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lake jet pump problem 020SHC 05-05-2007
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Posted by on May 5, 2007, 10:24 pm


At the cottage I draw water from the lake via a line with a foot
valve, to a jet pump and on up to the house. The pipe has a heating
cable through it, it we did have water running all winter on weekends
we went up - so I don't think it was frozen The first day of our first
spring trip all was fine. Next day...no water. I checked the pump
house and the out line from the pump had come off. The pump was
pumping out water, but obviously it was not getting to the house.

I refastened the lines, restarted the pump and it cycles on and off
very fast - couple of seconds on, then a couple off. I though the
pressure switch may have fried, so I replaced that. Same thing with
the new one. Every once in a while the pump will catch and watter gets
pumped up to the house, but it doesn't last long.

Today I pulled the line out of the lake. The line was full of water
and the foot valve is OK. I took it off and cleaned it, and put it
back.

I opened the prime hole, started the pump and go soaked by a geyser of
water shooting about 5 feet into the air, so I think the suction line
is intact

There is a valve just off the pump on the house side, and even if I
close that valve the pump never builds up pressure enought to stop -
it is the same on-off cycle as when it is pumping all the way up to
the house.

I am stumped as to where to look next. Ideas?


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Posted by Steve on May 5, 2007, 10:48 pm



I also pump water from a lake and had a similar problem. At the
suction end (inlet) of the pump there is a check valve. On my pump it
can be unscrewed from the pump body. I disconnected the suction
piping, removed the check valve and found some debris in the valve
seat causing the valve not to close entirely. I cleaned it out, put
it all back together and the problem stopped.


On 5 May 2007 19:24:22 -0700, 020SHC@gmail.com wrote:

>At the cottage I draw water from the lake via a line with a foot
>valve, to a jet pump and on up to the house. The pipe has a heating
>cable through it, it we did have water running all winter on weekends
>we went up - so I don't think it was frozen The first day of our first
>spring trip all was fine. Next day...no water. I checked the pump
>house and the out line from the pump had come off. The pump was
>pumping out water, but obviously it was not getting to the house.
>
>I refastened the lines, restarted the pump and it cycles on and off
>very fast - couple of seconds on, then a couple off. I though the
>pressure switch may have fried, so I replaced that. Same thing with
>the new one. Every once in a while the pump will catch and watter gets
>pumped up to the house, but it doesn't last long.
>
>Today I pulled the line out of the lake. The line was full of water
>and the foot valve is OK. I took it off and cleaned it, and put it
>back.
>
>I opened the prime hole, started the pump and go soaked by a geyser of
>water shooting about 5 feet into the air, so I think the suction line
>is intact
>
>There is a valve just off the pump on the house side, and even if I
>close that valve the pump never builds up pressure enought to stop -
>it is the same on-off cycle as when it is pumping all the way up to
>the house.
>
>I am stumped as to where to look next. Ideas?


Posted by Harry K on May 5, 2007, 11:03 pm


On May 5, 7:24 pm, 020...@gmail.com wrote:
> At the cottage I draw water from the lake via a line with a foot
> valve, to a jet pump and on up to the house. The pipe has a heating
> cable through it, it we did have water running all winter on weekends
> we went up - so I don't think it was frozen The first day of our first
> spring trip all was fine. Next day...no water. I checked the pump
> house and the out line from the pump had come off. The pump was
> pumping out water, but obviously it was not getting to the house.
>
> I refastened the lines, restarted the pump and it cycles on and off
> very fast - couple of seconds on, then a couple off. I though the
> pressure switch may have fried, so I replaced that. Same thing with
> the new one. Every once in a while the pump will catch and watter gets
> pumped up to the house, but it doesn't last long.
>
> Today I pulled the line out of the lake. The line was full of water
> and the foot valve is OK. I took it off and cleaned it, and put it
> back.
>
> I opened the prime hole, started the pump and go soaked by a geyser of
> water shooting about 5 feet into the air, so I think the suction line
> is intact
>
> There is a valve just off the pump on the house side, and even if I
> close that valve the pump never builds up pressure enought to stop -
> it is the same on-off cycle as when it is pumping all the way up to
> the house.
>
> I am stumped as to where to look next. Ideas?

