pond pump problem

Our pond pump stopped working towards the end of last autumn. As it was cold and I don't usually run the pump through the winter I left it.
Took it out last night to let everything dry off.
Tried this morning and it ran OK in the dry but the RCD cut out within about two or three seconds of trying to run it in the water.

Any suggestions? New pump time?

Thanks

Steve

 

Hi Steve. It sounds like you have an earth leakage. If it's an expensive pump, then it might be worth trying to get it fixed. I'm not an expert but I'd imagine that a repair of this kind would have to be carried out by a fully qualified engineer. Since you say that it's been switched off over the winter, I'm going to assume that it's a relatively inexpensive pump, and would therefore suggest buying a new one.
Hope this helps.

Cheers...Freddy.

 

I'll back up the advice about using a qualified electrician if you decide to stick with your current pump.

 

I was convinced that the pump wasn't that old, but when I found the guarantee paperwork I discovered I'd bought it in 2001! So it doesn't owe me a lot and has been replaced.

Thanks for the comments

Steve

 

Although it has now been replaced I would like to mention the following

99% of submersible pond pumps are sealed with resin, this means that if they develop any internal fault they have to be replaced.

If the cable gets damaged you can use a waterproof connector, but these can be fiddly, and are often for single use.

If you have a pump that does not run, check its input and outputs, try it in a bucket of water, if it still doesn't work check the impeller, is it all there? Last thing try the socket its connected to, plug in something else. If all that fails, get a new pump.

An electrician can not really help with the pump, since as mentioned it's sealed, and if you have done all the other checks, you have little choice but to get a new pump.

A new pump is a few pounds to replace, a life is priceless