Typical plastic bore box which covers a submersible bore.Just uncovered a Nedlands submersible bore
We often get calls from Perth customers who know they have a submersible bore but have no idea where it is. They bought the house long after the submersible bore was drilled and no-one knows where the bore is let alone what they are looking for. This adjacent pic shows a submersible borehead we just uncovered in Nedlands. If the bore was installed in the last 20 years or so there will typically be a green lid just under the lawn like this one. Sometimes they are even flush with the lawn and visible. The lid normally conceals a box that is about 435 x 300 x 305mm as seen to the right. Older than 20 years and sometimes it is a small concrete lid on a concrete box of similar size.
Can’t find your submersible bore?
Call 1300 734 300. Our mobile service teams have special locating equipment and expert knowledge.
From time to time we attend a Perth submersible bore where we test everything and find the submersible motor is running but no water is coming out. The first thing we do is disconnect the bore at the borehead and test it again. This ensures that it was not actually a problem with the delivery of water via the reticulation system. Often people leap to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the pump. Often though, it turns out to be a small hole blown in the rising poly main. That is the 40 or 50mm flexible black poly pipe that delivers the water to the surface from the submersible pump. Why would this poly blow? Commonly because, for one reason or another, the pump has been run against a closed head, that is where there is nowhere for the water to flow. Probably because a solenoid valve didn’t open or a tap was left inadvertently off. The motor overheats and heats up the surrounding water. The black poly pipe becomes malleable as it is affected by this heat and under pressure a hole blows in it. Normally this hole is just above the pump.
Winching up a submersible pump Perth
Generally just the poly needs repairing (along of course with the underlying cause of the dead-heading). To do this we set up our portable which and winch the submersible pump to the surface. We cut off a section of the poly, rejoin it to the pump and reinstall everything back down the borehole. Bingo all fixed! Most Perth submersible boreholes are between 15 and 60 metres deep and a winch is required for the deeper holes.
Presuming the pump is running but there is no water being delivered then it is most likely a priming issue. First check though that it is
Priming point on “Davey” pump
not a surface reticulation problem with a manual gate valve having been turned off or an automatic solenoid valve not opening. Sometimes, if the centrifugal pump style bores have not been run for a few weeks, they lose prime through a slow leak.
Often just priming the pump and making sure it is run every few days will overcome the problem. There is usually priming point on top of the pump. Sometimes a priming point may have been put at the top of the well in the main line.
If it is a serious leak it will need repairing.
Brass Check ValvePhilmac Check Valve
It might be the check valve that needs replacing. It could be leaking gland-packing or even a leaking mechanical seal.
Sometimes it is the “bottom prime” i.e. the water under the check valve in the pipe that goes down to the water table has escaped.
Call us, we will ask a few questions and give you some options. on 9246 0111 or visit our main website here. Our mobile service teams cover all of Perth greater metro area including outer suburbs.
check the fuse or circuitbreaker that should be in your meter box and labelled “bore” or “pump”
Single phase bore circuit breaker
Single phase pump start box
if it is 3 phase reset the 415-440v D.O.L ( Direct Online Starter)
if it is single phase there is most likely a separate 240v start box with a reset/over-ride switch. You should check that
does the 240 V start box have a burnt smell?
3 phase DOL bore starter
if it is operated from a reticulation controller check that that has 240v power going to it. Just because the reticulation controller has a display does not mean it has 240v power. Remove the 9v back up battery and confirm there is still a display.
can you hear the 24 v relay clicking in or the contacter make a clunk sound when you start the retic contoller? Starting the reic controller sends a 24v signal to a relay or contactor which turns on the “mains” power to the bore pump.
if all the above seems OK and it is a submersible pump, perhaps the motor is starting and you can’t hear it but another related water delivery problem exists. Does your electricity meter speed up when you start the pump?
if it is a centrifugal pump in a well have you checked the isolation switch?
have you recently had electrical work done to any of the wiring on your house?
Call us on Perth 1300 734 300 if none of the above helped. We may be able to help further on the phone or we will send our mobile bore service teams to any Perth suburb. Further info is on our main website.
Finishing off a new submersible bore in Mt PleasantFinished bore box lid will be beneath the lawn.
Today Virgin Bores (our installation division) drilled a new submersible borehole south of Perth near the river in Mount Pleasant. This new bore replaces a 50 year old well style bore with galvanised piping and an old centrifugal pump that was beyond repair. The new submersible bore needed a larger than normal 2.2 kilowatt pump to water the quarter acre block in two stations. The house was quite close to the Swan River so our local knowledge was valuable in ensuring we did not drill too deep to avoid potential salinity problems.
