help my well pump has stoppd raising water!!!!

[chirpy]

I have a 3-phase moter which draws well water about 30 feet down.

worked for years .

We over used the well water perhaps on garden and no water coming through.

The moter works.

I have peered down well and see some water

In the cave from the moter to the side of the tank is a small diameter plastic tube which I beieve you try and fill at the moter end so it primes pump-very difficult access as at back of moter against wall.

I managed to get some wter into this but could see some air in tube.

Does this have to be air free to work.

What proceedure do i take to restart -i.e.do i open tap then close ??

The moter starts but do i need to run a long time to pump it as shaft is self lubricated by the water it pums up.?

 

I am assuming no debris in bottom of well has clogged the entry there but well is capped with hole to check thewater is down there.

Or does the fixture on side of tank-(an air switch diaphram I think which stops pump when tank say 50% full.)- need maintenance.?

any help appreciated--perhaps I need o wait for the rain to water garden and refill well.

thanks.[8-)]

 

[TefkaC]

Hello Ab

1st the pump may need to be primed to regain suction. open the valve and allow water to fill the pump body completley, now restart the pump with the valve partialy open this will allow any air trapped in the pump bowl to escape so ensuring the best suction you can get. Be aware of any electrics that may get wet!

2nd If after priming the pump she still won't work I would suggest you check your impellor, this is a specialist job but if you need advise pm me and we will see if we can work through it.

Best of luck

 

Charlie.

[sid]

Our set up is a little different; the pump is at the bottom of the well (submersible), but it stops around this time of year sometimes (not yet this year thankfully) when the water table falls. This is usually when the farmer next door starts watering his maize in earnest! When the water level falls to the level of the pump a float valve turn off the pump. I would think you must have something like this on yours, even though your pump is at the top, to prevent the motor burning out.

The first thing I'd do is to check the depth of water; even though you can see water, it may not be deep enough. The drawpipe has to be a foot or so above the bottom of the well to avoid drawing 'rubbish' into the system. I use a long piece of rope and tie a stone on the end and lower it down until I feel it touch the bottom, then pull it back and examine the rope to find the water level. A bit crude, but it works.

If it's not self-priming I would think that air in the pipe is not good. I think that running the motor for a minute, if you have filled the priming tube, would be OK; the small amount of water you have added should lubricate the pump. When you run the pump does the water you have added come out of the tap?

Sid

Edit: Charlie beat me to it, and he seems to be familiar with this type of pump.

Good luck

[powerdesal]

As the pump/motor is at the top, the suction will have a 'foot valve' at the bottom end. This has a spring loaded (light spring) shut off flap. If the foot valve fails to close when the pump stops, the water filled suction leg empties into the well and deprimes the pump. 'If' the foot valve has stayed open you will never prime the pump and suction pipe because you will just be filling the well!!!!!!!

If on the other hand the valve has now closed the pipe and pump can be reprimed but this will probably be a slowish job as the water has to displace the air until the pipe and pump are full.

When you then start the pump the pipe contents are pumped out and the vaccuum behind the water column opens the foot valve and all is well.

If all that turns to worms you need to pull the suction pipe out of the well and inspect the foot valve. They are cheap and easy to replace.

[tracteurtom]

We have the same set with a lift pump and reservoir in the cave.  I had to replace the pump/reservoir though as the old was past its best.  My guess is that you have simply run out of water.  Drop a line down the well and measure it.  You need to cover the clapet (valve) at the bottom  - which on mine is set at about 1m above the well floor (too high IMO) - to get prime and then the water table needs to be able to supply water at your pump's flow capacity to keep the clapet covered, if not, you will loose prime and the whole lot stops working.

Priming involves back filling and running the pump.  Just dont leave it running too long as they rely on the water for lube and cooling.  It can seem to take an age to get prime, just persivere (spelling !!), assuming you have water in the well that is !

You dont say where abouts you live.  I note that there are some severe water restictions on in certain parts of France at the moment, suggesting that the water table in those parts is low.

[chirpy]

LIVE IN 87 ,NEAR COUSSAC BONNEVAL.

We now have mains supply and is it possible to add water to tank to assist re-starting?

Do i colse all outlets i.e.tapsfrom tank before trying to prime and pressurise the water?

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

          can I just say your pump does not draw water from the well , it pumps it up from the well ( nit picking I know ) but this bit of info might help.. A perfect vacume at sea level can lift water 22 ft  , you will never get 100% from a pump  so use 20 ft max  and for every 1000ft above sea level deduct 1 ft ,

         just for info

Dave

[TefkaC]

Hello Ab,

when priming you only need to close any outlets that are below the pump body, anything above will allow air to escape out of the system.

Any that are difficult to get to should be closed off before starting the pump, any with easy access leave cracked until the pump is fully primed (bearing in mind the electrics) don't allow the starter or motor to get soaked............. 

 

Charlie.

 

[tracteurtom]

Ha, practically neighbours !

To help get prime you need to fill the big pipe that runs into the well with water.  Look at the plumbing and suss out a way to fill this pipe.  You should find a plug on the pump body that allows you to fill the system with water.  Do it slowly to aid bleeding air.   Its just a case of keeping the system full of water and running the pump and it will prime.  Thats assuming there is water in the well covering the lift pipe inlet ?  When it does prime, you will here it.  If it still doesnt work, then maybe there is a fault ?  You will have to start taking things to pieces to find the problem.

[chirpy]

Unable to remove plug on top of moter as it has probably never been taken off in 30 years.

Plan b -I opened connection from town water supply and put water back into tank.

The pump runs and is drawing water when i use water through the hosepipe.

However the pump is not switching off unless i switch electric off.111

 

THE  switch attached to tank is I believe an air switch .

how do I adjust??

Thanks.

 

[tracteurtom]

Sounds like you still don't have prime if the pressure switch is not switching off.  Fill the tank with mains water and pressurized it, pump motor should stop.  Doing this will not put water into the lift pipe from the well, you'll just have a column of air I guess in that pipe.  Try running a tap, to remove the pressure from the mains water and start the pump again at the same time, might help.  Its just a trail and error thing to cajule the pump into priming !  Ideally, you need to remove the bung on the pump body and slowly trickle so water into it.

I wouldnt mess with the pressure switch until you are sure its the problem.  It'll have 2 settings, kick in and drop out, for want of better terms.  The kick in setting will be lower than the drop out so as the motor doesnt stop start every time you run a tap.  Mine are set at aprox 2 bar drop out and 1.5 (ish) kick in.  Just remember to be careful when messing with 3 phase stuff, you will not have a 2nd chance if you get across 2 phases.  Use the old TV / electronics repair tactic of keeping one hand in you pocket and wear rubber soled boots. 

[chirpy]

Thanks.

If water now filling tank surely there must be water in the pipe coming from the deep well  i.e. it must be primed still as the water cannot be pulled up otherwise????