Ask Me Help Desk - Can't get water pump to prime

My pump motor seems fine but continues to run and no water comes out. I've tried to prime it and after pouring in the water, I can hold my hand over the hole and the suction is good but yet it will not allow the water to run in. Usually if you prime a pump, you can tell by the sound that it is going to work. There seems to be no leaks in the pipes nor a problem with the foot valve. Could it be there is so much air in the lines that it is going to take many, many attempts at priming to get the air all out? The tank varily had any air pressure so I added 40lbs but it still didn't make a difference. How much does it require, do I need more?
The reason the pump lost prime was because I had a pipe freeze so I shut the power switch off to the pump as well as the water valve. Once I knew the pipe had thawed, I turned on the water valve again and the pump also. At one of the joints, the pipe popped off and the water shot out. By the time I got everything shut back off, I'd lost prime. The pipe is fixed, so now the pump is my problem. Any suggestions? Thanks

When you pour water into the impeller housing can you fill it to overflowing? Does it hold water?

Quote:

The tank varily had any air pressure so I added 40lbs but it still didn't make a difference. How much does it require, do I need more?

You have too much pressure in the bladder tank. Shut the pump down and let the system drain. Let all the air out of the tanki. Now look on the pump control box (see i8mage). Take the lowest figure (the cut in point) And pressure the tank 2 PSI under the cut in point. In other words if your pump cuts in at 30 PSI and off at 50 your setting would be 28 PSI. Good luck and thank nyou for rating my answer. Tom

Thank you, I'd forgot about the psi. This one should be at 28lbs. I am wondering a few things. Sorry if my questions are stupid, but I have to ask anyway. Is there a reason the air should be all released out and then put in 28lbs? Couldn't I just let out enough air until it is down to 28lbs? And if I shut the pump down and drain it out completely, how do I do that? There is no water that will run from the faucet, how do I get the water out? You asked about if the water stays in when I pour to prime. Yes, I fill it and it stays up, I cap it and turn the pump on. At first it sounds like it is trying to prime, but then just doesn't make it. If I take the cap back off, all I have to add is maybe a half cup of water. I've tried to turn the faucet on to see if there is trapped air, it will sputter a bit and a small amount of water comes out and then stops. Is this just the water that I added that is coming out? If I hold my hand over the place I pour to prime instead of capping it, it will suck tight to my hand, so it is sucking. This happened to me, last spring. I had someone look at my pump and they said it was fine and that my problem was either the foot valve or the pipe has a hole in it that is connected to the foot valve. Neither was the problem, as a matter of fact, that had all been put in new about 5 yrs ago. When we had the pipe with the foot valve out, we took a hose and pushed it up into the pipe and flushed water through to see if there happened to be a problem in the area where the pipe runs underground to the building. At the pump, we had the lines disconnected so the water came gushing straight through, so the underground pipe wasn't the problem. Then we put the foot valve back in place and turned on the pump, the pump spitted and sputtered and finally the water came rushing through. Once we connected the lines all back, and primed the pump, it took right off. I wondered if there was just an extreme amount of air in the lines that was causing the problem and also wonder if this could be the problem again. Any thoughts?

Quote:

Is there a reason the air should be all released out and then put in 28lbs? Couldn't I just let out enough air until it is down to 28lbs?

The reason you should shut the pump off and open a faucetto take the pressure off is that to set the bladder tank there should be [B] no pressure [/B ]left in the system that will affect the bladder tank PSI.

Quote:

And if I shut the pump down and drain it out completely, how do I do that? There is no water that will run from the faucet, how do I get the water out?

You don't "get the water out" You simply open a cold water faucet and relieve the pressure.

Quote:

You asked about if the water stays in when I pour to prime. Yes, I fill it and it stays up, I cap it and turn the pump on. At first it sounds like it is trying to prime, but then just doesn't make it.

Did you bleed the 40 plus PSI out of the bladder tank and charge the tank with the correct setting? If not you're attemptring to make your pump push past the pressure in the tank.
If you haven't set the tank pressure at 2 PSI under the cut in pre3ssure on the control box do so at once and get back to me with the results. Good luck, Tom

I had opened the faucet up so I guess I did that right. Since I hadn't heard back I just let out the air until 28lbs. Still no luck. My son came out and went down into the well and cut the pipe into and we pulled the pipe with the foot valve out to check it out. The part of the pipe which was still connected that comes into the well was about a foot in the water. We primed and turned on the pump and it worked so we knew it was the foot valve. We let it run until the water dropped down to the bottom of this pipe and he was able to go back and replace the pipe with a new foot valve. Everything is working now but we noticed one problem. The problem is, once the water runs through the tankless water heater, it is heating up but the pressure on those hot water faucets is low. The knobs are turned the correct way on the heater. On the other hand, the cold water has good pressure. I know it has something to do with the heater since the cold is fine. This is a new on demand water heater that we exchanged out today also. We know it is installed correctly because we replaced it with the very same kind and we double checked everything as we took the old one out. I'm sure it is a matter of adjustment. I really appreciate all your help. You explain things so well that I understand what you are talking about.

Quote:

I had opened the faucet up so I guess I did that right.

m Was the power to the pump when you did?

Quote:

once the water runs through the tankless water heater, it is heating up but the pressure on those hot water faucets is low.

Shut the water off to one of the faucets and open it up. Remove the cartridge and check band clean the inlet ports. Before you button up turn the water back on to flush out the supplies. Let me know if that helps the pressure om that faucet. Back to you. Tom

Tom, I already tried checking the filter in the faucet unit. That was the problem once with the old water heater. It isn't the case this time. I can't imagine the filter in the new heater would be clogged already unless some dirt came through in the very beginning, but I"d already been running the water out awhile before sending it to the heater. My son messed with the knobs last night, I wasn't home, I will have to ask him about what different ways he tried turning them. In the manual it tells that as the temperature knob is turned counter-clockwise, the output temp. will lower and the activation rate will be raised. Turning the knob clockwise will raise the temp. and lower the activation rate. Then there is also a power adjustment knob to lower the temp. If I understand the way it reads, it doesn't make since. Why would you have to give up a good hot temp. in order to have higher pressure? Or to get higher temp, you have to have less pressure? We replaced with the very same heater and never had this problem with the other one.
You asked if I opened the faucet with the pump running? First I had the pump running and opened up the faucet, it coughed out air and what little water was there. I left the faucet open after I shut the pump off. But right now, the only problem I'm having it regulating the hot water pressure running through the water heater. Thanks for all the help.

Tom, I just wanted to let you know we took the cylindrical filter out of the water heater and it was full of gunk. Evidently all the messing with the well stirred up dirt and plugged the filter. Once we cleaned it out thoroughly and replaced it, the pressure increased to where it should be. Now on to my next mishap, it is one thing after another. My gas dryer stopped heating, we think it is the ignitor, whatever it is, we found the bad part and hopefully it doesn't cost a lot to replace. Again, thanks for the help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygirlpunky

Tom, I just wanted to let you know we took the cylindrical filter out of the water heater and it was full of gunk. Evidently all the messing with the well stirred up dirt and plugged the filter. Once we cleaned it out thoroughly and replaced it, the pressure increased to where it should be. Now on to my next mishap, it is one thing after another. Again, thanks for the help.

Glad you got the pump back on line, Girl. I an starting a new thread about your dryer over in "Appliances" under the heading. "Gas Dryer Problem" Look for your answer there. Regards, Tom