Well Pump intermittently stops, buzzes, then starts working again

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FLNative

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Over the last couple of days I have been noticing an issue with our above ground well pump, in that sometimes the water will die in the house completely, upon going out to the well pump I can hear a buzzing coming from the pump intermittently like the pump is trying to click on but doesn't start running... Then, after a few minutes, for whatever reason, it starts again, running as normal.

We're approaching cold weather, down to hard freezing so I've been running it over night off and on with the water in the house on a trickle to prevent the pipes from freezing, however, I'm concerned if it stops during the night it might freeze up and that will be that...

Any ideas? Or some things I can check that might explain this behavior?

I installed this pump almost 2 years ago and apart from a faulty pressure switch once, which I replaced easily enough, it's been running like a champ, and I can't see that it's the pump on it's way out as it's not that old.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, hopefully it's something I can resolve before the weather give me a problem! :)


Frantic FLNative
 

FLNative

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So, just to make sure I understand, it could be the well is dry? Or rather, drying up? Or rather than 'dry', is it that the well level is low, below or close to the bottom, of the feed pipe?

Obviously this is not good for the pump, as it will occasionally get too hot and shut down... But since we've not had any rain for a while, is there anything I can do?
 
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Ballvalve

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Install a good pressure gauge and sit by it when running a tap full on. If it suddenly drops to near zero, you are likely out of water.

If you get this buzzing when the pump starts and you still have pressure, then you need to do testing on the control box and wires.
 

Waterwelldude

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Install a good pressure gauge and sit by it when running a tap full on. If it suddenly drops to near zero, you are likely out of water.
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This will not happen. It is a jet pump, and if the well is running out of water. it will suck air and lose its prime. After that it will not pump any water.


It sound like the starter switch, or capacitor in the motor is going bad.
 

Thatguy

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I'd say bad electrical connection - as the connection heats up it may restore itself.
Measure the voltage at the pump during the buzzing. The max. voltage loss in the wires/connections should be less than 5%, 12 v out of 240 v.
 

Masterpumpman

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Waterwelldude is the closest (It sounds like the starter switch, or capacitor in the motor is going bad). It sounds to me like the starter switch in the motor is sticking in the run position or it could be a bad capacitor. To be sure I'd replace them both.
 

Thatguy

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I recommend checking the old cap and any new ones you buy.
You can do this with a voltmeter, a 9 V battery and a 1 megohm resistor from Radio Shack.
 

Justwater

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i agree with waterwelldude. ...possibly start capacitor, maybe centrifugal switch in the back broke or hanging up. wouldnt hurt to know if its on 110v or 220v and how many amps its pulling. usually a humming pump motor is not good. not that it matters much, what part of N FL are u in? what kinda pump?
 

Gary Slusser

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This will not happen. It is a jet pump, and if the well is running out of water. it will suck air and lose its prime. After that it will not pump any water.

It sound like the starter switch, or capacitor in the motor is going bad.
No water at times is the complaint.

And he is running water all night due to freezing temps and hasn't had any rain in awhile. Pulling the well down too far for a jet pump doesn't always cause a loss of prime, especially if his drop pipe is down deeper than 20-25' and still under water, as the well recovers the pump may be able to self prime.

Since the motor switch is buzzing, it is getting power. It may not be the right type, maybe 120 instead of 220; a loose connection in the pressure switch or motor maybe.

I don't know how a capacitor works intermittently unless there's a bad solder or other type joint/connection but then I don't know much about the internal workings of a capacitor. I'm thinking an internal short shouldn't go away, it would probably burn it up and the pump wouldn't be able to come on again; but it is coming on again.
 

FLNative

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Well I took the pressure switch and where it coupled to the power apart and finally found a wire that had either burned or been chewed through, the plug outlet for the bleach pump for the water softener system was also mostly shot so I replaced the whole kit 'n' kaboodle, wiring, pressure switch, and outlet.

Tested it several times, pump kicked on when expected, then turned off at correct pressure...

Alls good... Or so I thought...

Having run around all day to get the parts and do the wiring, I took a nap only to be woken by my wife that the water was out again, same symptoms, pressure switch is in the closed position so that it's trying to tell the pump to get water, but the pump isn't pumping. The casing is hot, and occasionally the pump buzzes.

Then, just as I'm tearing my hair out it starts up again, and we have water.

I leave a faucet on in the hopes of keeping it running (because up until now if it's running, it's running fine, if it shuts off it might not come back on with the same symptoms. However, turns out I didn't leave enough water running through the system so now, 3 hours later, the night before Christmas, the water is off AGAIN, and it's been almost an hour and it hasn't come back on like it has done in the past.

I'm at my wits end, we're hosting family tomorrow, and it appears we may be doing so without water, as it still hasn't come on. Went back out to the pump and there it is, pressure switch closed, pump occasionally buzzing like it's TRYING to start.