The description of the problem sounds like you have an obstruction
somewhere in the pipe between the pressure switch and the house. The
pump apparently is 'building pressure' up to the cut-off point. It is
a typical 'short cycling' symptom of which the common cause is a
pressure tank that has lost all it's air bubble or a shutoff valve
being closed.

Harry K


Posted by on May 6, 2007, 6:35 pm
> On May 5, 7:24 pm, 020...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
> > At the cottage I draw water from thelakevia a line with a foot
> > valve, to a jetpumpand on up to the house. The pipe has a heating
> > cable through it, it we did have water running all winter on weekends
> > we went up - so I don't think it was frozen The first day of our first
> > spring trip all was fine. Next day...no water. I checked thepump
> > house and the out line from thepumphad come off. Thepumpwas
> > pumping out water, but obviously it was not getting to the house.
>
> > I refastened the lines, restarted thepumpand it cycles on and off
> > very fast - couple of seconds on, then a couple off. I though the
> > pressure switch may have fried, so I replaced that. Same thing with
> > the new one. Every once in a while thepumpwill catch and watter gets
> > pumped up to the house, but it doesn't last long.
>
> > Today I pulled the line out of thelake. The line was full of water
> > and the foot valve is OK. I took it off and cleaned it, and put it
> > back.
>
> > I opened the prime hole, started thepumpand go soaked by a geyser of
> > water shooting about 5 feet into the air, so I think the suction line
> > is intact
>
> > There is a valve just off thepumpon the house side, and even if I
> > close that valve thepumpnever builds up pressure enought to stop -
> > it is the same on-off cycle as when it is pumping all the way up to
> > the house.
>
> > I am stumped as to where to look next. Ideas?
>
> The description of the problem sounds like you have an obstruction
> somewhere in the pipe between the pressure switch and the house.
Thepumpapparently is 'building pressure' up to the cut-off point. It is
> a typical 'short cycling' symptom of which the common cause is a
> pressure tank that has lost all it's air bubble or a shutoff valve
> being closed.
>
> Harry K

I checked today - the pressure tank has just under 30 lbs of pressure
in it. I can occasionally get it to catch and run for 2 or three
minutes at a time - when it does water makes it to the house - just
not for long.


Posted by Harry K on May 6, 2007, 11:26 pm
On May 6, 3:35 pm, 020...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 5, 7:24 pm, 020...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > > At the cottage I draw water from thelakevia a line with a foot
> > > valve, to a jetpumpand on up to the house. The pipe has a heating
> > > cable through it, it we did have water running all winter on weekends
> > > we went up - so I don't think it was frozen The first day of our first
> > > spring trip all was fine. Next day...no water. I checked thepump
> > > house and the out line from thepumphad come off. Thepumpwas
> > > pumping out water, but obviously it was not getting to the house.
>
> > > I refastened the lines, restarted thepumpand it cycles on and off
> > > very fast - couple of seconds on, then a couple off. I though the
> > > pressure switch may have fried, so I replaced that. Same thing with
> > > the new one. Every once in a while thepumpwill catch and watter gets
> > > pumped up to the house, but it doesn't last long.
>
> > > Today I pulled the line out of thelake. The line was full of water
> > > and the foot valve is OK. I took it off and cleaned it, and put it
> > > back.
>
> > > I opened the prime hole, started thepumpand go soaked by a geyser of
> > > water shooting about 5 feet into the air, so I think the suction line
> > > is intact
>
> > > There is a valve just off thepumpon the house side, and even if I
> > > close that valve thepumpnever builds up pressure enought to stop -
> > > it is the same on-off cycle as when it is pumping all the way up to
> > > the house.
>
> > > I am stumped as to where to look next. Ideas?
>
> > The description of the problem sounds like you have an obstruction
> > somewhere in the pipe between the pressure switch and the house.
Thepumpapparently is 'building pressure' up to the cut-off point. It is
> > a typical 'short cycling' symptom of which the common cause is a
> > pressure tank that has lost all it's air bubble or a shutoff valve
> > being closed.
>
> > Harry K
>
> I checked today - the pressure tank has just under 30 lbs of pressure
> in it. I can occasionally get it to catch and run for 2 or three
> minutes at a time - when it does water makes it to the house - just
> not for long.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Hmmm....Pump motor failing? Starting controller bad? That's about
all I can think of.

Harry K


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