# Well pump troubles



## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

Hope somebody might have some tips for me. I took over a plumbing job from a company that went bankrupt. Its on a well and I have not worked on a lot of houses with wells. I have power to my pressure switch power to the control box. My pressure tank is charged to 26 psi.
When I move the switch of the pressure switch to START I get 18 psi of water into the tank and the switch cuts out. It wont come back on until I drain the system, even when I hold the contacts closed with the start lever it wont kick on. Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Sounds like the switch needs to be adjusted, to adjust the switch: turn nut on center post to raise both cut in and cut out, if the pump directly supplies the house set the switch at 40/60 40 cut in and 60 cut out, the smaller post adjusts cut out. you will have to tinker with it to get it right but it shouldn't take to long. Also make sure the air pressure in the pressure tank is set 2 psi below the cut in pressure, also it sounds like the switch has a low pressure cut out built into it, u mentionted holding a lever, if it is equiped with that, ditch the switch and install a normal p switch. If it can't be afforded you will have to adjust the switch to get the cut in/ cut out up above the lp cut out point, hold the lever till the pressure gets above 15 or so psi, then see where your adjustments lead you.


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

I tried adjusting the pressure switch. I installed it. It was still in the box when I found it. It has a factory 30/50 setting. Still made no difference.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

So are you saying you manually close the contacts in the pressure switch and nothing happens?


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

When I manually close the contacts the pump will kick on and I get 18 psi in the pressure tank. Then it stops even with the contacts closed and wont come back on until I drain all the water from the tank.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

What stops ... the pump or the pressure rising...

do you know if the pump is drawing current ... when you think it has stopped


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

The pump stops because the pipe that is attached to the tank tee moves.
I know that there is 240 volts to the pump control box. and the pump is turning on.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

What u need to determine is with the contacts closed that the pump is either drawing current or not... You need a clamp on amp probe...

Just because the pipe stops moving doesn't mean much...

either the pump is working or not... if it is drawing current when you think it is not pumping anymore.... then the water pressure is going some where else like a leak in the line above the pump or the pump is really deep in the well and the pump size is to small... if the pump is no longer drawing current then there is something wrong with the pump itself... electrical problem

Manually closing contacts there should always be power going to the pump


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

I was thinking that there may be a problem with the pump. I didn't install it so I don't know how deep it is or what size it is. The joys of taking over some one else's work. I'll try the amp probe and see where that gets me.
Thanks


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## Mxz--700 (Jul 8, 2011)

Sounds like you have a "low water cutoff" pressure switch. You must continue to hold the lever until you go OVER 20 PSI or a little more, then the switch contacts will stay closed. Normally used on a low yield well , much better auto reset types out there now. Jim


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Mxz--700 said:


> Sounds like you have a "low water cutoff" pressure switch. You must continue to hold the lever until you go OVER 20 PSI or a little more, then the switch contacts will stay closed. Normally used on a low yield well , much better auto reset types out there now. Jim


He say he is manually holding the contacts closed in the pressure switch.... more or less by passing the pressure switch


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Mxz--700 said:


> Sounds like you have a "low water cutoff" pressure switch. You must continue to hold the lever until you go OVER 20 PSI or a little more, then the switch contacts will stay closed. Normally used on a low yield well , much better auto reset types out there now. Jim


Yep that's right man, what I was Sayin, those switches are shoit lol


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Sounds like the pump is dead heading. Or there is a leak somewhere in the system, or the switch is a pos- most likely


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

The pump won't pump over 20 psi. Even when the contacts are held closed it won't turn on


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

MacMech said:


> The pump won't pump over 20 psi. Even when the contacts are held closed it won't turn on


If it won't turn on it's the switch, instead of trying to push the contacts together, properly adjust the switch, then go from their, when a pump dead heads or there is a bad leak it will keep running but will not build up anymore pressure. Sounds like you ain't pushing the contacts together right.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

wonder if someone installed a shallow or deep well pump and have it set for 220 volts and it is only getting 115 volts


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Richard Hilliard said:


> wonder if someone installed a shallow or deep well pump and have it set for 220 volts and it is only getting 115 volts


It won't even run like that. But I have seen that happen, but the pump won't even run.


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

I bet dollars to donuts he's got a bad pump, either with a damaged impeller or bad bearings that will only pump up to around 20 psi before it trips out on thermal overload. The reason it only starts back up after he drains the tank is because by then he's given it enough time to reset.


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## beachplumber (Feb 7, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> It won't even run like that. But I have seen that happen, but the pump won't even run.


I have seen them run (shallow well jet pump) it may have been the other way around. Cant remember, but it ran just not correctly


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

beachplumber said:


> I have seen them run (shallow well jet pump) it may have been the other way around. Cant remember, but it ran just not correctly


Yea it set up in 120 mode running in 240. The only multi voltage pumps are jet pumps (residential wise) subs don't have the ability to be converted.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> It won't even run like that. But I have seen that happen, but the pump won't even run.


Yes it will run and will do exactly what is happening. It will run and not build over 20 pounds.

The other way around will fry and burn up the pump. Think about it 220 volts into something that runs off 115.

Been there and done that before.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Richard Hilliard said:


> Yes it will run and will do exactly what is happening. It will run and not build over 20 pounds.
> 
> The other way around will fry and burn up the pump. Think about it 220 volts into something that runs off 115.
> 
> Been there and done that before.


Submers. Pumps don't have the option of switching between 240 and 120. Jet pumps on the other hand do though.


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## beachplumber (Feb 7, 2010)

Summtin new everyday


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

This fellow needs to go back to the job with a volt meter with a clamp type amp meter... start at the source and see what you have for power then if that is correct... do the amp draw test on one wire lead to the pump with the pressure switch calling....hold contacts in.... and see what the amp meter says when you think the pump is no longer running.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

:stupid: :thumbup: Anything else is just a wild azzed guess...
Might as well make it a scientific wild azzed guess... :yes:


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Redwood said:


> ....Might as well make it a scientific wild azzed guess... :yes:


:laughing:


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## MacMech (Sep 15, 2011)

Well company showed up on Friday. The pump was pooched


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

sometimes one leg is broke so its only running on 110. the tank should always be charged to 2 psi lower than the switch cut in pressure. i have seen the impellers go bad and they will not pump pressure worth a damn.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Bill said:


> sometimes one leg is broke so its only running on 110. the tank should always be charged to 2 psi lower than the switch cut in pressure. i have seen the impellers go bad and they will not pump pressure worth a damn.


I have seen jet-pump and centrifugal pump impellers totally destroy, same goes for subs. When it's really bad is when a turbine in a 7k + turbine pump goes bad lol


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> Submers. Pumps don't have the option of switching between 240 and 120. Jet pumps on the other hand do though.


 



I was not referring to submersible pump however anyone can purchase a 115 volt submersible pump and could have installed that product. Then the second plumber or anyone for that matter assumed the submersible was 230 volt and installed a 230 volt. This would give you the same action of running without reaching a cut off pressure


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Richard Hilliard said:


> I was not referring to submersible pump however anyone can purchase a 115 volt submersible pump and could have installed that product. Then the second plumber or anyone for that matter assumed the submersible was 230 volt and installed a 230 volt. This would give you the same action of running without reaching a cut off pressure


True!


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> True!


 
I know. LMAO


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