# well pump problem



## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Hi there, I am having a issue with a circuit breaker that keeps going off.
So my question to you guys does this mean my pump is on the way out. Or do you have suggestions on how to troulbeshoot problem. I already changed breaker and it still does goes off on one leg . Thanks for time in this matter

p.s. I just move in 7 days ago and so far had to change water heater now this. When it rains it pours


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

You might just have a weak circuit breaker.

Sorry didn't read that you have replaced the breaker......sorry


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I am assuming you have a submersible pump. It could be the wires going down the well casing to the pump. 

If a torque arrestor was never put on the pipe then your wires could have been rubbing on the well walls and now one is bare tripping the breaker.

You might have to pull the pump from the well and check your wires.....at the same time you can check the pump


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Call the goverment and tell them you deserve all the free water you can use and to send sombody out to repair it for free.:jester:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

TheMaster said:


> Call the goverment and tell them you deserve all the free water you can use and to send sombody out to repair it for free.:jester:


Haha :laughing:

He might be able to do that if he lived on a reserve


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Sounds like you might have a motor problem. Why not take an amp draw when the pump comes on. I did not see what you had, is it a submersible or shallow? I still think its a motor type problem anyways. Need more specific info. You might have to actually call a service tech out. :laughing: 

Still, give more info. What type of pump?


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## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Hi there thanks for all the info.
It is a submersible pump.
I have 5 guys that work for me . And not one us has any well pump knowlegde at all. 3 out of the 5 are master plumbers. we do mostly commercial work . Thanks again for the help


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## Plumbducky (Jun 12, 2010)

I also suggest that you check the amp draw on start up and while it runs.
Sometimes the breaker is the weak link, but I believe that it is a motor problem.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

An amp draw would not work as his breaker trips right away. There is a dead short somewhere.


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## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Hi there , Thanks again for some info .
It does not trip every time the pump turns on. Some time we can go 6 hours ,then we have to flip one of the breakers.Like this morning we all took showers and had no problem , Then my wife was filling up the pool for are puppy then it happen. since then she did 2 loads of wash and it is fine .
Since we changed the breaker on saturday it happen maybe 3 times.
Thanks again for time.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

when it is tripped check the resistance of the pump wires. Pull the starter box assuming you have a 3 wire pump and check from each wire Black , red and yellow.

I would still say the wire to the pump is shorting out in the well casing as your pump works sometimes and trips the break other times.

If you would be running out of water the breaker would not trip but the pump would turn off on thermal protection.

Had a similar case several months ago and yes it was a bare wire


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## piercekiltoff (Jul 22, 2009)

Sounds like a broken/rubbed wire or a 'sticky' motor.

You need to check your resistance down all three legs between the motor controller and the well head, and then the well head and the pump motor - this will isolate if it's a problem in the well or in the trench between the well and well house (pretty common). Franklin Electric has an application & installation manual (AIM) that goes into detail about what you should and shouldn't see in a diagnostic situation. You want to see that there is a good circuit to the motor between the individual legs (measure red to black, black to yellow, yellow to red - red to any color will be higher than yellow to black) and a bad circuit to ground from any of the legs (greater than 500,000 ohms)

If it just periodically shuts off, especially after being used a lot, I'd be suspicious of the motor more than the wire. But, if you're going to pull it, go ahead and replace both, since it's a waste of labor not to.

Also, check to make sure your pressure switch is clean and free of arc-debris, and with the tank empty, check your bladder tank to make sure the bladder is 2 #'s below the pressure switch on point.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

gordos610 said:


> Hi there , Thanks again for some info .
> It does not trip every time the pump turns on. Some time we can go 6 hours ,then we have to flip one of the breakers.Like this morning we all took showers and had no problem , Then my wife was filling up the pool for are puppy then it happen. since then she did 2 loads of wash and it is fine .
> Since we changed the breaker on saturday it happen maybe 3 times.
> Thanks again for time.


Check the breaker box where the breaker plugs into the box...that connection could be bad causing the breaker to heat up.......REMEMBER unless you have a main breaker at the top of the electrical panel box turned off....that will be live electricity on that side on the breaker all the time.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

I check the contacts on the pressure switch 1st and make sure the proper voltage is going and coming next. Then all the other things..anyway thats my sequence.


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## piercekiltoff (Jul 22, 2009)

Typically on the smaller pumps, less than 1-1/2 HP, incorrect voltage that is still capable of actually allowing the pump to run will cause the overload in the motor to flip prior to the breaker flipping. The reason is that if the pump starts on incorrect voltage, the heat build up won't generally be enough to cause a breaker to trip, but will build up high enough to flip the overload in the motor.


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## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Hi there. ok time for the answer ,it was both .The wires where burned in two different places Also the motor seem to have problems too. On the end of the pump it was cracked / blown out looking.So since we pulled out 225 feet of pipe and motor . I was not taking any chances .I changed the pump , check valve , bands , barb fittings and new under ground wire started at 8:00 am finished by 10:00 am. It took 3 master plumbers and one master electrican to complete the job . but now there is no more problems . Lucky for me where are in between two big jobs .So every one had to come to my house /shop
today any ways. Thanks again for all the input your guys gave me.:thumbup:


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## piercekiltoff (Jul 22, 2009)

Send $85 check payable to Pierce Kiltoff, CWD, 21703 195th AVE SE, Monroe, WA 98272-8831.


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