Do-it-yourself pumping station repair: causes of malfunctions and their elimination
The main element of any autonomous water supply system is a pumping station, which, like any other technical device, may periodically fail. To return the pumping equipment to working order, you can use the services of specialized companies or repair the pump station with your own hands. However, before you start repairing such technically complex equipment, it is necessary to identify the causes, for which the pumping station for water does not function.
Disassembly of the pump for diagnostics and troubleshooting
There are many causes of malfunctions in the pumping station. They may be related to a lack of power, improper water supply from the water supply source, failure of the pump itself, failure of the accumulator or elements, which provide automatic control of equipment. Many for such reasons, leading to, that water supply stations do not work or do not work properly, can be detected and eliminated at home, and for repair professional skills and the difficult equipment will not be required.
Device of pumping stations
Pumping stations, which are often called hydrophores, today are actively used for the organization of autonomous water supply systems of country houses and dachas, so the question is, how to repair such equipment yourself, if necessary, is quite relevant. Before we understand that, how to repair a pumping station with your own hands, need to understand, what such stations consist of and on what principle they work.
Installation of surface pumping station
Pumping station for equipping domestic water supply, which injects fluid into the pipeline system, installed on the ground, as close as possible to the well (as far as possible), and operates from the mains. The main structural elements of pumping stations, ensuring efficient and uninterrupted operation of such equipment in automatic mode, is:
- the water pump itself, which pumps water from a well or well and under pressure pushes it to the outlet (for equipping pumping stations is used mainly non-submersible, and a surface pump);
- water intake hose, which is immersed in water at the highest possible level;
- check valve, which prevents water from the suction line from getting back into the well or well;
- strainer, which is installed in front of the non-return valve and purifier to pump water from the source of dirt and sand particles, getting into the inside of the pump can be one of the reasons for its failure;
- pressure sensor, which is installed after the pump - on the pressure line (the main task of such a sensor, operating in automatic mode, is, to turn on the pump in that case, if the water pressure in the water supply system drops to a critical value, and turn off, when it reaches the required parameters);
- water flow sensor, which is installed to the pump and does not allow it to idle (when water ceases to flow from a well or well, such a sensor automatically shuts off the device, not letting it overheat);
- pressure gauge, which allows you to measure the water pressure in the pipeline, created by the pumping station.
The main faults and recommendations for their elimination
Pump station malfunctions, as mentioned above, can be determined by a number of reasons, accurate clarification of which will allow you to quickly and efficiently perform repairs, returning the equipment to working condition. At diagnosis, carried out to determine the cause of the breakdown of the pumping station, no need to use complex equipment and professional skills. It is possible to reveal the majority of characteristic malfunctions of pump stations as on external signs, and with the help of devices, which such equipment and water supply system were originally equipped with.
Among the malfunctions of pumping stations can be identified several of the most typical, which each user is able to detect and eliminate on their own, using the advice of experts in the repair.
The pump is running, but water does not enter the system
This can happen when starting the pumping station, that pump, which it is equipped with, works, and the liquid does not enter the water supply. To determine, why the pumping station does not pump water, it is necessary to analyze some parameters and operating conditions of the elements, included in the equipment of the equipment.
- First you need to assess the technical condition and correct operation of the check valve, which is located on the suction pipe inside the well or well. This is why the pumping station often does not pump because of this, that this valve is clogged with sand and dirt: without opening, it simply does not allow water from the well to enter the pump.
- It should be checked, whether there is water in that part of the pressure pipeline, which is located between the pump and the well. If there is no liquid, then, in accordance, device nothing to download. Often this situation occurs when the power goes out and the pumping station stops working. That the pump station started to work in a normal mode again, it is enough to fill this part of the pipeline with water, for which it has a special hole.
- It is necessary to check (when the pump is disassembled), how large the output between the inner walls of its body and the impeller. The most intensive such production is formed in those cases, when water is pumped, containing a large number of insoluble impurities (a kind of abrasive). If detected ??this is the reason for the lack of water in the water supply system with a working pumping station, then the pump needs to be repaired, which consists in replacing the impeller and the housing of the device, or its complete replacement. In that case, if you find accessories, which are suitable for the model of your equipment, it is possible to repair the water pump with your own hands.
- It must also be determined, is there water (and at what depth, if there is) in the well or well itself. If there is water in the water supply source, then the problem is solved simply: it is enough to lower the supply hose or pipe to a deeper level of injection. It is necessary to follow the operating instructions of the pumping equipment, to later avoid its repair.
The pumping station works jerkily
Pump station, operating in automatic mode, may begin to turn off and on frequently, indicating a fault. This is the nature of the pumping station, at which there is its constant disconnection and inclusion, called jerky. This should be a signal to that, to perform a check (and repair if necessary) individual elements of the system.
If the pump station works jerkily (it will turn off, then turn on), the pressure in the air chamber of the hydraulic tank should be measured. You can use a car compressor to perform this procedure, equipped with a manometer. If this parameter in the air chamber or pear for the pump station is below normal, it must be raised, using the same autocompressor. Repeated pressure drop in the air chamber of the device indicates this, that the system was depressurized, the location of which must be identified. In that case, if the joints have lost their tightness, then repair of the accumulator is not required, it is enough to simply replace the sealing tape in such places.
