Gould Jet Pump... help Water Cutting Off and Back On

Hello,

I have a GOULD jet pump and lately the pump will not run and the water will run out. (Usually when I am in the middle of a shower..:) If I wait about 15 to 20 minutes it will come back on and fill up and usually work fine again for a day or so. This happens about once every day or two. Anyone have any ideas what may be going on?

thanks!!! Shawn

Reply to
SP
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Had the same problem this Summer. Turned out to be a bad starter on the motor. Replaced the whole pump although I suppose a person could repair the motor if you don't have to climb down into a 10ft deep pit to work on it. Tom G.

Reply to
Tom

Does the motor have a thermal protection switch? Look for a round, red button sticking out from the motor somewhere. Sounds like it's overheating when it runs a certain amount of time then resets itself after cooling off. If this is what's happening, then you need to figure out why is it overheating (bad bearings? stuck start-up switch?).

That reminds me of another possibility: the starter capacitor that these usually have might be going out. If you look at the motor, there should be an oblong-rounded rectangular cover on the side held on by a couple of screws. Take off the cover and look at the capacitor in there (it's usually a cylindrical object with electrical connections on one end). If it's leaking, it should be replaced. Even if it's not leaking, you can remove it and have a motor shop test it (possibly any place that services and sells well pumps could test it).

Reply to
louie

Hi I own a water well and pump service co in southern md. usually the symptoms you describe would indicate a problem with the motor or switch. after the water has stopped feel the motor if it is hot the problem is there and will most likley need to be replaced. if it is not hot it may be dirt, sediment, or iron in the tube that goes from the bottom of the switch to the head of the pump . if this gets clogged the switch wont know the pressure has dropped on the system and it wont start the pump. thanks scott

Reply to
rogersdawn2

According to SP :

Others have mentioned problems with the motor or switch.

Next time it does this, go and check the pump. Is it humming or getting hot? If it does, it's the motor start cap most likely.

If neither is true, thwap the pressure switch with a screwdriver handle. If that helps, you may have a stuck switch.

And finally, another possibility is that the small tubing going from the pump to the pressure switch may be getting clogged, and only very slowly permitting the switch to "see" the pressure drop.

The latter is what happened to our gould pump. Unfastened the tubing, reamed it out with a pipe cleaner, and reinstalled. Problem went away.

Reply to
Chris Lewis

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