MQ3-45 1 HP Pressure Booster Pump

Experienced gardeners share their insights in answering this question :
It needs a supply of water.If this is used as a booster pump, check that the water inlet valve is open. It will pass water in this type of application.
If it is used to pump from a storage tank or well, it has lost it’s prime. Either the tank ran empty or the water level in the well fell below the suction or too deep for the pump to lift it.
You probably have probably over heated it and melted the impellers.
Check the suction piping. If there is any failure, it won’t work. It will not pump water if there is any way it can suck air. Fix the pipe and prime the pump by filling it with water. There is a plug on top for this. Here is a link to the manual.
http://us.grundfos.com/products/find-product/mq.html
You have to open a faucet on the discharge to allow it to pump the air out of the system and suck up the water. Five minutes at a time. It will over heat. Let it rest and cool off. Pour more water in it. This will ruin the pump. If no air is pushed out, the pump is probably toast.
Repairing it will cost so much and is so hard to do, you will be better off buying a new one. I tried it once. Not worth it.

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There are several reasons why a booster pump doesn`t start including a lack of power, water in the break tank, tripping, sensor failure, problems with the control panel and motor failure. Firstly if there is a power cut then the pumps won`t run and there will be no water delivered.
The pump will auto- matically attempt to restart every 30 minutes after an alarm/ fault over a period of 24 hours. After this period, the pump will remain in the alarm condition. off, the Auto-reset function is deactivated. The pump will not restart after an alarm/fault.
If the booster pump is not perfoming as well as normal there are a few things that are worth checking. Check that the water supply to the booster pump is fully open and not restricted. If this is the case it may starve the booster pump and it will not be able to boost the pressure. The pump head may need replacing.
Air leaks into the system

Because air is leaking somewhere into the pump, it is unable to build up full pressure, and therefore cannot reach its deactivation pressure level. Result: the booster pump runs nonstop. Solution: check all the hoses / pipes for holes, and seal them.

Without a correctly running water pump, your engine will overheat in the summer or freeze in the winter. This can not only cause damage to the gaskets, cylinder heads and pistons, it often results in total engine failure.
To see if the pressure tank is working properly turn off the power to the well/booster pump and turn on a faucet letting all the water pressure out of the system. When water stops flowing or slows to a trickle, use a pressure gauge to check the bladder pressure on the pressure tank Schrader Valve.
If the water pump is running but no fluid is being pumped this could be blocked inlet suction filter, check valves failed with pumps bypassing, blocked discharge lines, electric motor polarity is incorrect or incorrect pressure settings parameters amongst other issues.
The water pump may have suffered internal damage to a seal, bearing, or impeller. The motor will keep running but the pump is unable to develop normal pressures. “Damage” may include a broken impeller blade, scale or debris clogging the impeller or other pump components, or a failing pump seal or bearing.
The pump will not shut off: This is usually caused by a pressure switch that is: 1. Not mounted to properly sense the pressure in the storage tank, or 2. Will not open at a pressure less than the minimum allowed by a hydraulic shut off valve. Check with the supplier of the RO system.
If the water supply pipes become clogged, the pump will short cycle. A clog in the water supply creates high water pressure very quickly. The best way to check for this is to check the water filter. If it`s dirty or blocked, replace it, and you may restore function.
Your well pump should not run constantly. In fact, if you have this problem, you will quickly see your electric bill going up. If you`re noticing that it is, or if you`re having problems with it cycling on and off repeatedly, it may be a sign of a problem.
The most common is improper lubrication when the incorrect lubricant is used or not enough is applied. Bearings also fail in extreme temperatures. Another cause of failure is bearing overload, e.g., a pump cavitating from lacking the proper flow will increase pressure on the impeller`s front.
If you notice that your coolant level is dropping quickly or that there is coolant leaking from your vehicle, it could be a sign that the water pump is failing. When the water pump fails, it can cause coolant to leak into the oil, which can lead to engine problems.
FAQ for a Bad Water Pump

Leaking or residue from the front of the engine, overheating, and whining or squealing noises from the engine can indicate a bad water pump.

