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Questions on well pump

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Tinkerer05

New User
I have a two wire well pump at approx. 385ft. There is a Pressure Tank and a Pressure Switch (40/60).

With power off, I measure:
• 4.8 ohms between the two wires going to the pump (manufacturer’s winding resistance spec says 3.2 – 3.8 ohms, plus cable resistance from the well head to the pump
• On the pump, open circuit between each wire and ground

With power on, at the well head I measure:
• 235 VAC
• 6.2 Amps on each of the wires (manufacturer’s spec for the current: full load - 6.8 Amps, Max load – 8 Amps)

My problem is that I am not getting any water coming out of the well, after 10 years of good service. Since the readings all seem to be normal (I think) for the pump, it seems that the only conclusion I can reach is that the well has gone dry. Are there any other possibilities?

What should the psi be in the Pressure Tank with power off? I measure 10 psi. Is that reasonable?

Thanks!
 
It's time to call the well digger to come out pull the top off and inspect the pump system and well. It could be anything from bad pump to bad pipe to no water but you have to look in the well to tell which it is.
At 385 ft you can't pull the pump yourself.
Walt
 
Walt is correct, The pile of 20 foot pipes will amaze you. The motor could be working but not connected to the impeller stack, the water could be below the intake, or the Impellers could be stripped on the splines. My stack of 9 impellers (450' water in a 500' well) was damaged (siezed to the stators) by operating momentarily in a bubble of natural gas. They siezed and stuck the motor. Best of luck, do not run it not working, it will be many more dollars. Jim
 
Well, the digger just left - of all the responses, you got closest - the pump shaft is broken and the tank is bad. The only good news was that the motor was ok.

I guess 10 psi was the indicator on the tank since apparently it should have been around at least 38 psi. The digger reckoned that sometimes a bad tank can cause enough back pressure that it strains the pump but he also says its hard to tell. It could also have been a bad shaft.

The tank, pump and motor were all replaced about 5 years ago, so there's no warranty to fall back on.

So we are now pumping $1,700 back into the economy...

Thank y'all for your responses - great community - great forum!
 
With those amperage readings it appears the pump is still moving water but not making enough pressure to discharge into your pressure tank.

Pressure tank should sit at the low pressure cut-in pressure (40psi) unless something is open that drains it down when the power is off.

Could be low water level in well, worn out pump or problem with discharge line.
 
The guy that drilled my well had a wood weight on the end of a tape. He measured how far the water was below grade.

You can only generate 10 psi at tank, right? I would think if your well is going dry, you would be sucking air. Any air bubbles?

I'm too old to pull a 385 ft well, so I would call my well guy out.

This could be risky. Attach a flashlight to a fishing pole. Lower the light and take a look see. I would use a small LED light and perhaps attach some wood to it in case the line breaks. That way I could go fishing for light.

I heard of a guy who's pump came unscrewed from the pipe.

Did your problem happen all at once? If it was slow in coming, I would bleach the well. Bleach removes iron, so if you have an iron well casing bleach it. Was told wells should be bleached every 6 month to a year.

Really all we can do is guess at problem. LOL

Let us know what you find out.
George
 
Well, the digger just left - of all the responses, you got closest - the pump shaft is broken and the tank is bad. The only good news was that the motor was ok.

I guess 10 psi was the indicator on the tank since apparently it should have been around at least 38 psi. The digger reckoned that sometimes a bad tank can cause enough back pressure that it strains the pump but he also says its hard to tell. It could also have been a bad shaft.

The tank, pump and motor were all replaced about 5 years ago, so there's no warranty to fall back on.

So we are now pumping $1,700 back into the economy...

Thank y'all for your responses - great community - great forum!

I've reposted my earlier second message since I posted to the wrong spot earlier. But thanks again everyone for responding.
 
With respect, even though the pump is primed, it must be filled with water. There is certainly a foot valve on a submersible pump. The water would flow down the pipe and seek the well level. then when started the water hammer would be drastic if not dangerous. That stem pipe must be filled at all times. We use a valve on the open well stem and open it slowly to allow the stem to fill, then hook it up to the tank before finishing the task. Jim
 
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