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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> If a new pump is needed, is this something that we could do, or would it 
> be better to hire it out?  Thoughts?

A new pump is relatively easy to install.  Ron has installed car parts that 
are much more complicated.  You hoist up the pump and oil up the 
wires/cables/ropes whatever is suspending it, disconnect the wiring, attach 
the new pump in 
similar manner, and lower it into the well once again.  You have to 
waterproof 
the connections, there are usually gasketed plastic tubes that take care of 
that and they are reusable.

If you are going from the old three wire + ground to a newer two wire + 
ground pump, just disragard the superfluous wire at the pump and tie it off 
(waterproof it).  You will have to rewire to bypass the startup capacitors 
but it is 
pretty self evident.

How-some-ever ........ if the pump supply isn't humming as usual, that would 
be what you'd expect in an empty well.  There's no load on the pump and it's 
not drawing much current (amperage) so it will run differently.

If a pump runs dry for long time (doesn't have a flow cutoff switch), the 
impeller housing will heat up and ruin.  In that case the pump must be 
replaced.  
It will run normally but there will be no water lifted.

It's a drought of Biblical proportions from you to us.  You really have to 
determine first whether there's any water in the well, and the only way I can 
suggest to do that is lift the pump and see if it's wet.   </HTML>