The pump is not producing the rated flow or head:

The clearance between the impeller and casing is excessive – adjust the impeller clearance. The suction head is insufficient – ensure the suction line valve is fully open and the line unobstructed. If the impeller is worn or broken – inspect and replace.

If you are experiencing no water from the well, there can be many low water pressure causes, including a failing well pump, stuck check valve, partially closed or bad gate/ball valve, and leaking/failing pressure tank.
The pump is not producing the rated flow or head:

The clearance between the impeller and casing is excessive – adjust the impeller clearance. The suction head is insufficient – ensure the suction line valve is fully open and the line unobstructed. If the impeller is worn or broken – inspect and replace.

Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

I have a pressure booster pump installed which turns on automatically when we open the tap and turns off by itself when we close the tap, but when power goes and comes back(common in india), the pump will turn on even with no tap opened and does not turn off automatically and goes on running, some kind of airlock problem I think, when we just shut off and on water input several times, it again starts working well
ANSWER : Check to see if the output pipe has water in it when the pump swutches off the pump needs to be primed at all time what we normally find cases like this is the pump is higher than the supply or there is an air pocket on the output where the pressure sensor is

Pump leaks from the bottom after running, is this normal?
ANSWER : No . the problem is that the ceramic seal that seals between the fluid and the motor and bearings is leaking ( probably from running dry) or the rubber that holds the carbon seal insert has a crack. Suggest you pull the pump down to fix it otherwise the water/ fluid will get into the bearing of the motor and will cause a major failure

Alarm mode prevents pump from kicking in… I have
ANSWER : Check level switch.

Booster pump is running but no water coming – Grundfos MQ3-45 1 HP Pressure Booster Pump
ANSWER : It needs a supply of water.If this is used as a booster pump, check that the water inlet valve is open. It will pass water in this type of application.
If it is used to pump from a storage tank or well, it has lost it’s prime. Either the tank ran empty or the water level in the well fell below the suction or too deep for the pump to lift it.
You probably have probably over heated it and melted the impellers.
Check the suction piping. If there is any failure, it won’t work. It will not pump water if there is any way it can suck air. Fix the pipe and prime the pump by filling it with water. There is a plug on top for this. Here is a link to the manual.
http://us.grundfos.com/products/find-product/mq.html
You have to open a faucet on the discharge to allow it to pump the air out of the system and suck up the water. Five minutes at a time. It will over heat. Let it rest and cool off. Pour more water in it. This will ruin the pump. If no air is pushed out, the pump is probably toast.
Repairing it will cost so much and is so hard to do, you will be better off buying a new one. I tried it once. Not worth it.

When I turn on the water in the house, my pump will turn on and begin running for about 15 seconds, it will turn off for about 2 seconds, and then turn back on for another 15 seconds. It consistently does this the entire time I have the water running. It used to stay constantly on when I have the water running.
ANSWER : If there is a surge tank in the system this is not working.
Try raising the cut-out pressure. It sounds like the pump is reaching high pressure even when you are using water.
Gary

Grundfos MQ3-35 hums loudly and does not pump. Alarm light does not go on. Pump seems “happy” but when a tap opens and the pump turns on, there is no boost in pressure and the pump just hums loudly… definitely a different noise from normal operation. Seized? Vapor lock? Any help is greatly appreciated.
ANSWER : Hi, seems like the capacitor gone bad or a seized motor. I just fixed mine cranking the motor manually with the use of a flat head screwdriver. In the back of the motor there is a rubber plug about the size of a dime. Take it off an insert a long flat-head screwdriver and crank the motor clockwise a few turns. Remove the screwdriver and try to operate the pump as usual. Good luck …

Where is the water pump located? – Grundfos MQ3-45 1 HP Pressure Booster Pump
ANSWER : TO WHAT WATER PUMP R U REFERRING TOO.. CAN U EXPLAIN MORE OR GIVE ME MORE DETAILS.

The pump alarm light is on and there is water in the tank and nothing has changed, just stopped working. Have used the bleeder and water shot out and now will not work at all. Any suggestions
ANSWER : Press the on/off button once to reset the alarm and once again to start the pump.
If the auto reset light is on, the pump will attempt to restart in 30 minutes.
If the auto reset light is off, press and hold the on/off button for 5 seconds.
Gary