Pump isn't pulling water
Our sprinkler system hasn't worked in over 2 years. We had an irrigation specialist out around 2 years ago who said the pump wasn't pulling water but couldn't fix it or say why. My brothers came out this weekend and installed a new pump. This pump is working, but it's still not pulling water. The neighbor across the street informed me all the houses have shallow wells (she's been here since the 1980s and was the 1st house in our subdivision). We are in Florida during a drought, so it was suggested the water table is low. However, neighbors across the street and next door have no issues with their irrigation.
A friend said they had the same issue at their house and we need to leave the pump running for 2+ hours and it will eventually pull water. Google says I could possibly burn out the pump doing this.
Any suggestions on my next steps? And if it is to run the pump, can I just leave the cap off the top and keep running water into it to prime it? Or how often should I add water to prime it?
I know I should have addressed this 2 years ago, but a cancer diagnosis redirected my focus. I'm doing better but I'm still dealing with post-treatment chemo brain. So, please be patient with me.