In the village house, my BIL just installed a new water pump on the well. However, although it delivers a good powerful stream of water when the tap is turned on, it soon dwindles to a weak flow. Turn the tap off for a minute and the water powers out again.

So, obviously the pump is working properly but not maintaining a powerful flow.

I reckon it's because they bought one that is too weak for the needed capacity and need to buy a more powerful pump?

Am I correct?

Thanks for any replies.

most probably the well does not replenish water fast enough to the level from which the pump draws. it has definitely nothing to do with a "weak pump".

How deep is the well, can you see the water level and if it changes?

What type of pump is it, submersible, centrifugal (self priming or not)?

It could be as simple as the pump having air and not being fully primed.

most probably the well does not replenish water fast enough to the level from which the pump draws. it has definitely nothing to do with a "weak pump".

Thanks, but probably not the reason. The old pump worked fine- no supply problem.

How deep is the well, can you see the water level and if it changes?

What type of pump is it, submersible, centrifugal (self priming or not)?

It could be as simple as the pump having air and not being fully primed.

Thanks Crossy.

No, can't see water level- it's just a pipe coming out of the ground.

There was no problem with water using the old pump, so I don't think that's an issue

I know nothing about pumps here. All I know is that it's one of those boxes that sit above ground, so not submersible anyway.

This is one problem I'm not getting into ( I could just make it worse ), but I'll pass along the needing priming suggestion. It's a new pump, so perhaps it's still responsibility of company that sold it. Anyway, it's the village, so there should be lots of people here that can fix it.

If you can post a photo of the pump with the cover off we will quickly tell you if it's self-priming.

Do the same with the old pump if it's still around, for comparison.

If you can post a photo of the pump with the cover off we will quickly tell you if it's self-priming.

Do the same with the old pump if it's still around, for comparison.

Thanks Crossy, but the pump died today, so they'll have to get it sorted now anyway.

Getting out of the village and back to civilization tomorrow, thanks be, but if I have time, I'll try for a photo.

Getting out of the village and back to civilization tomorrow, thanks be, but if I have time, I'll try for a photo.

You are in civilization, I guess that you just haven't realized it yet!

most probably the well does not replenish water fast enough to the level from which the pump draws. it has definitely nothing to do with a "weak pump".

Thanks, but probably not the reason. The old pump worked fine- no supply problem.

the old pump might have worked under different conditions/water levels. we didn't have a lot of rain. in my well the water level has dropped 12 meters from it's highs a few years ago!

most probably the well does not replenish water fast enough to the level from which the pump draws. it has definitely nothing to do with a "weak pump".

Thanks, but probably not the reason. The old pump worked fine- no supply problem.

the old pump might have worked under different conditions/water levels. we didn't have a lot of rain. in my well the water level has dropped 12 meters from it's highs a few years ago!

That's pretty amazing.

However, in the MIL's house, the river passes just behind the house and it's been raining buckets down there, so IMO not a factor. As I mentioned, the pump died, so it is a pump problem. Thanks anyway.

Getting out of the village and back to civilization tomorrow, thanks be, but if I have time, I'll try for a photo.

You are in civilization, I guess that you just haven't realized it yet!

Perhaps, but not my cup of tea there.

375 tv channels and not one English language one worth watching.

3 hour drive to a provincial town with no English books for sale.

No decent dentist, no medical care that I consider satisfactory ( and I am at a time of life when both are essential, not optional ).

No movies, no malls, no western style food restaurants.

Get woken at 5am by the monks chanting and the farm tractors passing on the road.

Neighbours that talk about me in front of my face.

There may come a time when I feel so devoid of enthusiasm that I just want to go and do some gardening and go to bed after supper, but not yet.

If you can post a photo of the pump with the cover off we will quickly tell you if it's self-priming.

Do the same with the old pump if it's still around, for comparison.

New pump on the left.

Sorry, couldn't take the top off the new pump for you.

These pumps all look the same but have different lift capabilities. Maybe just not enough lift? Or has enough lift but not enough capacity.

Photo of the old pump is pretty poor and doesn't show it at the right angle, but I'd bet it's a self primer, a view on what is the right hand end in the photo would confirm.

The pump position seems well above the level of the well / tank, if the new pump isn't a self primer it will need a foot valve and will also need to be primed before operation.

If it wasn't primed properly that would explain the symptoms of good pressure for a few seconds followed by nothing, it would also explain why the new pump failed rapidly (dry running will fry the seals in double quick time).

Thanks.