Wondering how much longer my old pump will last

[Tubby]

I'm trying to estimate how much longer my submersible pump will last. It is at least 16 years old, but probably more. Here is the exact info on its label:

SHUR-DRI
SD-A202-02
Submersible Well Pump
3/4HP, 10GPM 2 WIRE
230V 60Hz 1PH
Code: 001J09H
Assembled in USA

Any opinions would be appreciated. The pump sits horizontally in a shallow spring; I estimate it to be around 20-30 feet lower than the house in elevation, but there is perhaps 700 feet of distance.

I asked Grok AI about this pump. In particular, Grok estimates the manufacturing date as follows, based on the Code:

Based on this decoding, the pump was most likely manufactured on January 1, 2009 (or very early in 2009 if "001" is the first day and "J09" confirms the year 2009 with October as a possible month reference in some variants). The "Assembled in USA" notation is consistent with production during that period under Pentair's oversight of the SHUR-DRI line.

Does the year 2009, at least, seem accurate?

If anyone is interested in Grok's full discussion, I can provide it here.

 

[Valveman]

Shur Dri is just one of many names Pentair sells under. That way they can tell their installers they DO NOT sell to box stores, when they really do, just under a different name.

All pumps are designed using planned obsolescence to last an average of 7 years. You may get 16 or even 30 years from your pump, but there are plenty others that are cycled to death in a month or three to keep the average almost exactly 7 years.

The Kingsbury type thrust bearing in the motor is completely frictionless when running and can last forever. I have one on a well for stock water that hasn't shut off since 1996. But the bearing runs dry for a second during each start. Plus, the windings see about 6 times as much current (heat) on start up as they do after it is up and running. Therefore, life of any pump depends on how many times it is started and how much it is used. A pump that is only used a few minutes a week will last longer than one that runs (cycles) for hours a day.

Sometimes lightning, voltage surges, holes in the pipe, check valve failure, or chapping the wire can cause a failure, but the majority of the time cycling on and off is what destroys pumps.

The Cycle Stop Valve is considered a disruptive product and disliked by nearly all pump manufactures and installers because it makes pumps last many times longer than normal.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I'm trying to estimate how much longer my submersible pump will last. It is at least 16 years old, but probably more.

There is a good chance that your pump has a Franklin motor. I would keep it in service. There is a reasonable chance that it will be good for another 16 years.

A new pump might last a similar amount of time.

I find this story to be interesting: https://web.archive.org/web/20120818235954/http://justicewater.com/articles/baad-pumps

 

[Valveman]

Yeah that is kind of an old story, but still accurate. I have been selling, repairing, building Franklin motors since they started and have also sold many other brands, including all the ones mentioned. What I have noticed over the years is that none of them make changes to improve the quality or life of their pumps. All the changes I have seen in my life are to things that last too long, so they fix that. Lol! Anything that can increase the life of a pump is considered a disruptive product and they try their best to destroy it.