Well service or repair

Cyloncity

Any recommendations for a domestic well service or repair in the Meath area. Our well/pump seems to have given up. Any ideas on cost too?
Thanks

kadman

How deep is the well?

con747

Did you check if you can get the grant to upgrade it?
https://www.meath.ie/council/council-services/drinking-water-and-waste-water/drinking-water/water-grants-and-subsidies/well-grants

Cyloncity

kadman wrote: »

How deep is the well?

We are not long moved in and I don't actually know. It's new to me as I've always been on mains supply before. Red on/off switch for pump is lit up, no pressure on pressure vessel and pressure switch not cutting in. Zero sound from well when I removed the cover.
Would not have a clue about looking at or getting pump up myself.
Time for someone who knows what their looking at I think...

Cyloncity

con747 wrote: »

Did you check if you can get the grant to upgrade it?
https://www.meath.ie/council/council-services/drinking-water-and-waste-water/drinking-water/water-grants-and-subsidies/well-grants

I will look into this. Thanks. It's new to us but I've no idea if previous owners availed of this.

con747

Cyloncity wrote: »

I will look into this. Thanks. It's new to us but I've no idea if previous owners availed of this.

It's possible with the dry weather lately you might have just used a lot of water and caused an air lock in the pump if the well went below the foot valve. I had to prime mine over last weekend because of the same. The grants are for treatment, new pump if needed and relocation of equipment and drilling a new well if needed. I'm not sure if a new owner can avail of them if previous one did within the past 7 years but they can be used if needed every 7 years if you qualify.

Cyloncity

con747 wrote: »

It's possible with the dry weather lately you might have just used a lot of water and caused an air lock in the pump if the well went below the foot valve. I had to prime mine over last weekend because of the same. The grants are for treatment, new pump if needed and relocation of equipment and drilling a new well if needed. I'm not sure if a new owner can avail of them if previous one did within the past 7 years but they can be used if needed every 7 years if you qualify.

Could be the case. In my ignorance how might I prime the pump? Completely new to this. When I look into well I see a bit of wood with string/rope attached sitting on the bore hole and the water and electric pipes in this same hole. (I can't see too far down the well so no idea how deep it is) The water pipe is then fed underground to shed where there's an expansion vessel with pressure switch and the switch for pump is here too. From here the water is passed through a softener (which we put in) and then into house/tanks.
Any help appreciated. Even just to say do yourself a favour and call someone who knows what their looking at!!
Thanks

con747

Cyloncity wrote: »

Could be the case. In my ignorance how might I prime the pump? Completely new to this. When I look into well I see a bit of wood with string/rope attached sitting on the bore hole and the water and electric pipes in this same hole. (I can't see too far down the well so no idea how deep it is) The water pipe is then fed underground to shed where there's an expansion vessel with pressure switch and the switch for pump is here too. From here the water is passed through a softener (which we put in) and then into house/tanks.
Any help appreciated. Even just to say do yourself a favour and call someone who knows what their looking at!!
Thanks

On my pump there is a big nut not sure what size I usually just use a monkey wrench but it's probably 20+mm and thin with a smaller nut on top of it screwed in to it in front of the electrics box on the pump. I unscrew the large nut and fill it with water to prime mine. It can take 5-15 litres sometimes but my pump 15 years old and might be totally different to yours. I'm sure someone with more technical knowledge can guide you better!
My well is a deep well 70ft.

Cyloncity

Might try that in the morning then call an expert. Do you physically drag pump out of well yes?
Thanks again

con747

Cyloncity wrote: »

Might try that in the morning then call an expert. Do you physically drag pump out of well yes?
Thanks again

My pump is above ground, so if yours is a submersible one it's probably totally different i'm afraid.

Cyloncity

con747 wrote: »

My pump is above ground, so if yours is a submersible one it's probably totally different i'm afraid.

Yep just copped that when I saw the 70ft!!
Thanks anyway though...

Mrcaramelchoc

Pump it up like keano

kadman

Sounds like yours maybe a deep well jet pump, as mine is.

Bore hole would be 6"-8" diameter. Jet pump is a long narrow diameter pump,
probably 3'ish long and in around 4" diameter.

If its a shallow bore hole that has run dry, then it may refill after a couple of days.

You would know if the pump is drawing power and working if you turn on the pump,
and watch the spinning dial in the mains meter. Should speed up if its working,
and would do nothing if its not working.

If it has to be changed then its drawn back up the borehole, disconnected and replaced.
Tough enough job by hand, depending on the depth.

May be as simple as a plug fuse or a tripped circuit braker.

kadman

https://www.bolasystems.com/grundfos-sq-5-70-30-m-cable-submersible-borehole-pump?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5KXflrCn8QIVjPjVCh1Z7wkmEAYYBiABEgKPjfD_BwE

Cyloncity

kadman wrote: »

https://www.bolasystems.com/grundfos-sq-5-70-30-m-cable-submersible-borehole-pump?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5KXflrCn8QIVjPjVCh1Z7wkmEAYYBiABEgKPjfD_BwE

Hope it's fixable!!!

kadman

Everything is fixable/replaceable.