For more details on drilling a new submersible water bore in Perth and surrounds visit http://www.virginbores.com.au
It was a great feeling to turn the new submersible pump on and see such a great result. Client in Dianella had a very large centrifugal pump down a 7 liner well. The centrifugal pump had failed and it was not practical or economical to replace or recondition the pump. Fortunately a few years ago the bore hole at the bottom of the old well had been redrilled and replaced with a 100 mm PVC casing. This was compatible with a new submersible pump. The 3 phase centrifugal system was converted to a submersible pump 3kw ( 4hp ) three phase. The old two stage starter on the wall was replaced by a new 415 vDOL starter. While we were at it we converted the gentlemans old manual gate valve sprinkler system to a modern automated one. A fully programmable reticulation controller now turns on the new submersible pump at the same time it opens solenoid valves to controll the 3 separate sprinkler stations. He had the old mountain mist metal disc sprinklers that are common with old well systems all over Perth. Those sprinklers use about 17 litres per minute each. We had to take this into account when specifying the new submersible pump for the old well conversion. We had to make sure the new pump had the power to adequately run all his sprinklers as configured without modification. As the picture shows its great when a plan comes together! Call us on 1300 734 300 for help with any Perth bore or reticulation system or visit our main Virgin Bores Perth website here.
Perth Water Bore Troubleshooters are part of Virgin Bores. We are the go-to, can-do people when it comes to garden bore and reticulation in Perth. Because we install and repair reticulation and irrigation as well as install and repair water bores we can fix anything to do with Perth bores or sprinkler systems.
insurance work including pump fusion claims and lighning and storm damage to reticulation and bore systems. Burnt out motors, damage from lightning induction and power surges.
repair of rising main lines, poly and pvc
lowering of boreheads necesitated by landscaping ground level changes
bore water testing
solenoid valve finding / locating
all electrical repairs for pumps and reticulation systems
replacement of reticulation controllers.
leaking reticulation pipes
broken sprinklers
automation of sprinkler systems off bore or mains scheme water
Lowara submersible pumps and motors are a good reliable Italian brand but, like anything, they can have their own idiosyncracies. We specialise in servicing Lowara submersible pumps and their stablemates, Centripro and Marlow. We have over a decade of practical in-the-field service and pump repair experience. A problem that does from time to time present itself with some of the earlier Lowara single phase motors is blown start capacitors in the bore start box. It is an easy fix for someone experienced in Lowara pumps and motors. Give our Perth bore service and repair hotline a call on 1300 734 300 and our mobile bore service team can help you. Or visit or main Virgin Bores website for more bore info and help.
Familiar call today from a lady who happened to live in Sorrento, but we get similar calls from bore owners all over Perth. “the light on my bore box on the wall has stayed on even after I have turned the reticulation controller off “. This can turn in to a bigger problem so first things first, if you are reading this blog and your bore box light is on but there is no water pumping out anywhere please straight away turn the bore mains power off. Turn it off by either turning off the circuit breaker ( or pulling the fuse) labelled “bore” or “pump” that you will hopefully see in your meter box. Or turn off the bore box isolation switch that is located on the bore box on the wall. ( this is called a bore start box, not to be confused with the reticulation controller). Worst case if you can’t turn it by either of these two methods then turn off your mains power master switch and call us pronto on 1300 734 300.
Lowara bore start box
What has most likely happened is that your automatic reticulation controller has correctly sent the 24 volt start signal to the relay in the bore start box and this has started the 240v bore at the same time as the reticulation controller has correctly sent a signal to open a solenoid valve allowing water to flow to the sprinklers. All good so far but then when the automatic reticulation controller has run through its cycle and shut the last solenoid valve the pump has continued to run. Most likely the start relay has stuck on and needs replacing. Prolonged operation of any bore pump with no water being able to flow (dead heading ) can cause a multitude of problems. Most commonly with submersible pumps the rising poly mainline will overheat and “blow”. With centrifugal well pumps overheating leads to several serious problems. Give our Perth bore service hotline a call on 1300 734 300 or visit our main website for more help on bores and reticulation.
Our mobile service teams do prompt repairs to ALL TYPES of Water Bores & Reticulation Sprinkler Systems Perth metro-wide. Free phone advice. Our experience saves you time and money. Bore repair HOTLINE 1300 734 300 North of River: Troy 0408454130 South of River: Brett 0411511611
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