Not sure whether I'll get a reply tonight, but any insight into this damn thing would be appreciated, as mentioned I've replaced the wiring and pressure switch, rechecked the pipes to make sure no leak, but I'm no expert and am flying blind.

Under the assumption it got hot, for whatever reason, and is too hot to trip back on I am shutting off power for an hour to see if I can, hopefully, turn power back on then and have it kick on...

Details to questions. It's a Simer above ground 3/4 hp shallow well jet pump, I believe 220v, don't believe it's well drying up because as mentioned once it's working I can leave it on for days and it doesn't stop pumping, and have to do so recently because of freezing temps and to keep it running.
Pressure switch is attached to side of pump, and a hose from the bottom of the switch plugs into the top side of the pump. We have heavy iron content so I already cleaned out what I could of iron deposits, though in all honesty I did not attempt to pull the pump apart to check in there.
 

Waterwelldude

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Turn the power off.!!!!
Take the top off the motor. There should be two small screws holding it on.
Right in the middle of the motor there is a single set of points.
Gently use a finger nail file or emery cloth to lightly clean the points.
Use a can of spray air to blow any dust off the points.
Put the top back on.
Turn the power back on.
Hopefully it will come on,and pump water.
 

FLNative

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single set of points? I see two pieces of what looks like copper overlapped at one end, is this what you mean?

Edit: Assuming that's what you meant, no joy... I cleaned between the two points, stood back, held my breath as I switched the power on, and nada...

It's not feeling Christmassy this year...
 
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Waterwelldude

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That set of points were the ones I meant.
They could be pitted and still not be making good contact. After you filed them, you have to make sure you blow out all the dust. Just one grain of sand will not let it work.
That and what you have already tried is all I can think of that you could do,
unless you have a spare capacitor laying around.
 

FLNative

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So at this point, it's the starter or capacitor of the pump I can only presume from what you've told me, and if I can hear it trying it seems to make sense that whatever 'starts' it (I have to use the analogy of a car engine and the starter motor) has failed, hence the buzzing of it trying...

which means at this point I can either try and buy a capacitor, or I get to buy a new pump... Merry Christmas to me... :(

I know I can probably find a pump in Lowe's or Home Depot, or equivalents, though obviously after Christmas now, are eny of those likely to also stock the capacitor? Looking into the pump with the lid off, you have the points in the middle, wiring to the right leading to the pressure switch, and a cylindrical object about 2-3 inches long to the left, is this the capacitor?

By the way, thanks for all your, and everyone else's, help with trying to troubleshoot this!! It's been much appreciated...
 

Ballvalve

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He needs to know that those contacts, some have 2, need to be touching under pressure when the pump is off.

And he should have a new capacitor also.

I seen a lot of springs bad on start switches and thus their is no or very poor contact to the cap on start up.

He can work the start switch by hand to see its operation, with spring tension. Be sure the power is off or you may have a poor Christmas.
 

FLNative

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Ok, well, I finally found a replacement capacitor on the Sunday after Christmas, fitted it, and... nada...

I broke down and paid out for a new pump (mainly because we're expecting freezing temps again over the next few nights and NEED to get water moving through the system, not to mentino I'm tired of lugging buckets from the pond to flush the damned toilets), it was basically the same as what I had originally to make it easier as I could back the motor out leaving the facing (not sure what to call it) attached to the pumbing, drop the new pump backend onto the already fitted facing, prime, turn on, and done... Works perfectly...

Apparently I blew the old pump out, or it siezed, it's currently on my workbench in the barn to look at on a future day... For now, I'm just glad to end the 3 day Christmas drought, even if it meant spending out another $300. Merry Christmas...

In thinking about it, the original pump lasted 2-3 years, this last one lasted 2+ years, so it seems it may just be the life of things on this well... All I know is that I'll be happy to get through the cold season with this new one, and then possibly get a better model then and keep this one in reserve for 'next time'.

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys, it was however the thing I was hoping it wasn't... :(
 

Gary Slusser

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Your last two pumps have lasted 2-3 and 2 yrs and I say there is a reason and it has not been found yet.

I think they are burning up and if they are, and you are running them on the right voltage, then I suspect that you have a low water problem in the well. You should check the static water level in the well; you'd measure down to the water from the top of the casing. A single line jet is good for a max depth of 20-25' at sea level so if the level is close to that, your pump probably can't keep up and gets hot. If the pump doesn't have thermal overload protection, the heat will eventually cause something to fail i the wet end or the motor and you get no water.

The wire you found loose or off probably caused the pump to run on 120 instead of 220.

I suggest buying a pump from a pump distributor (yellow pages under Pumps) rather than a big box store, and it should be an old national brand like Goulds etc.. If possible I'd change over to a submersible.
 
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