Problem: Water out. Pump pressure down well below cut-in pressure. (Pressure switch does have safety cut-off switch to prevent pump burn out.)
I'm posting here in hopes of getting some advice on how to proceed. (If I don't figure this out soon, the Supreme Allied Commander will not be pleased, especially since it's laundry day. This is life or death for me.)
When I manually activate switch, it fires but pump does not cut on. I can hear the pump "gurgling" (250 ft. + down) as if it's trying to pump water but there is no water to pump.
Hint: Have heard an apparent leak in system, water spraying, near to where water line enters house. No evidence of leak behind wallboard. Assume leak may be in ground near wall, or maybe in outer cement block wall in same general area.
Have put off trying to track leak due to multiple other pressing issues. Water has been steady until today, though my wife, the Commander, has noted a weakening in pressure last couple of days.
Empirical data suggests the pump has drained the water down below submersible pump, which is about 20 feet or so higher than bottom of well.
Actions so far: I have disconnected power in hopes that the column of well water would fill back up high enough to pump. Waited about an hour, tried manual activation again. Same result: Pressure switch sends power to pump. I can hear apparent gurgling, but no pump cut in.
I would have thought that our well water column would recover fast enough to at least cover pump within an hour or so, but I'm not sure.
Not sure of our well water flow rate. It's not really impressively high, but it's always been sufficient.
So my immediate question: Does my provisional plan to allow enough time for well water to recover at least to pump level sound reasonable, to see if that is in fact the problem?
What's a reasonable time expectation for water column recovery here?
My hopeful plan would be to let water column rise enough to regain house pressure sufficient to find and repair leak, which may be right outside of wall and will need digging to trace.
Another hint: I pulled this well pump about a month ago because it stopped pumping. Was prepared to replace, but a avoided that: found and repaired leak in plastic pipe. Pumped fine afterwards. I would have preferred to replace all if the plastic feeder pipe...could not afford that at the moment.
I note this because I think it may be relevant context, but maybe not.
I think problem now is probably that mentioned above: water column maybe down below pump intake.
Any advice here VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
Signed,
"The Doomed One."
I'm posting here in hopes of getting some advice on how to proceed. (If I don't figure this out soon, the Supreme Allied Commander will not be pleased, especially since it's laundry day. This is life or death for me.)
When I manually activate switch, it fires but pump does not cut on. I can hear the pump "gurgling" (250 ft. + down) as if it's trying to pump water but there is no water to pump.
Hint: Have heard an apparent leak in system, water spraying, near to where water line enters house. No evidence of leak behind wallboard. Assume leak may be in ground near wall, or maybe in outer cement block wall in same general area.
Have put off trying to track leak due to multiple other pressing issues. Water has been steady until today, though my wife, the Commander, has noted a weakening in pressure last couple of days.
Empirical data suggests the pump has drained the water down below submersible pump, which is about 20 feet or so higher than bottom of well.
Actions so far: I have disconnected power in hopes that the column of well water would fill back up high enough to pump. Waited about an hour, tried manual activation again. Same result: Pressure switch sends power to pump. I can hear apparent gurgling, but no pump cut in.
I would have thought that our well water column would recover fast enough to at least cover pump within an hour or so, but I'm not sure.
Not sure of our well water flow rate. It's not really impressively high, but it's always been sufficient.
So my immediate question: Does my provisional plan to allow enough time for well water to recover at least to pump level sound reasonable, to see if that is in fact the problem?
What's a reasonable time expectation for water column recovery here?
My hopeful plan would be to let water column rise enough to regain house pressure sufficient to find and repair leak, which may be right outside of wall and will need digging to trace.
Another hint: I pulled this well pump about a month ago because it stopped pumping. Was prepared to replace, but a avoided that: found and repaired leak in plastic pipe. Pumped fine afterwards. I would have preferred to replace all if the plastic feeder pipe...could not afford that at the moment.
I note this because I think it may be relevant context, but maybe not.
I think problem now is probably that mentioned above: water column maybe down below pump intake.
Any advice here VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
Signed,
"The Doomed One."