Well failure?

[Glo]

Pretty serious problem, don't know what to do next.

New pressure tank, new pressure switch, new control box, new inside plumbing. No water.

Pulled the pump, had it checked. It's good and pumps strong. Isolated all wiring [well wire, control box wiring to the well outside of the house and to the well cap]. Replaced wiring from the house to the well with new UF.
At each stage, I dry-checked to see that the pump was working (on and rotating). It was. Put it all back together, went into the house, hit the breaker to turn it all back on -- nothing.
I can hear the pump is on, down inside the well.
An electrician checked everything with a volt meter and made sure I wired it properly, it's all fine.

What now?

Pressure tank is WellXtrol 202, pressure switch is 40/60 and does not have a manual lever. Gauge reads zero and tank is empty.

 

[Reach4]

What HP is the pump? What brand and model? What gpm? What current, in amps, is being pulled? 230 volt pump? Control box (not the pressure switch)? How far down is the pump mounted?

To measure current, it is easiest to use a clamp-around ammeter around one power wire.

One possibility is the pump is mounted higher than the surface of the water in the well.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Valveman]

Can you see water down the well? Dry running a pump is not good for it, but it sounds like it is still running. A clip around amp meter would give you an indication of how the pump is working.

 

[Glo]

Fairbanks Morse pump and control box. Control box is new, but 80s era. Pump is 37 years old. No idea what current is being pulled and no means to test. The electrician didn't say. New pressure tank, new pressure switch.
I can see water far far away, just barely, with a flashlight. I borrowed a measuring device today. If I'm right, the surface of the water is 50 feet down. The weight stopped dropping and was slack at 91 feet. I tugged and fooled around to see if I could get it drop more, but it didn't. I'm going to check again in the morning to make sure that's right.
When I pulled the pump a few days ago, I measured the well pipe as roughly 90 feet with the pitless adapter fitting at 13 feet.
So is the pump sitting on the bottom of the well? What do I do now?

 

[Glo]

"One possibility is the pump is mounted higher than the surface of the water in the well."

It's on the end of PE pipe, submersed. That's the direction I've been going -- that the intake on the pump is above the water surface.

 

[Valveman]

If the pump is set at 90' and the water level is at 50', the pump is submerged under 40' of water. "Fairbanks Morse", blast from the past! 37 years old could be the problem. But the pump could be fine and just have a hole in the pipe. Amp meter would help or you will just have to pull it up so you can see what is going on down there.

 

[Glo]

If the pump is set at 90' and the water level is at 50', the pump is submerged under 40' of water.

Right. Before I measured, I thought the intake/pump might be above the surface. Now I'm wondering if it's sitting on the bottom!
Yup, I've had the pump out two or three times now.
I'm going to replace the pump. Nearest pump is $700+. New, but older model. If I ordered, what would I get? What would match up to the control box, without more fooling around?

I'm very remote, no pros to call, no local help. Borrowed pitless and homemade measuring tape and advice over the phone from a retired guy.

 

[Valveman]

Any 10 GPM, 1/2HP submersible pump will work. You can get them for much less than 700 bucks. Get a new control box with the new pump.

 

[Glo]

Got it figured out. Thanks!

 

[Valveman]

Got it figured out. Thanks!

Well what was it? Don't leave us hanging.