[jlisenbe]

Zeke, are you saying that when the switch cut off, it was only cutting off one wire of the two going to the pump? I can see that would have the other line feeding power 24/7. The second line must have been wired directly to the pump, bypassing the switch.

[zeke]

Yes, only one of the hot legs went through the switch and the other is wired directly to the pump. When the wire shorted it completed the circuit. Not enough power to run the pump, but enough to turn it into a heater. Why this was wired this way is beyond me, but it will be corrected.

[jlisenbe]

You know, the guy must have figured the pump was a 120 volt. He would have thought one wire was hot and the other ground.
Did he wire the black through the switch?

[zeke]

Nope the red wire. Two pole breaker. I personally have not seen a 120 volt submersible pump, but that doesn't mean they're out there.

[jlisenbe]

Weird. I'd be tempted to call him and ask what his thinking was.

[Mikki1s]

I have the same problem... I think. I have very hot water coming from the well but only after a few minutes, as the water in the line gets used. If the water runs for 15 to 20 minutes it then gets cool again. The pump does not build enough pressure to cut off so it runs all the time, I thought that the pump may be recirculating the same water long enough to get it hot, once you run the water that has been heated up and the pump is working in new water it pumps through the system cool. Could a weak pump cause that? Once this problem started the water pressure also dropped significantly.

[speedball1]

I live in Sarasota and sure would like to tap into some of that hot well water. Perhaps you hit a Natural "hot springs" or geothermal spot. Just so you know you're not alone read this.
'Well from hell' spewing hot water from taps
Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 18, 2007 11:48 AM

Hot water is flowing from cold water faucets in Sun Groves, and it's not a plumbing problem.

The Chandler neighborhood southeast of Lindsay and Riggs roads is close to one of the city's newest wells - a natural underground hot spring where water temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, said Bob Mulvey, assistant municipal utilities director.

The heat became more noticeable in recent weeks because record water consumption is forcing the city to pump more from the thermal source, he said.





"It's bizarre that you can't have cold water," said Sun Groves resident Charles Bassett. "Our 3-year-old son said it's too hot to wash his hands. My wife is seven months pregnant and can't take a shower to cool down."

Bassett's family moved in last year, and he missed previous city-hosted meetings that explained the thermal well. He said he thought he had a plumbing problem until he talked to neighbors.

Mary Sluzas used to live near the well but moved recently. At the city meetings last year she said she had to put ice cubes in her washing machine to protect delicate fabrics. "We were told that the problem was going to end soon when the city mixed water from other sources," she said.

Mulvey said that's true, but the cool down won't come until April 2009 when the joint Chandler-Gilbert water treatment plant is finished and treated canal water will be mixed with the hot stuff.

The "well from hell" isn't all bad. Mulvey said it is producing 3 million gallons a day, three times the quantity of an average city well. That has saved the city more than $4 million in additional well-drilling costs.

Unlike other sources of groundwater, this one has such a low arsenic level that the city doesn't have to treat it to meet strict federal standards. The thermal spring's water also has a low mineral content; minerals cause water's "hardness," and can corrode plumbing.

"We second-guessed our decision when we brought that well on line, but now I'm glad we did," Mulvey said.

Natural "hot springs" or geothermal wells are not uncommon in Arizona but often aren't found in cities before streets and homes are built on top of them, said Tempe energy consultant Amanda Ormond. She has helped map the state's geothermal sites and has promoted them as a source of low-cost energy.
Good luck, Tom

[jlisenbe]

You really, really do not want the pump running 24/7. Bad on the pump. Is your pump in the well or above ground?

[hkstroud]

I would say that this one (Mikki1s) is a defective pump. Specifically a worn, damaged or defective impeller. For what ever reason, the pump is not able to produce the pressure required to open the pressure switch. Therefore the pump keeps running even though it is not moving any water. Cooling of the pump motor would require that it keep moving water. The constantly running pump motor would heat the surrounding water. The water in the pipe between the pump and the house would be cold. When you open a faucet, the pump can then move some some water because the pressure has been reduced. The cold water in the pipe comes out first, then the heated water. Then the moving water keeps the pump motor cool until you close the faucet, after which the pump can no longer move any water, but cannot reach the require shut off pressure.

I would pull the pump as soon as possible. You should be able to replace the impeller at considerably less cost than replacing the entire unit (motor and impeller).