I have an 85 ' well with a pump and a well controller. The pump was replaced approximately 8 years ago. This well pumps uphill about 50 yards and I'd guess 12' elevation to a cistern I installed 10 years ago or so. Last Friday, I ran out of water in the cistern. I was on way to work, so I shut the breaker off to both sub pumps. I am currently hauling water from work to put into the cistern(something I had got used to doing over the last 7 years of extreme drought here in central Texas). This weekend I was able to do minimum investigation, while I wait for my home warranty company to send someone out. Could find no leaks and the cistern pump doesn't cycle on with all water faucets turned off. So....looks like the well is the problem.
With power to the well's pump, the green light is on on the well controller,(old unit, no idea brand etc.....), and there is a humm and fine vibration coming from the well cap, so I assume, there is power to the pump. I checked inside the controller and the "power box" on the side of the casing, there were no ants in the works, and no obvious burn marks on any of the electronics. In the power box I believe I counted 4 wires and a ground(not sure if this is a 3 wire w/gnd or a 4 wire????). I let the breaker stay on for about an hour, and the well controller never shut the pump down! Not sure if this means the pump isn't over amping or if the controller is shot, but not showing signs of that. I wasn't sure how to go about checking the amp draw on the pump. I don't "wing it" with electricity.
There is no water at a faucet near well nor is there any water coming into the cistern . The pressure tank is buried beside the well, so no way of easily checking that. Apparently it is common in this area to bury the pressure tank, as I know of several other folks with same setup. Even during the height of the drought, i could usually get some water periodically into the cistern. We got a lot of rain earlier in the year, our lakes that were severely low, are full, so I don't think this is a no water in the well situation.
Ideas?
Thanks, Mike
With power to the well's pump, the green light is on on the well controller,(old unit, no idea brand etc.....), and there is a humm and fine vibration coming from the well cap, so I assume, there is power to the pump. I checked inside the controller and the "power box" on the side of the casing, there were no ants in the works, and no obvious burn marks on any of the electronics. In the power box I believe I counted 4 wires and a ground(not sure if this is a 3 wire w/gnd or a 4 wire????). I let the breaker stay on for about an hour, and the well controller never shut the pump down! Not sure if this means the pump isn't over amping or if the controller is shot, but not showing signs of that. I wasn't sure how to go about checking the amp draw on the pump. I don't "wing it" with electricity.
There is no water at a faucet near well nor is there any water coming into the cistern . The pressure tank is buried beside the well, so no way of easily checking that. Apparently it is common in this area to bury the pressure tank, as I know of several other folks with same setup. Even during the height of the drought, i could usually get some water periodically into the cistern. We got a lot of rain earlier in the year, our lakes that were severely low, are full, so I don't think this is a no water in the well situation.
Ideas?
Thanks, Mike