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southorient · Mar 13, 2009, 07:04 PM

My landscape irrigation pump is not working. We had unusually cold weather in North Florida this year so I suspect that may have been the catalyst. I was out of town for several months this winter and turned off the breaker for the pump when I left. There is power to the pump, but it just hummms. No water at all. Hmmm, is it repairable or did something burst during the cold spell in my absence? My plant are getting hungry!

bones252100 · Mar 14, 2009, 07:50 PM

With power on, tap it several times with a light hammer. This may free any stiction problem.

ballengerb1 · Mar 14, 2009, 07:57 PM

How is the system attached to the home? Verify that water is getting out to the system first. If need be disconnect the pump to see if water is reaching the pump. Back to you

southorient · Mar 15, 2009, 07:18 AM

I thank everyone responding to my question. I was being stupid, so I did a little research. Mine is a centrifugal pump for a shallow ground well. There is no connx to house water at all. Last year there was a very small leak at the union between the pipe from the well to the pipe to the intake. This was only apparent when the system was not running obviously. So I would turn the power off to the system after every use [not automatic]. I have a 2 gal bladder tank on the discharge directly on top of the impeller housing and NO check or foot valves I am sure. Now the system has not been running for several months and as I said, the big freeze, so, that having been said, should I remove the bladder tank and re-prime or is it a motor issue possibly?

speedball1 · Mar 15, 2009, 07:50 AM

If all the motor does is hum when you turn on the breaker thenI would suppect the motor's froze up. Or are you8 saying it runs but won't pull up water? Back to you, Tom

southorient · Mar 15, 2009, 08:01 AM

Motor sounds like it is trying to pull up water [just tried it again]. It does sound as if the impellar is moving. Should I check that?

speedball1 · Mar 15, 2009, 08:22 AM

NO check or foot valves?

then how can you prime your pump? Having no check vale means that you'll lose water back down to the well every time you attempt to prime it. Sounds like the pump's running dry. If you let it run t6hat way for any length of time you'll burn out the seals. Install a check valve on the suction line ahead of the pump and tell me how it works. Good luck, n Tom

southorient · Mar 15, 2009, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by speedball1

then how can you prime your pump? Having no check vale means that you'll lose water back down to the well every time you attempt to prime it. Sounds like the pump's running dry. if you let it run t6hat way for any length of time you'll burn out the seals. Install a check valve on the suction line ahead of the pump and tell me how it works. Good luck, n Tom

Fascinating. I guess I should ask my stupid question and that is, what does a check valve look like? Does it have any external parts or is it just a cylindrical fitting? I always assume that a valve has some kind of handle, etc.

speedball1 · Mar 15, 2009, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by southorient

Fascinating. I guess I should ask my stupid question and that is, what does a check valve look like? Does it have any external parts or is it just a cylindrical fitting? I always assume that a valve has some kind of handle, etc.

Well these don't have handles,( see image) Install a check valve on the suction line ahead of the pump. Now you will retain prime in your punp. Good luck, Tom