Fourth submersible pump burnt out in 3 years
#1
10-26-13, 08:48 PM
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Fourth submersible pump burnt out in 3 years
hi
I have a well about 80' deep. I moved into the place about ten years ago, 3 years ago my water shut off. The motor on the pump failed, the stamp said it was made in 1982. I had the pump rebuilt and installed it myself. It worked fine for six months and seized. I bought a brand new one with a new control box and that one jammed up. I thought maybe it was too low and maybe sucking up sand so when I exchanged it for a new one I installed it shallower. That one seized. Exchanged that one and last night it seized AGAIN! I must be doing something wrong. How can this be? I'm told a good pump can last 25 years. When I pull the pump out it has a lot of red slime on it. Could this be a problem? I am at a loss. Please help me. I'm thirsty and tired of going to the creek to fetch pales of water. thanks
I have a well about 80' deep. I moved into the place about ten years ago, 3 years ago my water shut off. The motor on the pump failed, the stamp said it was made in 1982. I had the pump rebuilt and installed it myself. It worked fine for six months and seized. I bought a brand new one with a new control box and that one jammed up. I thought maybe it was too low and maybe sucking up sand so when I exchanged it for a new one I installed it shallower. That one seized. Exchanged that one and last night it seized AGAIN! I must be doing something wrong. How can this be? I'm told a good pump can last 25 years. When I pull the pump out it has a lot of red slime on it. Could this be a problem? I am at a loss. Please help me. I'm thirsty and tired of going to the creek to fetch pales of water. thanks
#2
10-27-13, 06:23 AM
Member
How old is your pressure tank and more importantly, do you know how much drawdown (amount of water between pump cycles) you are currently getting from the tank? Perhaps your pump is short cycling due to a ruptured pressure tank bladder? That can burn out a pump pretty quickly.
#4
10-27-13, 10:43 AM
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The wire is about 12awg. I did read on this site about how to test the shrink connectors for leaks. I didn't do that, but im fairly confident its water tight. I set the pressure switch at 40 and the tank at 38. It holds pressure, could it still be shot? It is 30 years old. I do feel that the pump comes on too frequently even in the middle of the night. Maybe every 45 mins, is that normal? I didnt measure any actual drawdown.
#6
10-27-13, 11:37 AM
Group Moderator
Wire size based on length is an important factor but I think I'd run it by a local well guy.
See if there are any issues in the area that could be causing your problem.
Also....I'd find out what exactly is happening to the motor. Is the impeller seizing or is the motor internally seizing.
See if there are any issues in the area that could be causing your problem.
Also....I'd find out what exactly is happening to the motor. Is the impeller seizing or is the motor internally seizing.
Last edited by PJmax; 10-27-13 at 01:51 PM. Reason: corrected typo
#9
10-27-13, 02:40 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
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From the original post:
You need to determine what this slime is. Possibly biological or maybe just clay but if it is in the water it could be the problem with your pump crapping out.
Doubtful. A 240 volt motor supplied with only 120 volts probably would never start, especially a deep well pump that would always be seeing the head pressure from the discharge piping.
HOWEVER, low voltage as a result of using the #12 conductors may definitely be a factor.
When I pull the pump out it has a lot of red slime on it.
lawrosa
Could it be possible that the OP is only getting 120v on one leg to the pump? This would cause over heating from what I know, and eventually pump failure.......
Could it be possible that the OP is only getting 120v on one leg to the pump? This would cause over heating from what I know, and eventually pump failure.......
HOWEVER, low voltage as a result of using the #12 conductors may definitely be a factor.
#10
10-27-13, 02:49 PM
Super Moderator
Doubtful. A 240 volt motor supplied with only 120 volts probably would never start, especially a deep well pump that would always be seeing the head pressure from the discharge piping.
Just was not sure if say it was a split breaker with one tripped or a capacitor in the box may be going bad????
#11
10-27-13, 06:10 PM
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Diesel Rags -
...I do feel that the pump comes on too frequently even in the middle of the night. Maybe every 45 mins, is that normal? ...
...I do feel that the pump comes on too frequently even in the middle of the night. Maybe every 45 mins, is that normal? ...
#12
10-27-13, 07:15 PM
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Yep, it sure is! Just WHERE that leak may be is anyone's guess. It could even be a leaking check valve allowing the system to drain back into the well.
I would still like to know what the red slime is all about.
I would still like to know what the red slime is all about.
#13
10-28-13, 06:44 AM
Member
If I was replacing pumps every year or so I would want to check for two things in my set up, for sure.
The first is to look for a leak. Pretty simple. Let the pump cycle off and see if the pressure is maintained or if it drops. If it drops, over any time frame (give it an hour or so) you have a leak.
The second is to look for a damaged diaphragm in the pressure tank that will cause the pump to start short cycling. Measure your drawdown of water. That is the amount of water you get between when the pump cycles off and when it cycles back on again. If we are talking gallons, just use toilet flushes to get a ball park number. If we are talking quarts then use a 2 quart container and count them. Now do two things. Divide the drawdown into the size of your tank and if it is less then 10% you probably have a problem. Fully empty the tank (turn off pump and let the water empty out) and refill it and measure the drawdown again. If it significantly increases it is very likely your diaphragm is toast. You can monitor it over time and if the drawdown decreases over the next few weeks, your diaphragm is toast.
Those two problems can really shorten the life of a pump so I would at least check them.
The first is to look for a leak. Pretty simple. Let the pump cycle off and see if the pressure is maintained or if it drops. If it drops, over any time frame (give it an hour or so) you have a leak.
The second is to look for a damaged diaphragm in the pressure tank that will cause the pump to start short cycling. Measure your drawdown of water. That is the amount of water you get between when the pump cycles off and when it cycles back on again. If we are talking gallons, just use toilet flushes to get a ball park number. If we are talking quarts then use a 2 quart container and count them. Now do two things. Divide the drawdown into the size of your tank and if it is less then 10% you probably have a problem. Fully empty the tank (turn off pump and let the water empty out) and refill it and measure the drawdown again. If it significantly increases it is very likely your diaphragm is toast. You can monitor it over time and if the drawdown decreases over the next few weeks, your diaphragm is toast.
Those two problems can really shorten the life of a pump so I would at least check them.
