Help!!! No Water

I bought a flowtec shallow well jet pump 2 years ago and for the past couple weeks the water has been cutting off for no reason. It would stay off for 10-15 minutes and come back on. The past few days it goes off and remains off All day, until late in the evening. I had the pressure switch replaced but it still does it... When the water cuts off the pump doesnt do anything but if u tap it , it sometimes comes back on. I was told the pump is probably going out but I really thought they last longer than 2 years. The original owners said they had the pump for years and my husband passed away 5 months after we bought this place and naturally the pump went out a few months later. I replaced the pump and it has surged but never went out until now. I was just wandering if the flowtec pumps normally last longer than 2 years or can i expect to replace the pump this often?

You need to visually and/or electrically check the pressure switch. The pressure switch may be set wrong or the sensing port may be plugged.

If the pump is off, turn of the breaker to the pump and remove the cover from the pressure switch. You should be able to see if the contacts are closed. If the pump was not running, the contacts are probably open (you can see space between the contacts).

Now take large flat blade a screwdriver and press down on the plate that is at the bottom of the pressure switch (or the side near where the connection is made).

If you press hard enough, you should hear a click and you should be able to see that the contacts are not closed. They should stay closed when you remove the screwdriver.

Now turn on the circuit breaker. The pump should start. After it starts, the pump should run until the pressure pushes up on that plate and opens the switch. Note the pressure when that happens.

Then drain water from the tank and observe at what pressure, or if, the switch clicks and closes the contacts. If the pump has worked when you actuated the switch and it doesn't work now, the pressure is probably set too low.

Go through the procedure again and run the pump another cycle. Turn off the circuit breaker and drain only enough water until the pressure falls to 20 psi. Then, using a wrench or socket or pliers, turn the large nut or screw in the pressure switch until it clicks and closes the contacts.

Turn on the pump and watch the pressure. It should turn off at around 40 psi. Then run some water and see if it starts the pump at about 20 psi.

Post again if this doesn't match your observations or you don't get expected results.

In my experience with Flotec pumps one and a half years is average life for one. You said it was surging, which means you have a waterlogged tank. That surging is the motor coming on and off rapidly. This builds a tremendous amount of heat in the motor and does damage to pressure switch points, starting switches and capacitors located in the motor. The reason it goes off for 15 minutes or so is there is a thermal overload protector built into the motor to shut it off when it gets too hot. When it cools, the motor will come back on and repeat the condition. It is my opinion your motor is already damaged beyond repair. If you have to buy a new one, please don't buy one of those. They are a bad investment.

One more thing. You will need another tank if yours is a bladder tank. If it is also Flotec, you will need one for sure.

The tank is there to protect the pump motor from doing what your is doing now. That is why I believe your tank is also bad.

bob...