myers shallow well jet pump not working, help!

Hi. I am in Latin America and don't have immediate access to a plumber. We have a Myers shallow well jet pump (I think.) Last night somehow the air control tube became disconnected from the pump. I woke to find the water had leaked out of it and the pump making a noise that it doesn't usually make. I don't think it's pumping anything. So I switched it off as I don't want it to burn out. I know very little about pumps and don't know if I should just switch it back on again and wait for it to start working again or whether it needs something else doing.
Please can someone help! I do appreciate your time. Thanks.

Sounds like you need to re-prime your shallow well jet pump, it uses water to pump with.

Rancher

thanks. how do I reprime?

Thanks for the information. Please can you advise me on how to reprime it?

I don't use jet pumps, maybe someone else can answer.

Here is the instruction manual:

http://www.femyers.com/pdf/pdf.ws/ws manual/23833a402a.pdf

Rancher

Prime

Hi, If you have the pump pictured from the link from Rancher, then the pipe plug on top of the pump housing can be removed and you can pour water in until the housing fills up. If there is a fitting or tee above the pump that you can open and pour water into, that will also work. It may take quite a bit of water to fill the pipes depending on your suction pipe length and other factors. You can then reinstall the plug, but you need to have a way to vent air/water slowly when you turn the pump on. THe pump may pump briefly and then have to draw water up the well pipe to the pump, which means that there may have still been air after you primed the system. If the pump sounds like it is not varying sounds, then shut it off and reprime. by carefully allowing air to vent you should eventually get the air out, unless something like a bad check valve is allowing the water in the well to leak out when the pump is not running. By bleeding air and not running the pump too long (a minute or so at a time?) you should eventually hear the pump start to really move water. If you don't, running the pump without water in the housing will quickly overheat it and probably damage it. Patience is a must....I have a shallow well myself that I have had to do this several times over the years. I am no well guy, just a homeowner. Good luck.

You also need to be sure that suction tube is sealed up. The pump can suck air from the fitting it is hooked to on the pump. That is what makes the air control work (if it does, and most don't).

bob...

thanks

Thanks to those who replied. The pump is now working again. In fact it seemed to prime itself, I think due to the water pressure coming in from the street....
Thanks again.