The day a pump took a vacation

I had a client who called in a panic because their water treatment pump just stopped working out of the blue. Turns out, it was just a loose connection – the pump was on a little ‘vacation’! It’s funny how these things remind me to check the simple stuff first before diagnosing the complex issues. Ever had a moment where technology just seemed to have a mind of its own?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‌​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​​‌‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​​‌‍‌⁠‌‌‌‍‌⁠‍‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‌​⁠‍​‌‍⁠​‌​‍​‌​‍⁠‌‌​‌​⁠​​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

I’ve had my share of ‘technological vacations’ too. Once, a loose wire had me scrambling! Have you checked if rerouting cables helps?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‍​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‌‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‌​‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌⁠‌‌‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‌​⁠⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

, those loose connections drive me nuts — i once spent hours troubleshooting a whole system only to find it was just a faulty plug… It’s always good to start simple, right?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‍​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‍​‌​‌‍‌​‍​‌⁠​‌​⁠‌‍‌⁠‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍‍⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌​‌​‌‍‍​​‍⁠‌‌‍​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

I’ve definitely seen those ‘vacation’ moments, like once when a mistimed timer caused the system to think it was off. It’s amazing how something so small can throw everything off. Have you tried using a multimeter to check connections directly for peace of mind, @grace4161?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‍​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​⁠‌‌​⁠‌‍‌⁠​⁠​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‌‍‌​⁠​​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌​‍‍​⁠‍​‌​⁠⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