Building Inspection, Diagnosis & Repair Info

Copper tubing on pressure control switch (C) Daniel FriedmanWater Pump Repair FAQs

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about diagnosing & fixing water pump or well pump problems: no water, pump won't run, pump won't start, pump runs for no reason

Questions & answers about how to diagnose & fix water pump problems:

FAQs about fixing problems like no water pressure, low water pressure, water system noises, or just about any other well pump trouble diagnosis & repair.

This article series describes how to diagnose and repair all types of well water pump problems and includes questions and answers from and to homeowners who lost well water pressure. We outline how to diagnose and fix bad water pressure (and link to articles in greater depth). We describe tracing a water pressure problem to the pump pressure control switch or to a bad water pressure tank (and what to do about it).

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FAQs: Diagnose & Fixing Water Pressure or Pump Problems

These questions and answers about how to fix a water pump (or well pump) were posted originally

at WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE - home - be sure to check the advice organized on that page.

Page top illustration of a water pump, tank, controls & water well is used with permission of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education & report writing tool company [ carsondunlop.com ].

Article Index

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Water Pump Overheating Damage Q&A

Well pump over heated enough to deform plastic piping: now pump won't turn off

We have a Flotec jet pump for our shallow well. After recently running dry (water level must have dropped below the foot valve), the pump continued to run and overheat.

This required replacement of several sections of the PVC piping, as it had deformed due to the high temperature. We also installed a new pressure switch (30/50) that has a safety cut-off feature.

The pressure tank is set correctly (checked several times, and it is still holding steady at 28 psi).

We have primed the pump several times, but it is not operating correctly. The pump kicks on at the correct pressure, but will not turn off. It gets to about 40psi, and stays there.

Is there still some air in the pump, or has the pump been damaged to where it can no longer generate enough pressure? Or maybe there is another issue?

Thanks for any input. - Alan

Reply by (mod): pump damage or well isn't recovering: overheated pump causes

Alan, it's possible that running your pump at length, dry, damaged the impeller assembly.

If that's the case, even though the motor may run, the impeller may simply not be moving water with as much force as previously.

You'll need to disassemble the pump, inspect, and replace the impeller parts if that's the problem. Keep us posted, what you learn will help other readers.

An overheating water pump may be caused by

  • Running the pump without water - running the pump dry can cause overheating and possible motor bearing or impeller damage.

    Using this Sears jet pump installation manual as an example, SEARS HYDROGLASS SHALLOW WELL JET PUMP OWNER'S MANUAL [PDF] 
    We Excerpt:

    Never run pump dry. Running pump without water may cause pump to overheat, damaging seal and possibly causing burns to persons handling pump. Fill pump with water before starting.
  • Low voltage on the pump circuuit
  • Damaged pump motor or impeller bearings
  • History of pump short cycling

    Reader Follow-up: lowered the pump CUT-OUT pressure

Disassembly of the pump as recommended revealed no obvious signs of damage.

But, since the pump has run dry a few times in the past, I think we will go ahead and order a rebuild kit and replace the internal components anyway.

As a temporary measure, we were able to get the system back up and running by reducing the pressure switch setting by about 3 psi.

The pump now turns off at about 40 psi. Hopefully the pump will continue to be able to function at this level until we can get it rebuilt.

Reply:

Alan, if a well pump is worn or if for another reason the pump is having trouble reaching the cut-off pressure, setting the pressure down to a point that the pump can reach is quite reasonable.

That seems to confirm the theory that running the pump dry damaged its impeller and limits its pumping capacity.

Watch out: if the problem recurs you'll need to find and fix the actual problem: with the pump, piping leak, low well water, etc.

...

 

Well pump runs only briefly & only if we turn power off & back on

Working on finding someone to come check this out, but in the interim maybe someone can help us figure out part of the problem. Drilled well, submersible pump, well pressure tank is at 0 PSI, power to pump is on, but obviously no water Is coming in.

If we turn the power off for about a minute and turn it back on, water starts flowing in, but only for a minute. The tank then falls back to 0 PSI and no water flows. When it is on, it will pull in maybe 3 gallons of water.

We had been having some issues with water this summer, but figured it was just a low producing well (since we just moved here). We still had water, but we seemed to have air in the pipes intermittently.

On Labor Day, a family friend who used to work on wells, ran a mini-flow test on the drilled well, directly from the well (not through the water softener system), and it ran with no water pressure issues for 25 minutes no problem.

He listened down into the drilled well, said it sounded like water was rushing in, and it didn't sound like there were any leaks or odd sounds coming from the pump. It is a Goulds submersible pump, and was installed in 2009.

Since then, we have found the above issue where we are just running out of water completely. It seems there is an issue with the tank, or pump, or some mechanism within it, but we don't know what.

We haven't had much luck in finding someone that people say is trustworthy, but will continue to search. Any help in determining the actual issue would be helpful! Thank you! On 2017-09-24 by Danielle

by (mod) - diagnosing pump problems by measuring current draw

When you have a service tech on the site she might use an ammeter to check the current draw from the pump motor. That can tell you if the motor is seized or if it's spinning and running dry.

I'm also concerned that you might have a well piping leak somewhere between the pump and the building, perhaps in the well itself. Ultimately you're probably going to have to pull the pump.

That's as much as I can guess what's a little information. You keep me posted let me know what you're told and I might be able to suggest more.

 

Pump pressure control points won't disengage

Points will not disengage to shut well pump off On 2017-01-12 by John

Suggestion by (mod) - common causes

John,

Provided that we know that the water pressure is at or a little above the CUT-OUT pressure set on the pressure control switch, then if the switch won't turn off here are the common causes:

On occasion the contacts in a relay can become welded together, OR another defect such as debris clogging in the pressure control switch or a failed switch diaphragm can keep the points closed.

Or debris clogging the pressure port on the control switch can keep the switch from sensing that pressure has reached the cut-off.

I suggest that you replace the switch and check that the close nipple or tubing that communicates water to the switch is not also debris clogged.

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