The pumping station sometimes breaks down, like many other devices that consist of several components. Imbalance between the main parts of the station, power surges, damage to the pipeline, contamination of filters - this is a small part of what the owners of a house with an autonomous water supply can face. In some cases, you can fix the damage yourself. To do this, you need to know how the pumping station is arranged, its principle of operation, and also have the intention to restore the system on your own.
Components of the pumping station
- A unit that pumps water from a source - a well or a well. Most often, this is surface equipment that maintains the same pressure in the system.
- A pipe immersed in water through which the pump sucks in liquid. There is usually a check valve at the end of the pipe so that after the engine stops, water does not flow back into the well.
- Hydraulic accumulator with a rubber membrane inside. A certain amount of air is pumped into it. The other half is occupied by a rubber bulb, into which the liquid flows. When the required pressure is reached, the air presses on the membrane, and it pushes the water into the pipes for supply to the house.
- The pressure gauge and relay belong to the station control unit. The task of the relay is to give signals to turn on / off the engine. The pressure level can be visually assessed on the pressure gauge monitor. There is a lower pressure threshold - it is adjusted at the production stage, there is an upper one, which is set by the master, based on the size of the house and the height to which the liquid needs to be raised.
If one node breaks, the problem may affect others.
The pumping equipment works as follows: when the engine is turned on, the pump starts pumping water into the system. When the upper pressure threshold is reached, the relay contacts open and the equipment is turned off. At this moment, a tap or any device that consumes water is turned on in the house. As soon as the pressure drops to the lower threshold, the relay is triggered again and the engine turns on, the station starts pumping a new portion of water.
Typical causes of pumping station breakdowns and remedies
To begin with, it is necessary to consider the usual cases in which the incorrect operation of the pump depends on other reasons and is not associated with an internal breakdown.
If the station does not turn off for a long time, while the pressure gauge needle is in place and the pressure does not rise, it is necessary to check if there is water in the well. In summer, it usually leaves and the edge of the suction pipe is in the air. This is fraught with engine burnout. If the device is equipped with dry-running protection, the sensor will turn it off by itself. If there is no protection, sooner or later the engine will burn out. A similar situation occurs if the water is supplied in jerks. This suggests that during water intake, the lower edge of the pipe is exposed, since there is less water than usual. The dip tube must be lowered deeper down.
If the filter system or non-return valve becomes clogged, the station will also run continuously. You need to take out the hose or pipe, clean it and put it back. At the same time, check for damage on the pipe itself.
If the equipment has not been turned on for a long time, the shaft may not work on its own. It is turned manually, after which the station functions normally.
Faults in the pressure switch and electrical
Due to incorrect settings of the upper pressure threshold, the pumping station can work for a long time without shutting down. This happens because the engine power is simply not enough to build up such pressure. In this case, relay repair is not necessary, but you will have to change the settings. You can read how to do this in the instructions: the nut is unscrewed on a spring - large or small. How exactly to carry out the manipulations depends on the relay device at the given pumping station.
If the pressure switch is faulty, first you can try to disassemble it and clean the contacts with fine sandpaper. Then reassemble and turn on. Cleaning the inlet and outlet usually helps. If the station has been in operation for several years and has not been inspected by a specialist, accumulated dirt can disrupt the operation of the device.
If both measures did not work, then you need to inspect the impeller. With prolonged use, it wears out and the power weakens - the motor does not have enough strength. If there is no filter at the inlet to the suction pipe, and sometimes small stones and sand are found in the water, then they are the reason for the failure of the impeller. Especially if it is made of plastic. The impeller is not repaired - it needs to be replaced, preferably with a metal one.
A drop in voltage sometimes causes the pump to run for a long time. The motor has enough voltage, but the relay cannot switch. If power surges occur frequently, it is better to install a stabilizer right away - it will be cheaper than buying a new pump.
Diaphragm or accumulator pressure problems
The membrane is made of dense rubber. There may be two problems here:
- the rubber has burst and needs to be replaced;
- the pressure in the accumulator is less than it should be - the rubber was subjected to excessive stretching for a long time and in the end could not stand it.
If you push down on the nipple, which is under the plastic cap, water will flow from there. This is a clear sign that the rubber has lost its integrity and the membrane will have to be changed, or the place of attachment to the battery is leaking, or the spool needs to be changed.
The diaphragm can be purchased from a store in the pumping department or ordered from a service center. If you need to increase the pressure in the accumulator, use a regular bicycle pump. The upper pressure shown by the pressure gauge is the sum of the water pressure in the membrane and the air pressure in the membrane tank. Together they show, for example, 2.9 atmospheres. Of these, 0.8 atmospheres will fall on air. Observing the readings of the pressure gauge with the equipment turned off, you need to pump air into the accumulator.
The relay will not switch if there are cracks in the diaphragm tank housing. Plastic is not the best solution for appliances that need to last a long time. If there are cracks, it is necessary to disassemble the pumping station, disconnect the tank and assemble everything in the reverse order.
Replacing the pressure gauge
Replacing the pressure gauge at the pumping station does not affect its operation in any way, if all other units are functioning normally. This is a device that you can do without - it only visualizes the indicators of the upper and lower pressure, sometimes it does it wrong, but the station nevertheless works.
The biggest problem is to remove the pressure gauge from the manifold after prolonged operation and acidification of the threads. Chemicals that dissolve sediments do not always help here. Masters advise not to touch the manifold, otherwise replacing the pressure gauge will be very expensive - you will have to change the entire unit. You can put another device only when the old one has been dismantled and the thread is prepared for installing a new one.
Replacing the oil seal after dry running
If the pumping station runs for 3 minutes without water in dry running mode, the impeller oil seal will need to be replaced. This can happen at the very beginning of the operation of new equipment, if the system was not filled with water before start-up.
To replace it, you will need to disassemble the device case, remove the damaged part and install a new one, and then assemble everything in the reverse order. Most often, this problem occurs with rubber seals. If ceramics are installed, there is a chance that the equipment will continue to work.
Serious causes of pumping station breakdown
If the engine burns out, the smell of burnt insulation will be clearly audible. It is expensive and unprofitable to change the motor winding. This work is carried out in service centers by professional electricians. In order not to have to purchase a new station, it is better to choose a model with protection sensors from the very beginning. This will be more expensive, but the device will be protected and most likely will not turn on if the conditions for its normal operation are not met.
The pump isn't always the problem. If the supply pipeline breaks, water will not flow into the house. It is necessary to open the highway and find the accident site. Dismantling and excavation is a lengthy and expensive procedure.
