It’s Chinese New Year and there’s no shuidian that’s going to be working, but lately the water pump for the whole building has been running dry for hours without drawing any water up. It took a couple of hours but I finally determined that the pump needs priming, but before it didn’t.
I can’t be there to re-prime the thing every time the water pump starts up because the water tower was drawn down, but I can’t let it run dry either because if we lose the water pump, we’re going to be without running water for at LEAST a week.
I’m keeping the thing going because I hate being without water, and I don’t think anyone in the building likes it either, but why would these thing not prime itself? Or why would it lose prime?
Is there anyone who knows anything about plumbing who might be able to tell me why? I see a valve that can be opened to allow you to prime the thing…
I would prime it by basically pouring water down that valve after opening it, and I can hear a distinct change in the sound the pump makes. About 30 minutes later I’d have water.
How can I make it so I don’t have to keep doing this constantly?
You’re a tenant, right? And in a building with other residents and other landlords at that. Why on earth is this your problem to fix? It’s not. You should be telling your landlord to get someone out to deal with it, presumably in conjunction with the other owners.
Fumbling around with the water system of a building that doesn’t belong to you when you don’t know what you’re doing seems like an extraordinarily bad idea. Who do you reckon they’re going to blame if you balls something up?
Once again for emphasis: It’s not your problem to fix. Contact your landlord.
It might take some calling around (by your landlord or whoever’s responsible for your building, not you), but I’m 99.997% confident that Taipei will have plumbers/electricians/workmen available over the holiday to deal with emergency situations.
Non self priming pumps are generally primed by - you guessed it - pouring water in it to remove air. How would a pump with no water do that? (but yea, there are self priming pumps available. Either that one isn’t one, or it’s not working)
There is probably another issue here rather than the priming per se. Is that pipe going up headed up to the tank? And the valve you’re pouring water into is attached to it? If that is going up to a tank somewhere above, it should presumably never be dry, but is?
As an aside, I’m wondering where you’re getting water to prime the pump if the building has no water.
If it runs to top up the reservoir/water tower at the top of the building, and then shuts off and needs re-priming, that would suggest an up-stream leak that is dropping the water level lower than the level of the pump. It wouldn’t do this normally, as when the pump is off it should effectively create its own vacuum which keeps the water level where it was (near the top of the tower)
Possible rogue hack: prime the pump but reduce the power going to the pump so that it runs slower but is therefore off for less time. Dunno how you do this without burning the building down, though.
Good point, but that would also suggest it’d be wise to get someone out to find the source of the leak and fix things properly rather than cluelessly fiddling around with someone else’s property and risking making things worse by allowing the leak to continue.
That’s a bit above my pay grade, and the property manager seems like he just doesn’t give a fuck.
Yes it’s not my problem to fix, but it is because I’d spend a week without water (which means I cannot live here) if I don’t do this “hack”, and it’s not much of a hack if you think about it.
I told the property manager about it and all he says is wait until after chinese new year. I think he just doesn’t care or works part time or whatever. I mean it’s not his problem as far as he knows… So right now the band aid solution is just pour water into the priming valve whenever it’s sucking dry.
There may be a leak upstream causing this, or maybe someone opened a valve where he shouldn’t.
You make that problem your landlords, and all the other people living in the building by letting it run dry and complaining.
Let me try to simplify this eloquent point for you.
You’re fucking around with someone else’s property and they could try to bill you for the cost of repairs.
I know you’re going to try to justify it, but do you think the building management gives a shit what your reasons are when they can get you to pay for out of hours repairs?
So basically let the water pump burn out, and it would be months before it would ever be fixed? In the states you’d call a building maintenance guy who is on top of this but in a Gongyu no such people exist (perhaps in a residential tower this would be more of a thing).
Not having water is an emergency though… it would become uninhabitable in a short time.
I did let the property manager know that I would prime the pump when necessary as a stopgap measure, and he told me he’d discuss it with the owners to have the pump replaced. He said there are no plumbers available during chinese new year.
Months? Where did you read anybody telling you that?
Yes, correct, I would regard not having water as an emergency. It’s why you contact. your. landlord. and. tell. them. to. fix. it. You insist. No need for you to take it upon yourself to go bumbling around with other people’s property. You could get yourself into trouble you don’t want (again).
I’m still 99.997% confident there are emergency plumbers/workmen in Taipei for stuff like this. You’re Taiwanese and read Chinese — I’m sure you can search for info online, and you can also speak to your neighbors who presumably want water too. You’re not going to be the first person in Taipei to have a water-related problem over LNY.
I know this thread isn’t going to be the first time you ever listen to advice received on Forumosa though, so… just keep doing what you’re gonna do I guess.
I read it as he cant get his mate to fix it because he is away and he would have to pay full price.
If so your landlord will have to find you alternative accommodation until its fixed, agin its not your problem to fix it, or even touch it, if it runs out everyone else in the building will kick off too not just you, then it will have to be sorted.
You’re not doing yourself or others in the building any favours, you don’t even know why it’s cutting out.
It’s the regular pattern, just get out the popcorn and watch the train-wreck slowly unfold.
Yea,.totally irrelevant, but same in the US - nothing other than a large building / complex.is.goimg to have a dedicated building maintenance guy. Many large complexes aren’t going to have them.
Right, so back to that question at the top…
You wondering why he’s not on top of getting this fixed when he’s got a volunteer to keep this limping along?
They got water - someone is volunteering to run down and pour water in a valve when it stops. Just a slight inconvenience for them, but no added work.
Partial bit of the handwritten sign on the wall does appear to be likely asking people not to fuck with it, very paraphrased based on the small bit visible!
(but yea, there are self priming pumps available. Either that one isn’t one, or it’s not working)
Where did you read anybody telling you that? 
The lack of self awareness! 
