ot: SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 240 v.

OK so it's xmas & we have company so naturally the water fails. I get water but its low volume & low pressure. Checked for line leaks, none detectable. Water pressure all over the house is the same; cannot use washer or dishwasher & get water at the spigots. Normally have plenty of pressure from 3/4 H.P. submersible pump. Pump kicks on when pressure switch tells it to. Pump screen doesn't seem to be blocked. No valves turned off. Its like a line is blocked (unlikely) or the 240 v. pump is running on only one leg making it 120 v. Is that possible?

Check your pressure tank, the water may have absorbed all of the air in the tank. If the tank is full of water, shut off the power to the well pump and drain the tank. After draining the tank, close the drain-cock and turn on the pump. It's the AIR compressed by the water coming into the tank that gives you system pressure.

I have to re-pressurize my tank about every 6 months.

Doc

"pump kicks on when pressure switch tells it to"

Are you saying if you have everything turned off, the pump will build up pressure, then turn off? Or is it running constantly? Or does it cycle on and off constantly but won't hold pressure when it's off?

If the pump runs constantly and can't seem to build up pressure, then a pump failure is likely. Another possibility is a break in the pipe between the wellhead and house; if it's a bad break the pump will run constantly, if it's just a leak it will cycle.

I don't think you have a tank problem; a waterlogged tank will cause frequent cycling, but pressure will be normal as long as the pump is running.

I used to be in the water well business and have installed many pumps. If the pump comes on and switches off with no change in the pressure in the house then the pump may be working ok. I would first check the pressure switch as sometimes they become corroded or the little pipe that connects the switch to the tank becomes partially plugged with sand or rust.
If you have a pressure gauge at the tank, watch it while the pump recycles. If it pressures up quickly and drops quickly the tank may have lost it's air charge and you can fix that by follow the instructions posted by another.

If your pump is a 2 wire pump it will not run on 110 volts if one wire has an open circuit as each wire alternates as positive and ground. If the pump was trying to work on 110 volts it would not have enough power to pressure up your system.

If the pump pressure comes up and drops rapidly then you have a seious leak in the line from the pump to the tank. A temporary fix to this problem is to installl a check valve between the tank and the supply line. This will not fix the leak but will allow you to have water while you plan on how to fix it.

Last but not least, you may have a plugged or frozen line after the tank. Again you need to watch the pressure gauge to check this, or listen for the pump to recycle. If it slow to recycle with several faucets open then you may have a frozen line.

I hope this helps and the best of luck to you on this Christmas day.

Pump May not bee getting enough "amps" or if you have a water filter it may be plugged, Could also only running on 120 volts like you say. Check the easy stuff 1st. good luck.

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First thing I would do is check the pressure gauge and make sure it's functioning like it should.

Second, check for flow at the pressure tank while the pump is running. This will tell you a lot and eliminate a lot of other trouble shooting. No flow before the pressure tank means the pump isn't pumping like it should.

Good flow before the tank means the pump is working good but then your pressure tank is probably bad. One good indication of a bad pressure tank that has lost its charge is the pump will turn off and on quickly and very often.

I just fixed my mother in law's a month ago. She had no water at all. Took a look at it and found the contact points in the pressure switch were badly burnt. New pressure switch cured that but then I found plugged pipes to the pressure gauge and to the pressure switch.

Walt, not meaning to offend here, but I would be surprised if he has that type of tank- virtually all of the tanks sold in the last 30 or 40 years have been "captive air" tanks, with a balloon in the top, so there is no interface between the water and air, and no way to lose your air unless the balloon fails. Then its time for a new tank.

If 2 X 4 does have the old style tank, your tip may very well be the problem. I remember the same thing when I was a kid, and dad putting a series of devices on that were supposed to add air to counteract it, but none seemed to work very well.

You know I have never yet own a pressure tank with a bladder in it. I have 2 tanks and both are the old type but then again I got them cheap so I used them

Over the years I have had 4 plus pumps like you have and never seen one run on one leg as in 120 volts. Turn the breaker off and clean the points on the pressure switch and see if that helps. Also if you can for a short time turn off every thing and watch if you have one the pressure gauge on the tank and see if it comes up. If it does then you got your self a leak after the tank if not the pump maybe going south or you have a leak in the well which you may not be able to see

Take an aerater off a fauciet and make sure they are not clogged.

