I'm hoping you can help me diagnose a problem with our pump at camp. I didn't bring the information back home with me, but I'll do the best I can to explain what we've got and what the problem is.

The pump is a Craftsman shallow water pump. It has a single hose that goes into the lake and has a filter at the end (the simple screen kind of thing.) We bought it only three years ago, drain it each year and bring it home for the winter so it doesn't freeze. I've never had any problem with it until now.

When I first connected it (last weekend) it was pumping fine. It kept running, however, and finally a small hose blew free from the pump and sent steaming water all over. I realized that the pressure switch was totally undone so I tightened it - just guessing how much as my instructions from the machine are terrible (and in some cases, actually wrong.) The water is running but the pump still won't shut off. In order to use water, I had to hit the circuit each time. In addition, the toilet wasn't filling, but the faucets were fine, so I thought it was a pressure thing. I checked the tank with a tire pressure guage and it was right where it was supposed to be.

Any ideas?

PCM