Help me solve a mystery!

Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
13,070
Reaction score
13,394
Location
Northern IL
Showcase(s):
1
So I got up on Christmas Eve and, like I do every morning, I glanced out at the pond. Waterfall is off... what the heck? And of course on the coldest day of the year so far. So I grab my coat and head out to see what's up. Yup. Pump is off. Check the outlet. Seems fine. Unplug, plug back in. Nothing. Move plug to different outlet. Nope. This is a variable pump so there's a box that you point the remote control at to make it go on and off or faster and slower. NO CLUE WHAT YOU CALL THAT THING! haha. Anyway, I checked that connection as well and played around with the remote. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Several hours and a few degrees warmer I decide to go try one more time. Go through the same routine, but this time I pick up that box and flip it over (it's mounted about 8 inches off the ground on a stake) to double check the plug. That's when I realize - the switch on the bottom is turned off!

I wish I could tell you what the switch is called, but I'll describe it. It's a rocker switch, one side has a "--" and the other has an "0" to indicate on and off. Then there's a clear rubber-y cover over the switch. To turn it on or off you have to press the rubber cover hard enough to push the switch.

So my question is - other than someone actually turning off the switch, is there another way that would have gotten switched off? Would a power surge do it? It's plugged into a GFCI outlet which was not popped. I suggested maybe a small animal crawled under it and managed to switch it off. My husband has been looking at me funny ever since!

Any ideas?
 

JRS

Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
988
Reaction score
565
Location
Wisconsin
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
5a
Country
United States
My first guess would be the same as yours-a curious varmint.
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
32,948
Reaction score
20,254
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
Had to be a Hippopotamus
1609016961932.gif
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,384
Reaction score
10,486
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
I wish I could tell you what the switch is called,
? SWITCH. ?

some motors do have a thermal kill switch now you said it was coldest day thus far . Any chance your ice started to back up and cause the pump to heat up ?

Santa or one of his elves tried on the switch.

Maybe the Grinch did it !!!!!!!

Anyone for the reindeer was munching on watercress and his horns hit the switch. ?
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
3,990
Reaction score
2,682
Location
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Hardiness Zone
6a
Darn gremlins...

At least you found the problem and you know where to look if something like that happens again.

Is there any danger of the pipes/pump or other plumbing freezing if there's no flow? Hope not. That could be bad.

I would put something there to block access so it doesn't happen again. Some stones around it or maybe a small scrap of pond netting across the area.
 
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
4,684
Reaction score
3,759
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
Darn gremlins...

At least you found the problem and you know where to look if something like that happens again.

Is there any danger of the pipes/pump or other plumbing freezing if there's no flow? Hope not. That could be bad.

I would put something there to block access so it doesn't happen again. Some stones around it or maybe a small scrap of pond netting across the area.
...something that can trap hippos...

@j.w got any hippo gifs?
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,384
Reaction score
10,486
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
Gremlins are banned its a world wide no fly zone at x mas
 

sissy

sissy
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
33,086
Reaction score
15,702
Location
Axton virginia
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7A
Country
United States
I have a switch similar but it is on my well pump and had a bee get inside the seal of it .I guess the chewed the rubber seal behind where it connects to the box it is mounted in .They rubber over the swtch just protects the switch from water .Mine is mounted inside and ground box to keep it from getting wet .I saw the door on the outer box was open a little so guess that is how the bee got in there .It was all full of a mud nest .Really just an emergency shut off switch for the pump for the outdoor spigot for watering the lawn or whatever so I do not have to send that water through my whole house filter .
 
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
13,070
Reaction score
13,394
Location
Northern IL
Showcase(s):
1
? SWITCH. ?

Funny man... I meant WHAT KIND OF SWITCH. Like not a light switch or a sliding switch. A rocker switch I guess you would call it. It just seems unlikely that it would flip on it's own.

Any chance your ice started to back up and cause the pump to heat up ?

Nope. The pump is under six feet of water - nothing heating up down there. And the ice has just barely started to form. But in any case our water just keeps flowing under the ice.

This switch is on the remote control receiver box. The pump plugs into the box and the box plugs into the outlet. The box is completely exposed to the elements, so it definitely didn't overheat. Too cold might make sense but I still don't think that switch could just flip itself. It's so low to the ground that something getting under it seems unlikely and if it did, it would just lift it right off the mount... at least I think it would.

Still perplexing! But thanks to all you funny folks for making me laugh. My husband is still laughing AT ME and my nutty theories!
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
2,710
Reaction score
1,885
Location
North Oklahoma
Hardiness Zone
7a
Country
United States
Grimlins. When things go wrong and there’s no way they should have, no reasonable explanation, Grimlins. And if it’s electric, it was Sparky from Grimlins 2.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
30,782
Messages
508,591
Members
13,043
Latest member
cisifom

Latest Threads

Top