Preparing to Start the Pump
Priming
Risk of explosion . Do not ground to a gas supply line. Never
run pump against closed discharge. To do so can boil water inside pump,
causing hazardous pressure in unit, risk of explosion and possibly scalding
persons handling pump.
Risk of burns . Never run pump dry. Running pump without
water may cause pump to overheat, damaging seal and possibly causing
burns to persons handling pump. Fill pump with water before starting.
1. Remove the priming plug or tee from the pump and fill the pump,
fill all piping between the pump and the well, and make sure that all
piping in the well is full. If you have also installed a priming tee in the
suction piping, remove the plug from the tee and fill the suction piping.
2. Replace all fill plugs. Open a sink faucet.
3. Power on! Start the pump. If you don’t have water after 2 or 3 minutes,
stop the pump and remove the fill plugs. Refill the pump and piping.
You may have to repeat this several times in order to get all the trapped
air out of the piping. A pump lifting water 25’ may take as long as
15 minutes to prime.
4. After the pump begins building pressure in the system, shut the faucet
off. Let the pump build pressure until it shuts off. Check the pressure
switch operation by opening a faucet or two and running enough
water out to bleed off pressure until the pump starts. The pump should
start when pressure drops to 30 PSI and stop when pressure reaches
50 PSI. Run the pump through one or two complete cycles to verify
correct operation. This will also help clean the system of dirt and scale
dislodged during installation.
Winterizing the Pump
To prepare the pump for freezing temperatures:
1. Shut off power to the pump.
2. Relieve system pressure. Open a faucet and let it drain until water
stops flowing.
3. Drain the pump. Your pump may have a separate drain plug. Remove
this plug and let it drain.
Your pump may only have a plug or connection on the side of the
pump. Remove this and let the pump drain. Some water will remain in
the pump. Leave the plug out until you are ready to re-prime.
Figure 10 - Prime the Pump
