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The answer is D: Check the oil in the seal chamber.

Submersible pumps are relatively low maintenance. Checking the seal oil is the one thing that you really should do periodically. Electric submersible pumps require preventative maintenance the same as any piece of machinery. You wouldn't dream of running your automobile for a year without checking the oil on the dipstick. Yet, when was the last time you checked the oil in the seal chamber on your submersible pumps? For most industrial plants, the answer to that question would be "never". Submersible pumps are typically operated without maintenance until they fail. At that point, you usually have a burned out electric motor due to water entry through worn mechanical seals. Had the seal oil been checked periodically, you would have been warned of the outboard seal failure, affording you the opportunity to implement a relatively low cost seal replacement before the inboard seal goes as well. A wet motor burn out will often cost half the price of a new pump.

All of our submersible pumps have two sets of shaft seals separated by a small oil reservoir. The integrity of the seal oil is easily checked by removing the oil drain plug on the outside of the pump case. When the outboard seal first starts leaking, it will allow water to enter the seal chamber forming a white emulsion. This is the signal that it is time to change the seal, or at least change the oil, and check it more frequently. If unchecked, the inboard seal will eventually fail also, allowing water to enter the motor. There is usually a considerable time interval between the two seal failures, affording you the opportunity to change the outboard seal before it is too late.

On To Problem # 2