Water pump question

[Wopanese]

Hi, I've been living in a rental house for over a year now, and a few days ago the water pressure went down to a trickle. So I went to the side of the house and plugged in the water pump, and that solved the problem and water pressure in the house was restored. I told this to a friend and he said the water pump shouldn't be plugged in for too long, but every time I unplug the water pump the water pressure goes back down to a trickle. My question is how long do I need to have my water pump plugged in? Until the water pressure is normal without the need of the water pump being plugged in? Thanks in advance for the help.

[stoneyboy]

If it's an automatic pump it will need to be plugged in all the time,only pressuring up when you draw water as in open a tap take a shower etc.

Seems your unplugging it and drawing off the remaining pressurised water until it runs out.

Leave it plugged in and be done,you will hear it kick in every time you draw water giving you continuous pressure.

Edited October 22, 2015 by stoneyboy

[MadMac]

Probably the pressure switch is faulty/dirty, so the pump runs longer than it should. Thus overheating and shutting down.

So with Thai pragmatism they tell you to disconnect it from power, which will cool it down and let it run again. What you need to fix is the pressure switch.

[stoneyboy]

Be better in the DIY forum also.

[silverado]

Probably the pressure switch is faulty/dirty, so the pump runs longer than it should. Thus overheating and shutting down.

So with Thai pragmatism they tell you to disconnect it from power, which will cool it down and let it run again. What you need to fix is the pressure switch.

need also to check ALL the pipes . the pomp can work quasi continually or very often (enough to overheating the pump) if you have water leaks... don't forget to check the lavatory taps... w-c too

[MadMac]

Usually some ants or snails made home in the switch. It wont work properly, keeping the pump running and overheating.

It's simple to clean it, or replace it (give me the faulty one hehe)

[masuk]

The tank on the pump is to buffer the water pressure; it contains air, sometimes on the other side of a rubber diaphragm.

Once in a while, unplug the pump, (important in this unearthed land), turn off the taps going in and out of the pump, and then unscrew the tank. It it's a fixed tank, then you might have to open a plug at the bottom. Let out the water, and replace it.

Some tanks have a valve at the top where the pressure can be increased. If the pump is cutting in and out frequently, then not enough air in the tank is often the problem.

[stoneyboy]

My question is how long do I need to have my water pump plugged in? Until the water pressure is normal without the need of the water pump being plugged in? Thanks in advance for the help.

Is anyone going to answer the questions first posed by the OP.

[Wopanese]

I don't know if it's an automatic water pump. What I do know is that since I've plugged it in, it never shuts off...even when all the taps in the house are off. The motor runs all the time. All I know is that the water pump has been unplugged for many months. That is, until I plugged it in a few days ago, and the only way I can get running water in the house now is to have it plugged in (and the pump is under the bedroom window and a bit noisy). Perhaps as some of you have wrote, it's the pressure switch on the water pump.

[MW72]

It sounds like you never had a problem with pressure before even with the pump switched off is that correct. If so it would suggest you are mains fed and the pump is a back up for when the main is off.

[Wopanese]

It sounds like you never had a problem with pressure before even with the pump switched off is that correct. If so it would suggest you are mains fed and the pump is a back up for when the main is off.

Yes, yes! That is correct. I never had a problem having decent water pressure in the house when the pump was unplugged.

[silverado]

as i was sure , it is an automatic pump
u should ask to the site of hitachi... here is a link but not thank me for the research ... it's simply interresting me... exchange , exchange , let us know when your problem will be solved

https://www.newpages.com.my/v2/en/company/133790/product/39882/48690/WM-P180GP_Automatic_Pump.html

edit : sorry, u must look for model HITACHI WM-P180GX... in place of the HITACHI WM-P180GP (my link)

Edited October 22, 2015 by silverado

[Pacificperson]

Then you need to leave it plugged in until the mains pressure returns to normal. If it runs all of the time, then there is a problem and the pump needs to be looked at.

[MW72]

It sounds like you never had a problem with pressure before even with the pump switched off is that correct. If so it would suggest you are mains fed and the pump is a back up for when the main is off.

Yes, yes! That is correct. I never had a problem having decent water pressure in the house when the pump was unplugged.

Ok the next thing is the pipwork configuration. It is difficult to tell from the photos how the system is set up. Did you close or open any valves before you turned on the pump?

