There are a number of problems that you can face; ranging from running out of water to issues with your pressure tank, booster pump, well pump, storage tank or electrical system.
If you suspect your water pump is not working or you are with out there can be several potential reasons:
1) Electricity
There may not be electricity supplied to the Water pump that provides water, this is always the one of the first items on our technicians checklist. A circuit breaker may be tripped, a fuse blown or loose, or even insects in the pressure switch- a small grey box which turns the pump on when water is used. If you have some minerals/sand in the water, they can occlude the small pipe that connects to the pressure switch and keep it from working properly. Always use appropriate safety precautions when working with electricity, or defer to a properly trained technician if you don't have the training or equipment to work with electricity safely.
2) Is the water "shut off" for some reason?"
A valve may be shut off or, if you have a water filter, the water filter may be plugged with particulate matter or not working correctly. Locate a faucet near the well pump equipment (before any filters) and see if there is water available there. If there is, it is time to locate the filter equipment or any valves that supply water and see if they are plugged or turned off. If you find valves turned off, please be careful before turning them on, they may be turned off for good reasons!
3) Is there water in the Water tank?
In Dubai water tank used for DEWA water storage and then a small booster pump that pressurizes the water for use at the house, irrigation, etc… The storage tanks are usually pretty large, usually 4+ feet in diameter and anywhere from 3 or 4 feet tall to over 12 feet tall. These tanks are frequently made of plastic, cement and sometimes metal with a hatch at the top for inspection purposes. Is this storage tank full or empty? If it is full, the problem is likely NOT the water tank, but rather a problem with the booster pump that pressurizes from the storage tank. If this tank is empty, then the problem is likely with the float valve or Dewa water disconnected.
4) Booster Pump Problems
If you have a storage tank it is very likely that you will also have a booster pump that pressurizes water from the storage tank and supplies the water to the house, irrigation, etc… This pump is typically ~12–18" long has a round motor on one end with an electrical supply wire and the other end has 2 pipes that connect it to the storage tank and the plumbing to the house. This pump turns on if water is being used and turns off when water usage stops and the pump has stored sufficient pressure in the pressure tank. Problems with the booster pump often come from pressure switches that are not working properly. Pressure switches can have burned electrical contacts, insects in the electrical contacts or plugged pressure sensor port. In some cases, booster pumps do not run because of a float switch in the storage tank that tells the booster pump to turn off in the event that the storage tank is low/out of water. If the tank is full of water and the float switch has failed, the booster pump will not run. The most common problems with booster pumps are noisy bearings or low pressure or flow output. These problems are typically the result of extended periods of operation and maintenance is necessary. In some cases low flow or pressure are caused by air or debris that has entered the booster pump and impaired its ability to pump water. The air should be vented out and the pump properly primed and any debris in the pump inlet/impeller removed. The source of any air or debris in the pump should be identified before putting the system back into operation. C & C Water Pump Repair Services has a full supply of booster pump and booster pump parts available to affect repairs in short order. Other issues with the booster pump include leaking around the shaft seal, while not an emergency, this problem will require the pump to be removed from service for a period of time to affect the proper repairs. It is recommended to replace the motor bearings when the shaft seal is replaced as moister and the wear and tear on the shaft seal have often damaged the motor bearings as well.
5) Pressure tank problems
Pressure tanks are tanks typically painted blue or white. Some of them silver/galvanized in appearance. They range in size from about 6" in diameter and height to 30" in diameter and about 6 feet tall. It is important to note that pressure tanks, in spite of their name, DO NOT MAKE PRESSURE, they simply hold pressurized water. Pressurized water is provided from either the well pump or the booster pump and fills the pressure tank. Pressure tanks work by having a bladder filled with air that pushes against the water as the booster pump fill the pressure tank. When the booster pump turns off, the air pressure in the bladder pushes on the water and can push the water back out of the pressure tank. This is helpful because it means that the booster pump does not need to turn on for every single toilet flush or hand washing. If the power is off, it means that you have a few toilet flushes, maybe even a shower or two before the pressurized water in the pressure tank runs out, but this depends entirely on the size of the pressure tank! Problems with the pressure tank happen when the captured air in the pressure tank leaked out or is at the wrong pressure. These problems exhibit as quickly fluctuating water pressure or the water turning off completely for a second or two and then coming back.
Rapidly fluctuating water pressure often comes from a water logged pressure tank. Water logged is a term used to describe a pressure tank that has no air charge in it. When water is used from a water logged pressure tank the pressure in the tank drops quickly and the well/booster pump turns on. When the pump is turned on the pressure in the system increases rapidly and then the well/booster pump turns off. This process where the pump turns on/off/on/off/on/off quickly is called rapid cycling. Rapid cycling kills pumps! Turn off the power to your pump and get your pressure tank serviced or replaced.
To see if the pressure tank is working properly turn off the power to the well/booster pump and turn on a faucet letting all the water pressure out of the system. When water stops flowing or slows to a trickle, use a pressure gauge to check the bladder pressure on the pressure tank Schrader Valve. This pressure it typically set anywhere from ~28 PSI to 68 PSI. "What should it be set at?" You may be asking. The pressure tank works in conjunction with the pressure setting of the pressure switch or pump controller. If your water system uses a pressure switch, the pressure tank should have about 2–3 PSI less than the turn on pressure of the pressure switch. For example: Your pressure switch is set to turn on the well/booster pump at 30 PSI to refill the pressure tank and it turns off at 50 PSI. This means the pressure tank should have 28 PSI in it with the pump off and the system water pressure drained to 0 PSI . While the water pressure is drained from the system, rock the pressure tank slightly. It should be light/empty feeling and you should not hear any water sloshing. Sloshing water and/or a heavy pressure tank mean that the pressure tank is due for service or replacement. If the pressure in the pressure tank is 0 with the system pressure drained and at system pressure at zero it means that there is a blown or damaged bladder in the pressure tank or a problem with the Schrader valve on top of the pressure tank that is used to fill and check the pressure tank. You can try to refill the pressure tank through the Shrader valve, but it is likely that the pressure tank is due for replacement.
Many booster pumps have a modern method of control that can vary the speed of the pump to match the water demand. These are often called constant pressure systems or VFD's. These types of systems typically have much smaller pressure tanks and use a pressure transducer. The pressure in the pressure tank for these types of systems is typically set about 15–20 PSI below the pressure set point of the pump controller. Example: Your pump controller has a pressure set point of 60 PSI, the pressure tank should have an air precharge pressure of 30–35 PSI.
If you need expertise to fix your well pump, look no further than C & C Water Pump Services Dubai.
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