Ask Me Help Desk - Submersible pump problem

65' well with 220v submersible pump. Building unoccupied. Electric bill doubled. Disconnected all appliances. Bill remained same. Used outside faucet and well water was hot. Water is usually very cold. Good pressure. Turned pump off well water returned to cold after a couple of days. Cut pump back on and found good pressure but water temp started to increase. Pump remains off. What is the problem? Is there a short in pump? Any ideas. Thanks

Check your switch. I'm going to bet the points are stuck closed. With the building unused, and no water being used, the pump should not even be running, much less running enough to double the electric bill. Even if there was a serious problem with the pump, it would not show up if the pump was not even running.

The switch will be a small grey box with wires attached. See this site for a good view/discussion of it.

How to Find & Adjust the Water Pump Pressure Control - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs

Another possibility is a serious leak somewhere or a failed check valve, either of which would cause the pump to cycle many times an hour. You can check those two by simply watching your pressure gauge. When the pump cuts off, the pressure should hold steady.

Still, that shouldn't cause the water to become hot. If the points are stuck, then you will have HIGH pressure. Check your gauge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Check your switch. I'm going to bet the points are stuck closed. With the building unused, and no water being used, the pump should not even be running, much less running enough to double the electric bill. Even if there was a serious problem with the pump, it would not show up if the pump was not even running.

The switch will be a small grey box with wires attached. See this site for a good view/discussion of it.

How to Find & Adjust the Water Pump Pressure Control - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs

Another possibility is a serious leak somewhere or a failed check valve, either of which would cause the pump to cycle many times an hour. You can check those two by simply watching your pressure gauge. When the pump cuts off, the pressure should hold steady.

Still, that shouldn't cause the water to become hot. If the points are stuck, then you will have HIGH pressure. Check your gauge.

Thanks will try. Would the points being stuck closed cause the water to heat up?

It will cause the pump to run 24/7, and that could, I suppose, cause water to heat up. But again, it will also run the pressure up which you can see on the gauge. The thing is this. No water being used should mean the pump being OFF 24/7. That's what I would look at first: is the pump running a lot.