[rawhod]

It sounds very much like your mains water supply is down.

The first thing to do is to find a point (tap) before the pump where you can check the mains supply pressure.

So, when you plug in the pump, it is drawing water from the tank beside the pump and giving you water pressure in he house.

Bear in mind that if the mains supply pressure is low, the tank will not be refilling and you could empty it in time. Do check the tank level.

If you have sufficient mains pressure for your needs, you could unplug the pump when the mains supply is restored. However, it is normal to leave the pump plugged in so that you have a constant supply pressure to the house.

[MW72]

It sounds like you never had a problem with pressure before even with the pump switched off is that correct. If so it would suggest you are mains fed and the pump is a back up for when the main is off.

Yes, yes! That is correct. I never had a problem having decent water pressure in the house when the pump was unplugged.

Ok the next thing is the pipwork configuration. It is difficult to tell from the photos how the system is set up. Did you close or open any valves before you turned on the pump?

I will explain how I would expect the system to be configured. It probably isn't as TIT.

I would expect the water main to feed the large plastic tank you have. The tank then feeds the pump which pumps the water at pressure into the house. The pump should run automatically and turn on and off as there is demand. If the main was to fail you then have a tank full of water and a pump to keep you going. Perhaps in the past the pump failed and a by pass pipe was run from the water main and connected to the pipe entering the house. This would then bypass the tank and pump and feed the house with mains water. When you turned on the pump did you open or shut any valves? If you didn't then it is also possible that the pump pressure switch does work but you are currently pumping water from your tank back into the water main hence the reason it is not switching off. Keep an eye on the level in the tank. Your pump should have dry run protection but you never know.

[Wopanese]

It sounds like you never had a problem with pressure before even with the pump switched off is that correct. If so it would suggest you are mains fed and the pump is a back up for when the main is off.

Yes, yes! That is correct. I never had a problem having decent water pressure in the house when the pump was unplugged.

Ok the next thing is the pipwork configuration. It is difficult to tell from the photos how the system is set up. Did you close or open any valves before you turned on the pump?

I will explain how I would expect the system to be configured. It probably isn't as TIT.

I would expect the water main to feed the large plastic tank you have. The tank then feeds the pump which pumps the water at pressure into the house. The pump should run automatically and turn on and off as there is demand. If the main was to fail you then have a tank full of water and a pump to keep you going. Perhaps in the past the pump failed and a by pass pipe was run from the water main and connected to the pipe entering the house. This would then bypass the tank and pump and feed the house with mains water. When you turned on the pump did you open or shut any valves? If you didn't then it is also possible that the pump pressure switch does work but you are currently pumping water from your tank back into the water main hence the reason it is not switching off. Keep an eye on the level in the tank. Your pump should have dry run protection but you never know.

To be honest, when I first encountered the loss of water pressure in the house I turned four or five valves on and off and tried different configurations with the pump plugged in (and then not plugged in), but the end result each time was that the only way I could get water pressure was to plug the pump back in. There is a sound coming from the tank that sounds like it is filling up, but that has been going on for the past three days so it should be full by now, yes? My landlord isn't available for a while. I guess I'll just keep it plugged in until he can send someone to take a look at it. Thank you kindly for your assistance and advice, sure do appreciate it.

[MW72]

To be honest, when I first encountered the loss of water pressure in the house I turned four or five valves on and off and tried different configurations with the pump plugged in (and then not plugged in), but the end result each time was that the only way I could get water pressure was to plug the pump back in. There is a sound coming from the tank that sounds like it is filling up, but that has been going on for the past three days so it should be full by now, yes? My landlord isn't available for a while. I guess I'll just keep it plugged in until he can send someone to take a look at it. Thank you kindly for your assistance and advice, sure do appreciate it.

I hope your landlord sorts it out for you soon. Without being able to seen the pipework and valves everything is a guess. As you are still hearing water entering the tank this would suggest that the water main is still on even if at a reduced rate, however the tank should have filled by now. The fact that it hasn't suggests that the tank is being emptied at least as fast as it can be filled which is maybe why the pump is running constantly. The pump could even be circulating the tank water depending on how it is piped.

Make sure when the landlord sends a guy round to fix it that you get a sketch made of the pipework and valves and a step by step guide on which valves to open or shut to switch on the pump the next time the water main goes down.

