A real head scratcher

[bc.gold 3,403]

A neighbor to a neighbor to me was helping the other with a well pump problem when I had arrived to visit with the first, not knowing the second decided to step over the fence to observe.

 

Vinny the guy having the problem purchased a brand new shallow well pump, installed it four days ago and managed to burn out the motor in that short period of time.

 

Motor would start then quickly shut down reverting back to the start winding, giving all the indications of a water logged tank. I have him check the air pressure yup 30 psi present but no water pressure upstairs. It's a bladder tank so I next have him open the taps on the bath tube, finally a large slug of air is expelled from the taps.

 

Check air pressure on empty tank, 5 psi, recharge the bladder to 30 restart the pump and once again the motor cycles on and off and this is on an empty water tank. I ask Vinny how long had the motor been doing this, his reply brand new pump installed four days ago.

 

Not the answer I'm looking for but close enough to analise the situation, that poor pump motor during the past four days and nights had been cycling against a waterlogged tank. What surprised me is that the run winding's survived, but I'm supposing the cheap Chinese water pump used copper on the start winding with aluminum for the run.

 

Power to the start winding initiate the motor to turn over then once up to speed the run winding takes over, a centrifugal switch releases the start winding from power.

 

But If the run winding were burnt out the motor would constantly fall back to start thus giving the symptoms of a waterlogged tank which obviously cant happen with an empty water tank.

 

When I left the pair of them were still playing with it, what I had said had fallen on deaf ears.

 

Later in the day when chatting with Scotty that I had replaced out water pump late last year, and had purchased a Goulds  from the guy in McCreary. Said that I may have paid a tad more but a pump installer is going to install a proven brand because there's no money replacing warranty.

 

The municipality just had their annual water well testing campaign, $65.00 for a test that cost $30.00 anyhow Greg another neighbor had his water tested which came back positive for coliform bacteria.

 

What is kinda humorous even though he knows the results just simply said Oh well I don't drink the water but what he's forgetting is that any guests visiting won't be aware of the water hazard.

 

I'm sooo glad that I live a mile and a half from town.

 

 

 

 

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,032]

This brings back memories with a bit of a twist.

Had a 2hp deep well pump that burnt up 3 times in 3 years before we figured out what the problem was. Rewound twice with no reason for the failure determined. So heavier wiring, heavier controls and thermal cutouts plus larger piping were put in place as a precaution. The last time I heard it try to start but could not get to it before it released the magic smoke. Now we know it fails on startup. Replaced it with a 3hp motor and it has been golden ever since. Conclusion is the 2hp was borderline sufficient. On occasion it did not have the power to get up to speed so both windings went up in smoke. If run windings fail they usually take the start windings with them making it hard to determine the sequence of events that took place in 5 seconds.

It will pump 10 gallons a minute for a week because we tried it to get some grass started but only if the pump starts.

 

Garry