20 Most Recent Flotec Corrosion Resistant Shallow Well Jet Pump 1/2HP, 8GPM - Page 2 Questions & Answers

i'm going to suggest that your pump(s) have the same symptoms of cardiac failure and you're bleeding out. the pump is trying to keep the pressure in the system. it works but you're losing your prime is my guess. the pump is initially fine and tries to maintain its pressure but cannot. it runs until its hot or burns out. and then it dies.

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No, only a thermal overload. If the unit was hot and has had a chance to cool off it should start. If you have voltage to the motor and it will not even hum or buzz, you need a new motor. The short must have blown the winding open.

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John

Hi and welcome to FixYa. I am Kelly.

If this is a new system installation there can be a few reasons for the pump not pumping water.
1. The most porbable cause is that it is sucking air on the suction line. Check to make sure each and every connection it a good sealed connection.
2. The pump having never had water in it may have to be primed by introducing water into the outlet hole or remove the impeller housing plug and prefill the cavity with water.
3. There should be a check valve or a foot valve with screen at the very end of the suction tube.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex1143
Limitations
Jet pumps lose efficiency as the total lift increases. Total lift includes the vertical distance from the water to the pump plus the friction losses in the suction line and foot valve. Shallow well jets are not practical if the total lift exceeds 5.5 m (18 ft).

Pumping water containing sand will cause wear and leakage around mechanical seals. The mechanical seal on the pump shaft is water lubricated and water cooled, so the pump should never be run without the pump casing being filled with water. Air or gases in the pump will cause a loss of prime. Shallow well jet pumps must have either a check valve or foot valve installed on the suction line to maintain prime.

Foot Valve:
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:21SLW7C9NsXXdM:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518Frco3KaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Check Valve:
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:xIVfmPrrsgzS-M:http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/1/577733-BCV-1-L.jpg

You can use both if necessary but usually only one is required. The in-line check valve can be closer to the pump.

I will post troubleshooting if the site will accept the steps next post. Currently it says I have exceeded maximum length.

Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Kelly

could be bad bearings,obstruction in impeller,low voltage,failing capacitor.

a larger tank would hook up the same way a smaller one is

sounds like you still might have a leak. but in the short term bleed off 5 pounds of air from your bladder tank and the pump will turn off quicker. Your pressure switch my has a weaken a bit from age which would effect it turning on and off

Best of luck Tom

Do you have a tank in this system? If you don't, this is the way the well pump will operate.

If there is a tank, it will have a pressure switch on it which controls the pump -- it'll cut the pump on when the tank pressure drops to 28 psi, and cuts the pump off at 40 psi.

If you have a tank, the pump behaving as you describe indicates there is something wrong -- need more info.

when you are trying to connect a 2 wire system into a 3 wire system sometimes it just won't work.
try keeping your black/black and change the white with the 3rd wire if that fails try white/white and the black with the 3rd wire.
without a wiring diagram it is hard to tell what each wire is for, and like I first said sometimes these systems cannot be mixed

good luck

If you are trying to draw water from a lower place, you may have lost prime. It is also possible there is a reason for this loss of prime, maybe a leak on the suction piping. Remove some fitting on or near the discharge of the pump, fill the body completely with water. If it goes in, fill the entire suction piping with water, too. Open a faucet nearby, turn on the pump and wait up to 5 minutes. It should spit and sputter, sound will change, some water will discharge, but eventually, you should get steady flow.
If you lose prime again, look for leaks in the suction piping from the inlet of the pump to where the piping goes into the ground.

Your FixYa Texpert,
Gary

Hi jandh40...

You have an air leak somewhere in your piping, housing of the pump or maybe the mechanical seal and that is causing your pump not to pump.
Try to disconnect the piping and hook a water hose up to the pump and turn the pressure on, it should show you where the air leak is by spraying water out of the leak area.
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You have to remove the 4 bolts which are # 14 on page 9 of the instruction manual located at this site
http://www.depcopump.com/datasheets/flotec/FP4012-10,%20FP401215H-10,%20FP4022-10,%20FP4032-10%20manual.pdf

Hope this answers all your questions
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Leave a comment if you need more help.
Thanks for using Fixya.

There are a few things that could explain your problem. Your well may be going dry, your well point may be clogged or you may have a suction leak. If the water sputters and has air in it it means you have a suction leak and must locate the leak. If it's by your check valve you might be able to hear it. If notyour best bet is to hire a well guy to locate it. If it's a clogged point there are products sold that will clean the screen. These must be placed down the well. If your well is going dry there may be sputtering as well. Shallow well pumps are only good down to 25 feet. If you're already down that far you may need a deep well pump which is a two-pipe system.

I had similar problems it ended up being the shallow well it self. It did not have enough gallons per minute of flow to keep enough water flowing to allow pump to function properly. Some well drilling companies can clean out well or vanes to allow well to flow properly. Otherwise you will most likely need to drill a newer deeper well.

A bladder tank is designed to give a certain amount of gallons of "draw down" before the pump turns on. The pump will work with or without a bladder tank but will come on every time water is used. Well pumps (Jet or submersible) can run for extended periods of time without causing harm to the pump, but a pump that turns on and off constantly will eventually burn out because it is so hard on the pump.
Jet pumps need to keep "head pressure" to efficiently create the vacuum necessary to draw water from the drop pipe, this is partially what a well tank does.
RJ

You can't prime the pump with the same water source you are trying to build pressure in. Shut off all the water going to the house, use the neighbors hose or have several gallons (maybe 5) to prime the pump and continue priming pump until it starts to build head pressure then plug prime hole.
RJ

I would only be guessing ,but I would say 15 years

Three things to check
1. There may be getting sediment in the water line to switch. Flush the well tank at the boiler drain to see how much sediment (if any) comes out. Flush well if heavy sediment and call Well company.
2. Make sure the check valve is OK also.
3. If the impeller is bad on the pump it will not build pressure and keep running.
4. The well may be going bad, low volume. Call well company.
RJ

If it stops pumping at 35psi you need a new pressure switch. If it just continues to run but doesn't build more pressure the problem is more likely a plugged point or air getting in due to the water table dropping.

Hi,
There is a small leak in the well side piping or the foot valve...it will probably work okay now as long as it does not sit too long without being used...
It is also possible that there was dirt in the foot valve and that everything will be okay now...

heatman101

Hi and welcome to FixYa, I am Kelly.

There needs to be a check valve in the suction line so that pressure does not bleed back into the tank. Place your hand on the suction line. Your pressure tank water is returning to the tank. I am sure your old pump had a check valve also either on the output line or the suction line. You may still have a check valve but it is not working properly. It can be partially clogged with debris from changing the pump.

Example of an in-line check valve:
http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/2/hash/6876/2664481/1/Tapped+Line+Check+Valve.jpg

Thanks for choosing FixYa,
Kelly