Pumps, pressure, and machines that outlived their makers
Boiler Feed Pump Calculation
Calculate hydraulic, shaft, and motor power for a boiler feed pump from flow, head, density, and efficiency, with worked examples at realistic duty points.
By Walt Brenner · 19 August 2026 · 1 min readLatest
How Long Does a Well Tank Last? Lifespan & Failure Signs
In this guide, “well tank” means the pressurized tank that works with a residential well pump, not an atmospheric cistern or bulk-water storage tank.
Variable Speed Well Pump: How It Works, Pros, Cons & Sizing
Updated August 20, 2026
Well Pump Runs but No Water: Safe Troubleshooting Guide
If the well pump is running continuously but no water is reaching the property, switch it off at its breaker or clearly labeled disconnect. Do not leave it…
Weep Hole for Sump Pump: Purpose, Placement & Troubleshooting
A weep hole for a sump pump gives trapped air an escape path and can help prevent air lock. It is not, however, a universal modification. Some pumps prevent…
What Is a Pump Cover? Gym Meaning, Uses, and Examples
In gym slang, a pump cover is a loose or oversized garment worn over workout clothing, usually during the warm-up or early part of a training session. The most…
AC Hard Start: Symptoms, Causes & When a Kit Helps
Before you add start assist, find out why the compressor is struggling.
More articles
Motor Vibrates? Causes, Safe Checks, and Troubleshooting Steps
Motor vibration is a symptom, not a diagnosis. An ordinary electric motor can shake because of the motor, its mounting, the power supply, the drive train, the…
Ejector Pump vs Sump Pump: Differences & Which You Need
A sump pump manages groundwater or rain-related water collected around a foundation, while a sewage ejector pump lifts sanitary wastewater from plumbing…
Sump Pump Keeps Running? Causes, Checks, and Fixes
Start with what the water is doing.
Submersible Irrigation Pump: Sizing, Selection & Buying Guide
Choosing a submersible irrigation pump is not primarily a horsepower decision. It is a system-design decision.
Water Well Pump Foot Valve: Selection & Troubleshooting Guide
A water well pump foot valve is often blamed when a surface pump loses prime, pressure falls after shutdown, or air spits from faucets.
How Much to Get Septic Pumped? 2026 Cost Guide
For routine residential service, about $300 to $700 is a reasonable answer to “how much to get septic pumped?” For an accessible tank with no complications,…
Shallow Well Pump With Pressure Tank: Sizing & Buying Guide
A shallow well pump with pressure tank should be selected as a system—not as a pump, tank, switch, and collection of fittings that merely share a pipe.
Signs of Well Drying Up: 8 Warnings and What to Do
Weak pressure, sputtering faucets, sediment, slow recovery, and unusual pump operation are possible signs of a well drying up. None proves that groundwater is…
Well Pump Maintenance: Checklist, Schedule & Warning Signs
Well pump maintenance is not simply “servicing the pump.” A private well is a connected water-supply system, and reliable performance depends on the pump,…
Float Level Switch: Types, Selection and Troubleshooting Guide
A float level switch can be a practical way to detect a high, low or intermediate liquid level. But the word float does not establish whether a device will…
Well Pump Problems: A Safe Troubleshooting Guide
No water, pulsing faucets, rapid clicking, sediment, or a pump that never stops can look like an obvious pump failure. The same symptoms, however, may…
Signs of Well Pump Failure: Symptoms, Causes, and Safe Checks
The main signs of possible well pump failure are:
Well Water Pump Not Working? Safe Troubleshooting Guide
A house without water does not automatically mean the well pump has failed. The fault may be in the power supply, pressure switch, pressure tank, control box,…
How Do You Prime a Pump? A Safe Step-by-Step Guide
Priming a pump means filling the pump casing—and, when the design requires it, the suction line—with the liquid being pumped while allowing trapped air to…
Well Pump Capacitor Replacement: Testing, Matching & Safety
Electrical safety warning: A capacitor can retain a dangerous charge after supply power has been disconnected. Switching off a breaker is not, by itself, proof…
Well Pump Stopped Working? Safe Troubleshooting Steps
When a well pump stops working—or appears to—the pump itself is only one possible cause. A tripped breaker, failed pressure switch, clogged filter, closed…
Pump Pressure Switch: Selection, Settings & Troubleshooting Guide
A pump pressure switch is easy to recognize but easy to misdiagnose. It responds to water pressure and tells a pump when to start or stop, placing it at the…
Claverton Pumping Station: History, Engineering & Visitor Guide
Claverton Pumping Station is best understood not simply as an old waterwheel, but as a complete water-management system.
Sump Pump Definition, Purpose, Installation & Maintenance Guide
A sump pump is not a stand-alone promise of a dry basement. It is one part of a building-wide water-management system, and it works only when water can reach…
Check Valve One Way Valve Guide: Types, Selection & Use
A check valve, one-way valve, and usually non-return valve are synonymous general terms. Each describes a two-port valve—with an inlet and an outlet—that…
VP44 Injection Pump: Why They Fail & How to Keep the Next One Alive
Why the Bosch VP44 injection pump on 1998–2002 Cummins diesels fails, the real warning signs, and the fuel-pressure fix that saves replacements.