[Crossy]

OK.

It sounds like you have been running on 'bypass' until now, using village water pressure.

Village water is off / low so you need to use the pump.

Unless there is a non-return valve in the bypass line (making it automatic) you need to close the bypass valve or the pump will run continuously (and empty your tank into the mains).

Please post a bigger photo of your setup so we can see which valve you need to close.

[MadMac]

The pump always stays powered on. The switch in it will activate it, when the pressure in the house pipes goes down, such as you open the tap. If as you say it always runs, that switch is faulty and stuck (can be mechanical failure, corrosion, etc.). Simple to open it and move the parts (power it off first) with a screwdriver, if that does not help replace it.

The pump should never run nonstop, if it does it overheats and will switch off automatically through a thermal sensor in the motor.

This is what you are looking for:

Keep in mind that the pump may have been wrongly installed from the beginning. Had a local "water pump expert" that turned the sealed screw, that clearly said "don't adjust" before he broke some of the blue pipes and I kicked him out, not stopping him asking for 400B .

Edited October 23, 2015 by MadMac

[Pib]

The pump needs to be plugged in all the time. It keeps the water pressure at X-psi/bar, usually in the 30 to 40psi range. The pump will automatically turn off and on when working properly (obviously the OPs pump is not working properly) to keep the pressure at X-psi. Maybe broke when he moved in.

Sounds like the OP was just operating off the soi line pressure which may have been adequate for him before, especially if living in a one story residence, but now the pressure is too low.

In my part of western Bangkok the soi water pressure is only 8 to 10 psi on a good day....not uncommon to see it around 5 psi...and sometimes even lower. I'm not guessing at the pressure because I've actually measured the pressure numerous times. That 10psi is generally enough to feed water to the 1st story of my house at a low rate, but upstairs the water will barely trickle out of the faucets. So, that's why I have a water pump that cuts off and on when when water is flowing from my water taps to keep the pressure in the 30 to 40 psi range. In my moobaan of two story houses I know of no one who does not have a water pump because it's a requirement if you want water to reach the 2nd story of your house...and want water on the 1st story at a pressure level above barely adequate.

[Crossy]

OP You probably have something like this:-

With maybe an ordinary valve instead of the non-return bypass.

To use the pump you close this valve, check the tank has water, turn on the pump.

[MW72]

It would seem from your OP that you have no background or experience in mechanical or electrical engineering so the best advice is to ignore anyone who tells you to take things apart and start sticking screw drivers in. The fact that you have already turned on and off 4 or 5 valves without knowing what they do is not a good sign.

You are lucky in that you are renting so it is not your responsibility to fix this or to pay for the repairs. If you have a half decent landlord then he should get this sorted out quickly for you. Keep calling him and tell him you have no water and you need it sorted ASAP.

From what you have said about your system I think what I and Crossy have said is probably closer to identifying the problem than any other ideas. Crossy has phrased it better and provided a nice drawing. Chances are it will still mean nothing to you. Please don't start taking components apart and playing with shit unless you know what you are doing as you may end up with a bill from the landlord or even worse a serious injury.

When it gets fixed make sure you find out how the system works, what each valve is for and what to do the next time.

[RichCor]

It would seem from your OP that you have no background or experience in mechanical or electrical engineering so the best advice is to ignore anyone who tells you to take things apart and start sticking screw drivers in. The fact that you have already turned on and off 4 or 5 valves without knowing what they do is not a good sign.

I would think the OP is lucky they didn't electrocute themselves when they 'plugged in' a long-sitting pump (presumably without asking if it was functional).

Also, gotta love that naked 'outdoor' convenience power socket the pump is plugged into.

The OP needs to either figure out the 'logic' of how this system is set up to work or hire someone who does that can restore it / do maintenance to bring it back into working order.

I'm just guessing, but if the water is provided through a municipal service (not seeing the OP write anything about a 'well'), so suggest asking the neighbors who are using the same water system if they have a common pressure issue, and if so then report the issue to the municipal service so they can correct the pressure issue.

A better photo of the 'tank' would be appreciated, in addition to the asked for photos of the water pipes/valves. I would think the tank would be top-fed (not apparent from the current photo)

[Rimmer]

Racist troll post removed