Pump from full pressure to not running?

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amauryvw

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Hey, i've got a nagging issue that i can't wrap my head around

At first i thought it was my pump so i replaced it with a new pump/tank combo

The issue remains:

My pump works and has very good pressure everywhere in the house, but it doesnt stop running, as if it can't reach it's maximum pressure, there are no leaks anywhere in the house that I am aware off.
It runs for about 15minutes give or take, then it shuts off and wont turn back on for quite a while.

Someone said maybe my well is drying up, or there's a crack in the line from the well to the pump, but if this were the case wouldn't my pump keep running to try and get water?

Once the pump stops pumping and there's no water flow in the house anymore i just turn off the breaker, wait for a few hours and then it works again, but never for a long period of time.

Anyone have any suggestions?

thanks in advance
 
"pump tank combo" makes me think an above ground type jet pump? But tripping off makes me think it is a submersible?

Jet pump.........The pump you have just might not build enough pressure to hit the off setting of the pressure switch. You could also have a little suction leak and the pump is sucking air. The well could also be being pumped dry or you might have a leak that hasn't shown up yet.
 
Sorry it is indeed an above ground jet pump that came with a pressure tank installed out of the box.

Would all of those things trigger it to just shut off and stop working for X amount of time? I just noticed a small drip every .. 10 seconds? coming from the pump, i believe it also has a footvalve right at the pump.
 
If it is not reaching the cut off pressure of the pressure switch and still shutting off, it must be tripping the overload in the motor. Those overloads cool off after a while and the pump will start up on its own again. Those are air cooled motors and should not trip an overload no matter what is happening on the water side, such as leaks or dry well. So it makes me think the voltage selector in the end of the motor is set on 230V and you are only feeding it 115V.
 
Ok... I just turned the breaker on and stood next to the pump, i heard rattling inside (Like pebbles tumbling) and then it stopped turning but was still trying, I opened the primenut and nothing was coming out and I could see that the pump was not turning anymore.
Something is holding it, and there is a piece of what looks like spring? stuck in the pipe leaving the pump.

I'm done taking it apart for today, maybe the footvalve thats connected right before the pump fell apart and got stuck in the pump? Would a faulty footvalve be the cause of my problems all along?
 
The check valve only works when the pump is off. And if the check was bad, pressure would drop instantly when the pump does turn off. Don't know where that spring came from. If the pump won't start there could be something stuck inside, but usually it is a combination of problems with the start capacitor and centrifugal start switch.
 
Yeah It was not a spring... it was just a string of plastic leftover from making the threading (The pump casing and most of the parts are plastic) valve seemed fine, not sure what is stuck inside but something rattled and it wont turn, I'm just going to return this to the store, i never had a good feeling about it from the minute i took it out and saw how cheaply made it looked.. but unfortunately money is tight and cheap is all i can afford at this moment

My old pump is cracked, I only just saw this Or this happened after i replaced it, since i did not drain it and it froze.

We have had a cold snap this past week (-20C feels like -30C) Maybe the well froze? I'm getting a new pump tomorrow, just a pump this time to use with my old pressure tank, and will be buying all new fittings including a new check valve, just in case..
 
ISo i hooked up the with a pipe leading to a bucket of water and instantly primed and full pressure.
Connect to well pipe and nothing , no pressure.

So my issue is with the incoming line/well ...

My guess now is that my well is likely frozen as we have had a very dry summer and fall. And are now experiencing a cold snap, so my well was probably on the low end.

Now how does one go about thawing a well...
 
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I've lived in Florida for the last 35 years so things may have changed some. Back in the day in Michigan, we would go rent a steamer with a rubber hose that you could push out through the suction line and/or backpressure line if one existed and thaw the pipes that way. Worked quite well for the simplicity of it. The steam was quick to thaw the ice as opposed to just plain heat.
 
Thanks for that suggestion! we've had some + weather today and everything thawed, but I'm back to a previous issue..

pump gets water at full pressure after a while, then when the pressure tank is full and all taps are off, after a while the water stops working again, as if the pump needs to get the water straight from the pump again,

So my guess now would be my check valve is failing or my pipe from well to home has a crack from freezing
 
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30 when pump shuts off. Drops to 0 slowly after that and i have to prime the pump again a few times to get water again
 
Check valve isnt the issue... sigh.
And am unable to get the pump and pipes primed enough to get it going for a while or im just not patient enough anymore
 
So i did a few things, primed the pump for a dozen times and finally got water but i wasnt going to hold my breath. Adter 12 hours and having spent the night not running i still have water!

What i did was cut off an inch of the well pupe going to pump since putting the brass piece in was like throwing a hot dog down a hallway. I dont know for sure if this was the actual fix. Or maybe it was thr check valve. But i managed to shower so im happy
 

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