maybe flow rate.

Or

I'm afraid the real problem is your well water table has dropped or the well flow rate has deteriorated.

I'd get some advice from an experienced well driller in the neighborhood. Let us know what you find - it will help other readers.

On 2011-08-23 by Scott

I used a plumb bob to determine that my water table is at 35 feet. And I have a static head of only 2-3 feet. After a few months of enjoying a great flow of water, the static head is only 6-8 inches. It feels like the bottom is filling with sand and sediment. I was wondering if there is a way to clear out the bottom to increase the static head depth?

On 2011-08-03 by Irv

Thanks very much for your imput. I will pull the pump and check out the impellers.

It could be crud in the impellers as we did have a surge of dirty silty water come into the cistern because of heavy run off this year in the creek. I do appreciate the time you have taken on my problem
Happy Trails
Irv

On 2011-08-02 by (mod) -

Aha. Thanks Irv. Now I think I've got it. In the system you describe, you can feed various plumbing system components either by gravity from the cistern or by a pump that's immersed in the cistern. The gravity fed stuff suggests that pipes are not blocked. When you run the pump it's not supplying enough pressure. Or doesn't seem to.

Does your pump send water out of the cistern directly to piping (which I suspect) or is it connected first to a pressure regulating tank and pressure switch.

If you were using a tank and pressure control switch, it'd be easy to check (or install and check) what pressure the pump can deliver by noting the pressure at the tank.

Without that component, if your pump just chugs away sending water from the cistern right into various piping components, you can still check the pump output pressure by buying or making a pressure gauge that you can adapt or fit into the piping; install the gauge, close off the end of the piping system so the pump is just pressurizing the piping.

Check the gauge. Don't leave the pump in this condition more than a moment unless your system also has a pressure relief valve, as the pump may cavitate, overheat, or, worse, if it's a submersible with any actual capacity, it could burst something - even be dangerous.

Pumps can lose their ability to develop pressure due to a damaged impeller, mineral crud in the impeller, blockage at the pump inlet or outlet. So even if the pump motor runs the pump may simply not be putting out much pressure.

Other than trying to measure the pump's pressure delivery, to go further you'd need to pull the pump out of the cistern and examine it or test it out of the water. Assuming the pump motor is running at what seems normal speed, I'd start by looking at the pump inlet for blockage and then (with some disassembly) look at the impeller assembly.

On 2011-08-02 by Irv

Thanks again: The water comes into a cistern gravity fed from a dam we have on a creek. The pump in the cistern then pumps the water into the irrigation system and feeds 7 sprinkler heads. I took the gravity feed system and hooked it up to the irrigation system and it supplied water to 4 sprinkler heads

and that is how I determined that the lines were clear. Even when attaching the garden hose from the pump the water flows very slowly through the hose. If the submersible pump is not able to supply when under some kind of pressure, is there anything that can be done with the pump. The pumps is about 8 years old.

On 2011-08-02 by (mod) -

I think so, Irv, though we have to remember that by email or web forum we're flying a little blind here.
I don't have a clear picture of your setup. If a well pump delivers water "to the well piping" - do you mean you're pumping up into a tank or cistern or reservoir that then feeds everything else by gravity? I mean, I don't quite understand where you are dividing up your pump, piping, water pressure tank, and delivery piping to other fixtures.

On 2011-08-02 20:16:02.795315 by Irv

Thanks for your reply. I have gravity fed water through the same supply lines to the sprinkler heads so the lines are clear and the sprinklers work with the gravity feed. Is there the possibility that although the pump can deliver the water to the well piping with excellent pressure that it can no longer pump water through lines once it is under pressure?

On 2011-08-02 by (mod) -

Irv, if you have good pressure at the well piping or supply piping coming from the well but poor pressure at your sprinklers I'd look for a clog or blockage in the piping or valves or sprinkler heads - somewhere between the main water supply and the sprinkler system.

On 2011-08-02 by Irv

We have lots of water, however the submersible pump has a loss of pressure. The well depth is 24 feet. At the very top of the line we have lots of pressure but the pump pressure is not sufficient to operate the sprinklers that it has done so in the past. The water coming from the pump is clear so it does not seem to have any silt in the intake. Do you have any ideas.

On 2011-08-02 by (mod) -

Erik if there is air in the well piping I suspect a leak in the piping, a bad check valve or foot valve, or a well pump that is cavitating because it's not picking up water in the well.

When you say you checked the water QUALITY I think you meant water quantity. If the well flow rate itself is good, that is the well has plenty of water in it and plenty of water flows into the well when the pump is running (a good recovery rate) then you need to look for a piping leak or bad foot valve or check valve.

You mention a good "well point" - if you have a well point, in my lingo that means you have a driven point well. Those wells often are of limited flow rate and have points that clog. To help sort out what we're talking about, see the article in our ARTICLE INDEX

titled DRIVEN POINT WELLS

On 2011-08-02 by Erik

Had a plumber come out, to check plumbing. Said it all looked good, but after a two hour rest time the pump can not meet pressure on the check valve because there is air in the line. I never loss prime from the well. I checked the well and the water quality is great and I can get multi-5 gallons of water in one minute.

I would tend to believe that the well point is good due to the water quanity and quality. What could be the problem? Bad pump?

On 2011-07-08 by (mod) -

I just hate it when we drop stuff down into a well. If you are not able to fish out the fallen pipe seal yourself you will want to call an experienced well driller.

Help is at WELL PIPE RETRIEVAL TOOLS

As a word of encouragement, you're not the first person who has had to face this problem; there are various shaped grapplers and grabbers that experts lower into a well to retrieve what's been dropped in there. Someone with experience may have better success. Keep us posted - what you learn may help other readers too.

On 2011-06-25 by adiral penny

the wiring to my submerize pump had a broke wire. while i was pulling the pump out, the top metal portion of the pipe sealer broke and one part of it fell into the well. this is appx. a 120 ft. well we pulled out around 80 ft, but the part that fell inis not allowing us to pull out the remainder because its someone wedge or hung up. what can i do?

On 2011-06-16 by (mod) -

Dirty black water coming out of fixtures?

Unfortunately there could be several causes including a damaged well casing, a change in the quality fo water in your aquifer, sulphur, other minerals, other contaminants in the water supply. If the problem were the water tank bladder I still wouldn't expect the bladder to appear as fine fragments turning the water supply black.

On 2011-06-13 by Sandy Sipes

Have black water coming into the toilets and cold water and outside faucets...is this a well problem?
Someone told me it might be the well "bladder"?

On 2011-05-13 by (mod) - No water coming out of faucets:

No water coming out of faucets:

start by the checklist and step by step diagnostic instructions found in the article

WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR if you want to read a text explanation of how to figure out what's wrong.

OR see the next article below that link,

WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE for a more succinct checklist in table form

On 2011-05-13 by linda welch

no water coming out of faucets in house. what do i do?

...

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 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP DIAGNOSTIC FAQs-2 - more-recently posted questions and answers about troubleshooting a submersible water pump

Or see this

Submersible Well Pump Article Series

• 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 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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