To find the leak, apply soap suds to suspicious surfaces. Bubbles will appear at the leaks
The case of the hydraulic accumulator can lose tightness also, if a crack or hole is formed in it. It is easy to repair the accumulator with your own hands in such a situation: it is enough to close the crack, formed or hole with the help of the composition "cold welding".
Why the pump station is often turned on and off during operation? The answer to this question may lie in the damage to the membrane of the accumulator. In such cases, the solution is to replace the accumulator bulb or such a membrane.
Replacement of a membrane in the hydroaccumulator
Repair specialists are often interested, why the pump station is often switched on or why the pump station is not switched off at that time, when the pressure of the liquid in the water supply system exceeds the norm. This is usually due to a breakdown or malfunction of the pressure switch. Such malfunctions can also be the cause, that the pumping station does not keep the water pressure in the pipeline. Repair of a pressure switch is a rather complicated procedure, which can not always be done with your own hands. That is why in many cases the pump station pressure switch is not repaired, simply replacing such a sensor with a new one.
Unstable water flow pressure, coming from the pumping station
One of the most common situations in the operation of pumping stations - the supply of water from taps by pulsating shocks, which indicates, that the water supply system sucks in air from the outside. To detect the location of air entering the pipeline, all fasteners must be carefully checked for leaks, present at the polling station, located between the well or well and the pumping station.
Eliminate pipeline leaks by improvised means
If the pump station does not gain pressure or supplies water to the pipeline in pulsating mode, it may also indicate that, that the water level in the source has decreased or that a hose or pipe of inappropriate diameter is used to pump water.
Choosing a hose or pipe to place in a well or borehole, should always be considered, that their diameter should be smaller, the lower the height of the suction of water from the source.
The automatic shutdown system of the pump station does not work
The question is, why the pump station does not turn off automatically, quite common. Pumping station, operating in this mode, which is considered emergency, cannot be operated, it should be disconnected from the mains immediately. Otherwise, you may encounter rapid equipment failure, so, more complex and expensive repair of a hydrophore will be required.
Why the pump station does not turn off for a long time? The cause is a malfunction or failure of the pressure sensor. Malfunction of this device, which operates automatically, may be the reason, that the pump station is not switched on at that time, when the pressure in the pipeline decreases, the fluid flowing through it. In most cases, this problem is solved quite simply - by adjusting the sensor to the desired pressure on and off the pump.
When tightening the nut of a large spring, the shut-off pressure increases, and the tension of the small spring changes the delta (pressure on / off range of the pressure switch)
The pressure switch can lead to its incompatibility for that reason, that the elements of its internal structure were covered with salt deposits. In such cases it is enough to disassemble the sensor and to clear its internal details of such deposits.
The pump station is not switched on
In most situations, the station does not turn on (and, in accordance, the pump does not work) due to a broken electrical circuit, oxidation of the contact group elements and malfunctions of the pressure sensor. in addition, the cause of the problem may be hidden in the burnt winding of the drive motor, as well as in the failure of the starting capacitor.
Check the electrical contacts of the pressure switch
With such repair procedures, as the elimination of interruptions in the electrical circuit of the station, cleaning of contacts of the starting device and replacement of the condenser, usually, no problems arise. However, for that, to rewind the motor, you need to know, how to disassemble it and how to replace the burnt winding in it. That is why many users of pumping stations, when the drive motor burns out, just replace it with a new one, avoiding repairs.
Often when starting the pumping station, which has not been operated for a long time, there is a characteristic hum, but the equipment does not start working. The reason for this situation is, that the pump impeller of the pump station simply "stuck" to the body of the device and can not move. In this case it is necessary to perform a partial disassembly of the pump pump and manually move its impeller from the dead center.
How to properly install a pumping station
To look less often for answers to questions about it, why the pump does not pump water from the well or feeds it into the system incorrectly, serious attention should be paid to the installation of pumping station elements. Proper installation of water supply systems with submersible pumps is no less important, as repair of the submersible pump or its replacement is also not cheap procedure.
so, the following recommendations must be strictly observed when installing pumping stations:
- prevent bending and deformation of pipes, which are used for installation;
- to ensure absolute tightness of all performed connections, to exclude air suction into the system;
- be sure to place on the pipe, supplying check valve and filter element;
- immerse the lower end of the inlet pipe in water in a well or well for at least thirty centimeters (the distance of the end of the pipe to the bottom of the water supply source must be at least twenty centimeters);
- at a significant depth of the water supply source (over 4 m) and if necessary to pump water over a considerable distance to increase the estimated diameter of the pipes used for installation;
- use a water flow sensor and a pressure switch to equip the pumping station;
- locate a pumping station, which is installed on a hard and flat surface, near the source of water supply;
- after installation of the equipment and its connection to the water supply system to collect water in that part of the suction pipeline, which is located between the pump and the well or well.
