Well pump mmmmmmmm

Time to go to a swimming pool? Or book a spa session? Anywhere that requires you to have a showers first!

Does the pump spin freely? If so could be the start run capcitor, a cheap part to replace normally if you have a local bobinist they should be able to replace

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First thing I would think is to notify Insurance company… there is usually a timeframe for doing this… they’ll want to know what the storm damage is going to cost (I would think).

contacting the person who fitted and (presumably) provided the pump 3 years ago… for the guarantee… and getting a quote to put things right…

As @Corona says… might be a cheap fix or alternatively a new pump…

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Thanks @Stella - I’ve notified the insurer and also sent a message to the original installer, so got those irons in the fire. And after having removed the pump yesterday, up early this morning to go into the nearby town to visit a company that apparently repair pumps, to also see if they can tell me if repairable or not and if it is, how much. These things are sent to test us :grinning:

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I installed one of these pumps down our 15m deep well.

Was only 65 euros when I bought and it definitely gives a very decent flow of water. Only downside is there is no on/off float, but then water level is relatively stable and we don’t use loads of water. It really depends on the head you need to pump.
Aldi was very recently selling a pump for 50 euros with on/off float, but it could only pump a head of 7m.

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I would buy a new pump, even if the old one is repairable, that way, you have a spare fore the future.

Hopefully, you’ll get the go-ahead soon from the Insurance folk…

I’m shocked at the price of that, but thanks for sharing! The current pump I have cost 1,500 euros and it’s a grundfos, so just imagine how many of these I could have got through!

My well is 35m deep and it’s another 15m up to the tanks in elevation, and the well is about 110m from the tank. The pump you shared mentions it can handle up to an elevation of 100m which seem enormous! As for float, I already have a float valve in the tank which turns the pump on and off.

Thanks for sharing - still can’t believe the cost - just amazed - as a matter of interest, how long have you been running your pump?

Bit of a disappointment on the insurance front, as apparently it’s not covered, for some reason, but I have gone back to them - I wont bore you with the details, but depending on how it goes, may choose to share later, so others don’t make the same mistake.

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For a time I lived in a small village in Brésil where we had water brought in via a truck once a month. All was fine, until we had visitors…

most are not aware of what water rationing can be until hit with it.

Sitting on a stool, I found great joy and lux in filling a small bowl or glass with water and swabbed down with cotton wash rag, my various bits and feet, mostly my feet :slight_smile:

Later while living in remote Japan, regular personal hygiene consisted of a a stool, a bucket of water and a sort of skin scrubber.

Catching kitchen wash water for the garden, and wherever I can, takes me back to these memories of when I had less.

In California usa we frequently used a “grey water” system wherein the water from showers and kitchen are recycled through either living plants or man made filters, and then used for gardens. Plants seemed happier for it!

Doing more with less, and grateful for anything at all.

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I would expect there to be a guarantee for the pump… worth having a go at the supplier…

Unfortunately the pump guarantee is 2 years so I just go beyond that, but will certainly be pushing it with the guy who installed it as it’s crazy after paying so much for the installation - and especially when I saw the circa 70€ pump shared earlier, albeit it wasn’t Grundfos, but even still!

Chances are it will be something which can be mended and your supplier will get it done… keep on at him…

I have only had it for about 4 weeks, but in the reviews there are people who are very happy with it. One person complained it broke after 8 months of continuous operation, but then maybe he should have spent a bit more on the pump then. You can get higher capacity pumps for slightly more but judging by the flow this pump will easily fill 2000l container in an hour.
Oh, there was one issue. We lent the pump to someone to fill a small pool and the pump doesn’t have a non-return valve, so with the end of the hose at the bottom of the pool, and the pump turned off, the pool water was syphoned back into the well overnight. Don’t worry, no chlorine had been added to the water at that stage.

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camping shower (black bag heats in the sun - can get to boiling point in a very few hours so if weather is over 30 degrees leave space to add in cold water later in case this happens) or the solution my partner said he saw in Africa - a watering can left in the sun, possibly strung over a tree branch to use. 5 litre size should be enough. Anything more than 8 or 9 litres likely to be unwieldy.

Google Coghlans Camping shower and a few will come up. None last forever and cheap ones £ can be very near to some which seem more solid and cost ££.

Much of the world lives without.

I rode a bicycle around Upper Egypt for a fortnight or so in August when I was a mad young person and had the best hot showers ever thanks to washing water tanks being on the roof and heating all day (44° C often during the day). I got very dusty.

In Syria water was rationed so washing was done with a series of bowls at home and then there was the hammam twice a week, they shut it all up to be ladies only.

I actually ordered one of these this morning - looks promising! Many different types out there and some good demos on youtube - it’s amazing what the Chinese are churning out!

https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0B2JH9Q2F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Meanwhile, just received a quote from the small company I visited this morning - for the princely sum of 2,500€!

And also just managed to source the same pump (I think) as the one I currently have for 825€ which appears to be somewhat lower than elsewhere. And still haven’t heard back from the original installer :rage:

Looks very interesting. Let us know how you find it working when you get it!

PS I wouldn’t give up on your current pump having something minor with it wrong, as @Corona said.

Yes will let you know how it goes - current delivery date is Saturday, so wishing the week away currently!

Yes, can’t believe the current pump’s not repairable - looks brand new! The local workshop I visited this morning said no, so need to hawk around others now.

Earlier I was reading through the installation manual of the pump that I have and to be honest it looks quite bulletproof from a spec point of view.

As far as protection goes, below is a direct extract from the installation manual:

The motor is protected in case of:
• dry running
• voltage surges (up to 6000 V)
In areas with high lightning intensity, external
lightning protection is required.
• overvoltage
• undervoltage
• overload
• overtemperature

Very interesting to see the comment about lightning protection! As the installer I used had replaced a previous pump that looked like it had been taken out by lightning and I did say to him I didn’t want to go through the same again. But when I look at the installation there isn’t anything in addition to the breaker switch, so clearly he didn’t comply with the manual.

I’m thinking that the installer may be currently on holiday, and expecting a tough conversation when I do finally reach him, but my thoughts are that if the current pump was taken out by lightning then surely this is negligent on his behalf for not installing something that was fit for purpose i.e. adequately protected according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Again, I welcome any comments. I wouldn’t normally be thinking along these lines, was it not for the fact that we’re talking about a sizeable sum of money here.

Also to be prepared, has anyone else had any experience of work/supply not being fit for purpose, and having to take the matter further, whatever that involves?