Shallow Well Pump Not Working

When I plug the motor in, the motor runs, but no water comes out.

It is an above ground shallow well pump, Myers brand, that is is about 30 years old. I replaced the pressure tank about a year ago.

I don't know much about shallow pumps.

Could the pressure tank be bad?
Can the well be dry?
Or can the pump be bad?

 

Have you primed the pump?
You need to fill the pump casing and suction full of water before it will pump.
Try this and then tell what you see.
Ron

 

I'm not sure how to prime the pump. Do I have to take off the pressure tank and fill it with water? It looks as though it is one unit.

The water was flowing fine about two weeks ago. We have had some rain, but not much. Neighbors water is flowing fine.

Thanks for your help.

 

You have to fill the pump full of water. Sometimes pumps have a special nipple near the top that you can remove to put water in the pump. But at 30, it is probably frozen solid with rust, so you may have to remove the output side and pour water in there. Around here, people put a "T" off the output side with a water spigot (technically a bibcock) so they can hook a water hose up to it and fill it up.

You also have to fill the suction pipe back to the check valve. Look for a valve with arrow on it pointing at the pump. That's the check valve. If you don't see one, then it could be at the bottom of the well.

If you fill the pump and the water runs out, that means it is flowing into the suction pipe and it will do that until the suction pipe is full of water back to the check valve. So keep poring in water. When it won't take any more stop.

Turn on the pump and wait. Water may come out and then stop. Wait another minute or so and if nothing improves, then turn off the pump and prime again. You may have to prime 3-4 times, it depends on where the check valve is.

 

Thanks for your help. What I did was disconnect the pump from the PVC pipe going into the ground. There was water in pipe leading into the ground.

There was some suction coming up from the motor, but not much. I think the pump is going bad.

I ran hose water down the pipe leading into the ground for about ten minutes. The motor is self-priming, so I am told.

 

The "pipe in the ground" is your suction pipe. The pipe at the top of the pump is the output side. Now is a good time to find out what your "static" water level is. Tie a nut on a string and lower it down until it splashes in the water. You may have to jerk up and down a little to make sure it splashes. Measure the string and there you are. Also, you can measure the total depth the same way. This is good info to have.

From the way you describe things, there should be a check valve between the ground and the pump. If you don't know what one looks like, then look at this: http://www.pacificpondsplus.com/Check_Valve.JPG for a PVC valve. Could also be brass which would be smaller.

Check valves go bad pretty often -- especially the PVC ones. You should probably go ahead and replace it whether you end up with a new pump or not.

The check valve is designed to hold the water up and make it available to the pump. It allows water to flow one way, but not the other. If it goes bad, then the pump will lose it's prime as the water goes down the pipe.

I don't believe the self-priming advertising -- I've always primed my pumps. Water pumps don't suck air very well, so it could be the pump going bad, but so far we don't know -- putting your hand over it without water in the pump is not a good test.

Once you find the check valve (and perhaps replace it) then you have to fill the pump and the pipe as per long post above.

The connections between the check valve and the pipe in the ground must be 100% airtight. Any leaks and you lose prime or you can't prime even if your pump is good.

It is not necessary to have a pipe over the output side while priming. You can pour the water in there. If things get too hot (warm is okay) stop for a bit and let things cool off. I have a short piece of PVC with an elbow to divert the water away from the pump. I only use this for priming. I fill the pump and pipe, then screw in the short piece before turning the pump on. Water in the electric motor is not good for it or you.

In your case, it will probably take at least a half a dozen tries and I wouldn't give up until I tried at least a dozen -- maybe two dozen tries. And when the pump is turned on, let it run over a minute. I usually let it run until it warms up. The water I pour in cools it off again, so feel the pump (not the motor) as it runs.

You have to get the pump to suck out all the air between it and the water level in the ground (the static level). It needs water in the pump to do that. So you prime once and the water comes up a foot or so, then the check valve holds it while you prime again by filling up the pump.

 

The term "self priming pump" is a little misleading. They usually are self priming, but only after they are primed initially.
Pumps will move air, but not very well. They're certainly not like a vacuum cleaner.
I would still say you have a priming issue.
Ron

 

Thanks for all of your help. I replaced the PVC pipe going from the pump to the well, and the prime held. I think a piece of PVC was cracked and the pump was not holding a prime. It's working for now. Not bad for a 20+ year old Myers.

Thanks for all of your help.