submersible pump pumps, but no pressure

cant get my pressure any higher than 10 psi.
tank is not waterlogged
pressure switch is good
float switch for air vent is good
no leaks
if i vent the tank, it will fill all the way up.
changed pump and check valve
same thing
any ideas??

What kind of pump is it?

Perhaps a big leak?

How fast does the pressure go down?

Rancher

new one is a dayton
no leaks
system holds pressure
i know the pump is still under water
does the pump need a certain amount of head pressure above it?

JHF said:

i know the pump is still under water
does the pump need a certain amount of head pressure above it?

Click to expand...

So it's a submersible pump, and no it doesn't need head pressure. Perhaps the gauge is bad, or the tubing going to the pressure switch & gauge?

Rancher

yes, yes the title of this thread is "submersible pump....."
i am fully aware that my pressure gauge is working...
i already said my pressure switch is good...
oh yeah, and the tubing going to it...
do you take me for a retard??
i was kind of wondering if there was a standard depth the pump should be in a 4'' well to recover fast enough......
or maybe someone has actually had this problem and this person can give me an idea....

Not exactly a good response from someone looking for help!

JHF said:

new one is a dayton
no leaks
system holds pressure
i know the pump is still under water
does the pump need a certain amount of head pressure above it?

Click to expand...

Do you have an above ground check valve before the pressure tank?

Rancher

As long as the intake of the pump is under water just a few inches, it should pump water. It is possible that the intake screen is plugged, not enough water in the well, pump is no good even though it is new, low voltage to the motor, leak in the drop pipe, etc. Sometimes checking how many amps the motor is pulling will help us figure it out. Lots of possibilities.

JHF said:

do you take me for a retard??

Click to expand...

I dont know you, so I dont take you for anything other than a person with a bad public attitude, but now to answer your question. Yep, Ive faced your problem, and solved it. There was a check valve in the line from the pump to the tank (actually was located at the tank), and a leak in the pipe inside of the well. Because of the check valve, the tank and the house held it's pressure, and didnt show a leak, but there was a leak in the well, which didnt let the pressure build up above about 20 on the tank. Ive learned that you dont want a check valve anywhere outside of the well except the one on the pump. And when youre on here often enough, and you check in and scan the threads, it's easy to miss out on the headlines on the threads, thats probably why someone asked if you have a submersible pump. For the depth of the pump, put it back where the old one was, and if the old one worked, the new one should work. If the water has dropped so much that water level is causing the problem, then you have more to worry about besides the pump anyway.

While recently bench testing several submersible pumps [barrel testing] I discovered that 3 Myers pumps and 2 Dayton pumps of various sizes, castings and plastic, and HP have the 3/16 tapped holes for the wire cover on the pump head tapped ALL THE WAY THRU into the pump chamber..... which means that if a screw from said wire cover [often overlooked and under torqued] works loose, a huge leak develops in the pumping head and pressure can be slow or impossible to develop. This is not consistent in similiar pumps, some holes are not through holes, and I am rather shocked at this perversity in manufacturing.

Anyone noticed this before??? I would say it is a very serious issue never mentioned in this forum previously.....

Anyone noticed this before??? I would say it is a very serious issue never mentioned in this forum previously.....

Click to expand...

Yes, it's the norm not the exception. Don't leave any of the screws out.

When you bought this pump, is it the same pump as the old one? Not just the same horsepower, but is it the same pump end as the old one?

bob...