shallow well pump problem

[traveler]

So I tried to get the water going at the cabin yesterday...no dice. I shut it down myself last fall, everything was working fine at that point.

Last spring (my 1st time doing this) it was a simple matter of plugging the pump back in and presto! ...water:) This year, no such luck. The pump is a 1/2 hp wayne shallow well jet pump. It will run, but not draw water.

My thoughts are:

Could the line from the well still be frozen?

Does it need to be primed? It didn't last year...I thought that might be it, but of course no manual (VERY limited pump experience) and the only port on top of the pump, which I figured must be a priming port (research just now comfirms this) is rusted badly...I couldn't break it free, even useing a breaker bar, so I wasn't able to try priming it. That would be the first thing I'd like to try, but of course the cabin is 3 1/2 hrs away, remote, and tool selection there is limited.

So...I'd like to go back up in 2 weeks and have water. So would my wife and daughters:) I need to make that happen:) Thoughts?

[Gordie]

Most likely needs to be primed.

The picture is my shallow well pump the plug on the top of the copper line is the one I take out to prime mine when it needs to be done.

if this doesn't work you may have to disconect the other line the gray or galvanized pipe and fill that up with water also.

Hope this helpsand Good Luck

[Macgyver55]

If you properly drained it last fall, then it will need to be primed. Its unlikely that it is still frozen with the warm weather we have had unless it is in a well insulated pump house.

On the other hand, if you didn't drain the pump, my guess is that the housing may be very well be cracked from freezing and unable to draw water. Unfortunately, if this is the case the pump will need to be repaired or replaced.

[hawgchaser]

I agree completely with MacGyver's post, although there could also be problems with the (presumed) sand point at the bottom of the well...they plug with silt/sludge and sometimes need cleaning or replacement. Not to be a dooms-dayer, but if your area is as dry as mine, you might want to be sure the well pipe is actually in water as the shallow well pumps I'm familiar with are only good to a depth of something like 25ft.. If your well pipe is in a casing you should be able to see water along the well pipe at the bottom. Hope you get the problems figured out & solved.

[traveler]

Thanks guys. The well has water, the water table there is very high, and theres a 7 ft pipe "key" that has to be turned to open the water line first thing, and that was wet. I did drain things, including the pump, throughly last fall.

Sure sounds like priming is the thing, I'll have to bring a better option to break that nut loose on the primer spot....funny, it sounds like in my situation it should need priming every year, but it didn't last year, and it doesn't look/feel like that nuts been of there in a loooong time. Hopefully I can free it up...