Submersible Pump Impeller Problem


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Old 03-29-14, 05:00 PM
J
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Submersible Pump Impeller Problem

I pulled my deep well submersible pump because it quit working and found that the impeller was frozen. Took it apart and found a few of the plastic impellers appeared melted. It is a Franklin Electric pump 1 hp 230 V. Anyone know whether this is repairable. IF not is it better to replace the entire unit or could I just replace the impeller portion??
 

Last edited by jimslax; 03-29-14 at 05:24 PM.
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Old 03-30-14, 05:08 AM
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I'd just get a new pump assembly, pump with motor. After the work of pulling the well I would not put an old motor back down the hole.

First I would try to find out what killed the pump. Was the water line frozen while the pump was running? Does the motor run with the pump removed? Does the melted impeller look like the blades melted or does it look like it melted around the shaft?
 
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Old 03-30-14, 02:13 PM
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Motor works fine

Unit quit working last fall before the winter season. So don't think that temperature had anything to do with it. With the motor disconnected from the pump/impellers, it seems to work fine. I could not turn the impellers with a screwdriver when it was disconnected. Did not find anything that would have kept the impellers from turning, other than a couple of them appeared to have partially melted. Damage was around the shaft, like friction could have caused it. Unit was in 20 feet of water when I pulled it, so shouldn't have overheated. Cant figure out why that would happen. May just keep it all for spare parts and order a complete new unit as you have suggested. Thanks.
 
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Old 03-31-14, 05:30 AM
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I wouldn't even keep it for parts.

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It's doesn't sound right but a pump can overheat when under water. It seems worst in deep wells when they are deep. If the pump runs and the outlet is plugged by something like by a frozen line the pump runs continuously but without a flow of water to cool the pump or motor. All the energy must go somewhere. No water flows by the motor to cool it so it gets hotter & hotter. The friction of the moving water inside the pump heats the water surprisingly fast. When down deep under pressure water & steam can reach a higher than boiling 212f (100c) temperature and destroy the pump.
 
 

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