The following diagnostic guide applies when your centrifugal pump motor is running but water problems exist.
For any bore pump problems call us on 9246 0111 seven days a week for telephone advice or to book a service Perth metro-wide. You can also visit our main website here.
(If pump is not starting at all then an electrical problem exists not covered in this guide. Call to book a visit from one of our water bore / pump specialist electricians who have all the necessary tools for diagnosis or repair of pump electrical problems. More info covered here .)
Pump runs but no water?
Priming – suction pipe not completely filled with water.
The check valve has failed
Discharge head too much – depth to water beyond pump range.
Suction lift too high. Suction pipe may be too small or long, causing excessive friction loss.
The Impeller is blocked.
Suction pipe/screen/strainer completely blocked.
Pump motor running in reverse (check direction).
Air pocket in suction line.
Air leaks in suction line and/or shaft seal, gland packing.
Discharge line closed off, solenoid valve not opening or gate valve closed.
Poor flow?
Priming – casing and suction pipe not completely filled with liquid.
Discharge head higher than anticipated. Check friction loss in piping.
Suction lift too high. Suction pipe may be too small or long and causing excessive friction loss.
Impeller partially plugged.
Suction pipe/screen /strainer partially blocked.
Pump motor running in reverse (check direction).
Air pocket in suction line.
Air leaks in suction line and/or shaft seal, gland packing.
Foot valve too small.
Suction pipe not into the water enough after draw-down.
Mechanical faults such as the Impeller damaged, gland-packing of shaft seal damaged or wear rings worn.
Water pumps OK then stops?
Leak in suction line.
Leakage of air into pump casing.
Air pocket in suction line.
Suction lift too high.
Insufficient groundwater.
Not Enough Pressure?
Speed to low.
Air in water.
Wrong impeller diameter.
Mechanical fault – Wear rings worn. Impeller damaged. Shaft seal or gland-packing damaged.
Wrong direction of rotation.
Water pumps OK then stops but pump still running
Leak in suction line.
Leakage of air into pump casing.
Air pocket in suction line.
Suction lift too high.
Pump is noisy.
Hydraulic noise – cavitation, too much suction head.
Mechanical Faults including – pump and drive unit out of alignment ,rotating elements binding, shaft bent, bearings worn.
Pump leaks .
Gland Packing worn/loose. Shaft seal damaged.
Packing incorrectly inserted or not properly run in.
We are available to help out anytime. Today is a public holiday Monday and we were able to help out when Wayne called with a question about an old well south of the river. He rang us on 9246 0111.
Wayne has an old well style bore which is one liner deep. He had removed the sprinkler to flush out a line of accumulated debris. The pump was running but he wasn’t getting any water. Unfortunately he had run the pump at a flow higher than the bore could sustain. We explained to Wayne over the phone how to prime his “orange” pump and he was set to go. That was good news as he had just sold his house and needed his bore and retic working before settlement next week. He was going to get back to us if there were any further issues with his well.
If we can help with an old style well phone one of our team on 9246 0111.
Some Perth bore owners are telling us their very old water bores are running out of water or that it runs for a minute or two then it runs out. We can help on 9246 0111.
This can be a a problem with the reticulation system or with the pump.
Slotted PVC bore casing
Commonly it is an issue with the yield of the bore itself and the pump is pumping water out faster than it is flowing in to the bore casing.
Many people think the bore is not deep enough. At times the water table does drop & it is a depth related issue. More often the stainless steel bore screen or slotted PVC bore casing has become blocked. Sometimes the ground around the bore has reduced the water it will “allow” to flow through it.
We would try air-developing, a process where large volumes of compressed air are pumped down the bore. We can also chemically clean and restore the bore with a combination of special cleaning compounds, surfactants and clay dispersants.
If your old Perth water bore is running out of water call us on 9246 0111 and we will talk through the problem or book a service online
A very common call to our water bore Perth service hotline (1300 734 300) is along the lines of “mybore runs but no water” or “my pump runs but no water”. Firstly, before anything, our advice is always to turn it off so the pump is not running. Turn the reticulation controller OFF and if there is a bore over-ride switch turn that OFF as well. In newer Perth bore pump installations there should be a circuitbreaker in the meter box labelled “bore” or “pump”. Turn that OFF as well. In older Perth bores it may be a fuse instead. In some installations it may even be labelled reticulation. No bore pump should run without water or consequential damage may result.
Their are several causes. Click here for more details or Call us on Perth 1300 734 300 and we’ll fix the problem pronto
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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