When a pump station will not work, you can either find a way to troubleshoot the problem by referring to the user's manual, or just hire the service of a professional to perform the necessary repair of any problem. But prior to any troubleshooting or repair, you first need to be familiarized with the common problems that are causing the malfunction of your pump station.

Overloading

Overloading in pump station occur when an excessive current is drawn to the pump motor.  Reasons causing the motor overload include low voltage from the power grid, low voltage because of poor installation or design, or low voltage from local causes.

No flow

During the operation of the pump, water should continuously flowinto the discharge pipe. This is detected by the flow device in the pump discharge manifold. But when there is no flow continuously for around 1 minute despite the operation of the pump station, there must be something wrong with the pump. You might have an obstruction either between the water source and the pump, or between the filter and the pump.  There can also be a side air leak in the suction.Pump Will Not Start

There are several reasons why the pump motor will not start.  They could be:

•    The main circuit breaker could have tripped or disconnected from the station control panel.

•    It could have been disconnected from another power feeding station, fuse blown down or tripped.

•    The power from the main station to the site is probably disconnected, the main fuse blown down or there is a failure in the entire power station

•    The rain switch is not working.

•    The motor will not start because a flow alarm is detected and automatically shuts down the system

•    The circuit breaker or the fuses of the control panels are probably open.

•    The pressure switches could have been malfunctioning, not properly adjusted or there is a clog in the pressure tubing to the switches.

Loss of Prime

When the pump loses its prime but is still operating without any water flowing through it, there's a tendency of overheating that can damage the motor, pump seal, pipe manifold and other related pump components.

Air Lock

Air lock can happen when there is a high spot trapping air in the intake line of the pump. The water usually flows beneath the air pocket when an air lock occurs. There are instances where the pump loses prime when the air is taken out from an air lock.

Hiring Professionals to Do the Job

Technicians who are not experts in troubleshooting pump stations or in dealing with pump problems are usually not familiar with the delicate nature of the pump design of water intake as well as its installation. They can even cause more damage with the unit or to themselves as well and you need to go over the repair again.

People not expert with the pump can do simple regular checking of the pump lines to the devices and pump stations in general. However, they have certain limitations when it comes to the more delicate parts of the pump motors.
If you let a non-expert to deal with the pump problems, risks such as arch flash explosions and burns can occur.These are usually caused by the huge amount of electricity flowing into the pump station.

There are incidents where owners blow their own pump stations because the proper diagnostic and repair has not been done. Aside from endangering yourself,  you will also need to replace the pump station which will cost you a large amount of money, which could have been prevented had you let a professional pump station repair service provider do the job.