If a bladder tank fails it eventually fills with water, just like any other water-logged tank. Draining it and starting up again should give them water til the tank can be replaced.

Mike (WA):

Here in my area you have the choice of whether you want the captive air tank with the internal bladder OR the "standard" tank like I have without the bladder. My tank was put in NEW in 1984. I chose my tank because at that time they were having a lot of problems with the bladder tanks rupturing the bladders after only 4 or 5 years of use.

Doc

Is there a check valve between the pressure tank and the house? if so it may have failed and is only opening partway to allow only a little water through.

I doubt if it will run on 110 voltage but one leg maybe leaking voltage.

Diagnostics can be hard but first make sure the gage is working.(only about $5 and they don't last). If there is a boiler drain for the tank open it and see what you have for pressure while watching the gage. If water is blasting out of the drain with out radically tapering off and pressure cycles up and down your problem is on the house side of the tank and you need to check for blockage.

If pressure takes a long time to recycle its a well side problem. If its well side shut off breaker and lift pump from pit-less adaptor and hold adaptor out side of well.(tie it off and don't kink the line)turn on breaker and let pump run for a few minutes. If flow tapers off and surges the well isn't producing. If the flow is weak from the start pull the pump and check for nicks or chaffs on the wires that may bleed off voltage and repair with heat shrinks.

If you still haven't diagnosed the problem pull the pump tomorrow and take it to a distributer and have it tested. (I normally bypass this step because repairing an old pump usually cost more than a replacement). If you need to replace it avoid the big box store no name brands, they don't save you much and are notoriously unreliable.

All of this is based on the assumption you have a modern 2 wire with ground system.

Yes, with everything off but the pump, water pressure builds up when you first use the spigots, then drops off but does not quit running. Only quits running when washer or something comes on. Commode filling up only slows down spigots a little. Pump does not run constantly or cycle constantly. Just put a new water filter in last week. Had to drain the tank then. That should have let air in the tank.

no check valve

all faucets have good flow when all others are turned off.

I thought about that after I posted- Captive air tanks are "no maintenance", but the tank industry was probably really up on them, because when balloon breaks, its new tank time. And if you are in the business of selling tanks, what could be better? So I see your point- recharging a conventional tank is a bit of a pain, but sure cheaper than buying a new tank.

(quoted from post at 11:20:32 12/25/13) Walt, not meaning to offend here, but I would be surprised if he has that type of tank- virtually all of the tanks sold in the last 30 or 40 years have been "captive air" tanks, with a balloon in the top, so there is no interface between the water and air, and no way to lose your air unless the balloon fails. Then its time for a new tank.

If 2 X 4 does have the old style tank, your tip may very well be the problem. I remember the same thing when I was a kid, and dad putting a series of devices on that were supposed to add air to counteract it, but none seemed to work very well.

Click to expand...

at least one company still builds bladderless tanks for wells, while not as popular as they used to be their still around

I'm afraid I'm a bit confused by your responses. Do you have a pressure gauge, and if so what does it indicate? That is, do you indicate good pressure at the tank when you have low pressure at your faucets? That would indicate blockage somewhere.

Note that gauges sometimes fail, and adjusting your switch according to the gauge might result in a too-low switch setting. If the pump comes on at a lower pressure than the air pressure in the tank, you'll run out of water before the pump cycles on.

Your comment that you changed the filter and drained the tank recently is a clue. You might have dislodged some rust that plugged a valve somewhere. If so, I'd expect the tank pressure to be OK when the faucets run dry. But if your pump can't maintain pressure at the tank when it's running and the faucets are open, I'd say you have a more serious problem that will require a service call by your well driller.

It may be that the line from your well to the house has filled in with rust and hard water to the point that the pipe only has a hole about 3/16 to a 1/4 inch in size, I have seen this happen. run a garden hose from your well to the house and see if that affects the flow, if it does you may be in need of a new water line.

line from the well to the house is plastic so rust there is not a problem. House lines are galvanized put in 1963 & the parts I have had apart are quite rusted. In fact, one piece of steel line broke off at the threads rather than come apart.
these are 1/2 inch lines.