Have you made any checks at all

kadman

My red on/off switch sometimes lights up fully. This happens when the connector plates in the relay
dont properly connect. I turn it on and off a few times, and this fixxes it.

Sometimes i have to tap the switch box as well to get it going again.

I know I have a dirty connector in the relay, that is slightly burnt from the on off connecting.

I will have to change it, but have not got to it yet.

Cyloncity

kadman wrote: »

Everything is fixable/replaceable.

Have you made any checks at all

I had intermittent issues where after a lot of water use that red light would come on and pressure would drop. Usually flicking it off waiting an hour or so and then back on and it was grand again. I've cleaned and checked the contacts in the pressure switch and all looks ok to me. Now I'm not sure about going near that box with pump switch(red light). It made a kind of winding noise when I switched it on but nothing much. There is no noise coming from well hole when I listen over it. Nothing from switching the pump on and off suggests it's even trying to engage. All MCB are up on all boards and the fact the red light is on suggests pump has power at least?

kadman

When the red light comes on with mine the safety has tripped, and this cuts off power to my pump,
so my pressure drops.

It sounds like yours is doing the same.

On mine this points to contacts in the pump relay in my box, heating up while trying to connect,
and hence the tripping off.

I have cleaned these contacts before, and it cured my problem.
The issue for me was my box of tricks situated on my pressure vessel is in an outside, unheated shed.
Condensation on the heated pints cause the corrosion and poor contacts.

Future fix for me is a new contactor switch which wont be too expensive.

kadman

Does your box do a lot of clicking when its trying to start at times.

Cyloncity

I'd guess our setup is very similar.
If I'm following you correctly the relay box you are talking about has red switch and a black button on the outside. Mine has a label with motor size indicated(0.55kw in my case). The pressure switch is wired in to here too?
Anyway time for someone to look at it! The dishes are piling up....
Thanks for info..

Cyloncity

kadman wrote: »

Does your box do a lot of clicking when its trying to start at times.

Not really. Although while flicking that switch trying to get it going this time, it has made that winding sort of noise. Like something metallic inside was being strained slightly.
The pressure switch would usually bang in when I flick it but nothing now.

kadman

Cyloncity wrote: »

Not really. Although while flicking that switch trying to get it going this time, it has made that winding sort of noise. Like something metallic inside was being strained slightly.
The pressure switch would usually bang in when I flick it but nothing now.

On mine the redlight/on off box powers up the pressure switch for the pump when its working normally.

When it trips, the power stops to the pressure switch and pump.

Pressure switch only bangs in when the pressure drops below a certain pressure rating, and it turns on the pump to fill the pressure tank. When thats done, the pressure switch cuts off power to the pump. Thats how mine works.

It still sounds like your problem is in the redlight box of tricks controller box.

Sounds like your contact switch is not engaging to power up the rest of the circuit.

I have the red on/off switch, and next to it a red light. When its working correctly, the light is off, if it does a lot of clicking and wont engage and then trips, the red light comes on and stays on.

Cyloncity

https://waterpartsdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/xBorehole-Pumps-Control-Boxes-Picture2.jpg.pagespeed.ic.2WaP2OL7Q1.webp

Mine might be slightly different. Pressure switch and pump cable feed into this. When working red switch not illuminated but now it stays lit.
I don't have a green light on mine but otherwise that's it

kadman

Box is different, but same result. When contactor makes a connection
then the circuit is energised.

When it does not make a contact properly, it heats up , and trips a safety,
red light stays on until its fixed.

Cyloncity

Makes sense to me. Should have someone out later. Will report back then....

kadman

Good luck, keep us updated.:)

kadman

how did it go for you.

Cyloncity

Looks like I might have to improve the well. The submersible pump was banjanxed anyway. May have been burned out with overuse. Lots of iron crap built up on it. The new pump is in but still having issues. Im hoping it's the fact I'm trying to refill large tanks that's part of my problem as I seem to be running the well short still. I do have extra cable that might allow me to drop pump further but I'm not actually sure how much. Pump seemed to be about 40feet down so not far really. Wont really know if it's solved yet til I get tanks refilled and demand dies down as I've a build up of washing and dishes to get through too. Here's hoping but I think I'm not finished yet....

kadman

Sure 40ft is nothing, my own is 340foot deep, imagine pulling up that pump.

Deeper a well is, the more expense in involved in replacing parts, lucky for you,
it wont work out too expensive.

Glad to hear you are getting it sorted. Its the one thing we cant live without:)

Cyloncity

Hopefully not too much more anyway😉.
Pump was at about 40ft so hopefully it can go down another good bit before drilling needed!
As you say we all need the water so it's been frustrating few days of scarcity. Could do with it fully sorted soon.
Learned a lot though....