I checked the expansion tank pressure gauge: zero pounds. I checked the circuit breaker: On. Something was wrong with the well pump.
I had 240V to the controller in the basement. Good so far. I dug up the top of the well head and checked the wires there...240V. I then tried to start the pump from the controller. The pump should draw about 6 or 7 amps when it's running. Mine drew close to 50. I measured the resistance of the motor windings by using the wires leading to the pump motor at the bottom of the well. Both pump motor windings tested fine. For some reason the motor was stalled. Could be bad bearings, sand in the impeller, a small stone, or anything that was preventing the motor from turning.
So I pulled the pump.
Wanting to get a shower before going to bed, I went to buy a pump yesterday afternoon. We went to Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, and Tractor Supply. All had some type of pump or had the pump I needed but didn't have the controller. We showered at my parent's house last night. It's Sunday. I'm sitting at home waiting for some place to open this morning so I can go pump hunting again.
Hoping the pump was still under warranty, my wife searched through her warranty file. The warranty file is now a huge box of paperwork filled with warranties that expired when I was cool in my hawaiian shirts and velor sweaters.
Warranty for the pump was for 18 months and it's been 3 years since I installed it. Of course. A residential pump should last a lot longer than 3 years. but of course, mine gets a lot of use. I run the pump for lots of hours and thousands of gallons more than most people because I have a ridiculously large garden.
When I add the $300 for a new pump into the cost of having said ridiculously large garden, I'm now convinced more than ever of gardening truism #1.
"Gardening is Stupid."
4 comments:
But at least it keeps your friends amused.
I remember that guy in the picture, seems like I knew him about 1989.
The real question is whether Mrs. GardenerX thinks that gardening is stupid or a valuable use of your time.
She thinks it gets me out of the house.
Mrs. GardnerX here... I have to admit I think gardening is stupid, too, but it comes from a childhood of bugs off plants and weeding in my organic gardening mother's garden. It is ever so much cheaper to just go to the farm market. However, that being said... Gardner X's preocupation with kill, kill, kill has been enormously entertaining all summer long albeit disturbing!
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