HI, My house is off-grid and run on photovoltaic panel;s with a propane generator as back-up. We have learned over the past 7 yrs we have been in the house energy efficiency of motors is an importnat condieration. We have also learned a 220v/230v/240v motor is better for our inverters as the start-up amperage is lower than a 110v/115v/120v motor.

Given the above, we have a problem with our Goulds Model J7S jet pump: it will not start. It hums and gets hot and then shuts down. I am hoping someone can provide some good advice on the best path forward.

Why did the pump break? When the house was built our well guy installed the Goulds pump and never installed a float in our cistern to automatically start the well pump when the cistern got empty. We manually turn the well pump on when the cistern needs water. The problem? We forgot to check the cistern this week...did ot think of it because we did not believe we had used that much water. Wrong thing to do as we have a friend staying with us while he gets back on his feet financially, finds a job after relocating to our area, etc. He did not recognize the sound the Goulds jet pump makes when it has no water to suck out of the cistern as being cause to run to the mechanical room and unplug the jet pump. He let it run and viola! Big problem. When I got home about 4 hours later and discovered the cistern was empty I knew what had happened and went to check the jet pump and unplug it from the wall. Sure enough, the motor was so hot you could not hardly touch it. Well, the motor has now cooled after another 4 hours and the cistern is now 1/2 full. I unscrewed the small plug on top of the pump on the inlet side and water came squirting out so I know there is water at the pump and that it is primed. However, the motor just hums and then pops and goes silent when I plug it back in the wall to try it out.

My questions are: would you think the whole AO Smith motor is burned up? Or, would you think it is just the start capacitor? And, more importantly, should I even try to figure it out, just junk this pump, and see if there is a more efficient pump available, buy it, and install it. I have always believed this pump is overkill as it just seems so large and powerful but then what do know?

Here is my system description: 510' deep well with a Jacuzzi 1.5 ho submersible, AC, well pump approx. 100' from the house. The well feeds a 3,000 steel cistern via a 1.5" PVC pipe. The cistern sits tight against the back of the house and sits approx. 3' higher than the jet pump and approx. 20' away from the jet pump. The pipe from the cistern to the jet pump is approx. 1.5" copper pipe and actually goes up approx 6' into the ceiling to make it's run to the jet pump, where it then drops down approx. 9' to the pump. The jet pump sits ont he floor right tight against the 80 gallon pressure tank. There has never been an issue with any of the pumps. The jet pump was installed in June of 2001 right after the well was drilled and was used in the construction of the house and then we finished and moved into the house in June 2002. Oh, we do have a float installed in the cistern now but it is not operational yet. The well guy (a different guy than who dug the well) installed the float switch and control box but did not wire it, and I have yet to get an electrician up to wire it. Nobody I call seems to know how but I think this would be a good time to figure it out myself and get it done.

Here is the info on the Goulds jet pump to help determine if we should fix it or replace it. Cost estimates to fixing the jet pump and replacing it with a more efficient pump are appreciated.
Goulds Model: J7S
AO Smith Model: C48A94A06
HP: 3/4
Volts: 115/230
RPM: 3,450
Amps: 12.6/6.3
Max Load: 14.8/7.4
Hz: 60
SF 1.13
FR: 56J
Ph: 1
Thermally Protected: CET63ABN
Amb: 40 degree C
Encl Type: UC
Duty: Cont
Code: L
Insul Class:
Goulds No. J05853l
1.25 NPT Inlet
1" NPT Discharge (a replacement pump with this same size inlet & discharge would make life a lot easier and faster to replace the existing pump)
ProControl by Furnas
Cat #: 69ES109023R
Part #: ASFX

Thanks for the help.