[Tim91]

I am pretty sure that the well pump and pressure tank are on separate circuits. My well pump burned up and was replaced last year works awesome now. My pressure tank is old and the bladder is blown in it. (I plan on replacing it.)

My bathroom lights, fan, hallway outlets, and outlets in a separate room are all on one circuit. The problem: When the well pump kicks on, the lights circuit trips at random, some times it happens at the same time as the well pump kicks on, sometimes it's whenever the water is running, but it definitely only happens when the well pump is running... has been like this for a long long long long time. When the old well pump started crapping out and water pressure was terrible, I noticed that during this time, the lights didn't click off every time the pump came on, but you also could not hear the pump it was just trickling water in. Then we got the new pump and you can really here that sucker pump water, even with the shock absorbers it still bangs the hell out off the well. Noticed then that the switch did not trip every time... But one day I crawled turned the water off and crawled under the house to double check the pressure tank, and I put a little air in the tank to see if it made a difference, but all that did was shoot air out my sink, I stopped so I wouldn't bust a line. Didn't seem to do anything, turned water back on, from that point on again it tripped my circuit like it did years ago. What the hell... Is there a melted junction or something stupid somewhere??

[Tim91]

And I'm pretty sure the circuit breaker for the lights was replaced in the last 10 years and didn't fix anything.

[hkstroud]

You need a plumber (well man) and an electrician. What you describe is beyond the scope of a DIY help site. I do not, repeat, do not, wish to be mean but your understanding of well systems and plumbing and electrical circuits is too limited to handle these problems yourself.

A well tank is not an electrical device and therefore is not connected to any circuit. From what you describe your well pump and your lights are on the same circuit. That should not be.

If you have a ruptured bladder in your tank and you pressurize it enough and the kitchen faucet is open, yes, air will come out, just like water. The air pressure in the tank bladder is set in conjunction with the cut on pressure of the well pump.

Find a plumber to replace the tank, properly pressurize it and explain to you, its purpose and how it works in conjunction with the pump.

Find an electrician to move the pump to a circuit of its own.

And no, replacing the circuit breaker would not fix anything, because the circuit breaker was not the problem.

[Tim91]

Mabey I didn't explain it right. The pressure tank (meaning the switch on the tank) & the well pump that's what I meant. The switch is on that circuit which operates the pump and like you said is in conjunction with the PSI in the tank.

My bathroom lights and fan, along with another room and several outlets are on a circuit also. For some reason my well pump kicking on short circuits the lights in the bathroom and other room at random times.

I know how the tank works and how to replace it, that's a different problem that I'm not worried about right now.

The circuit breaker for the bathroom lights/bedroom was replaced because it was worn out. Lost power to that circuit, so started with all outlets which did not fix the problem, and after all outlets were changed out, changed out the circuit breaker and that fixed it. However this is also a separate issue.

It doesn't matter if any of the lights are on or not or if anything is plugged in, when the well pump kicks on, a separate circuit trips. That's what I want to fix.

[hkstroud]

The well pump cannot trip a general lighting circuit unless they are the same circuit. Is this a submersible pump or and above ground pump. Most submersible well pumps are 240 volts. Seems unlikely that a lighting circuit would be on the same breaker unless someone tied a lighting circuit into one half of the well circuit. If a breaker, independent of the well breaker, is tripping it is more likely caused by something else, although I can't quite imagine what. Could the wiring for the lighting circuit be in contact with the piping of the well and possible have a break in the insulation? Could there be movement in the tank causing contact with some wiring? Is the general lighting breaker that is tripping immediately next to the well breaker in the panel? Is the tripping breaker immediately opposite the well breaker?

Is the circuit for the bathroom/ bedroom you described above as having replaced the outlets and breaker the same circuit that is now tripping?

[Tim91]

It's a submersible pump. It has it's own circuit breaker. I can turn the breaker for the pump off and the bathroom will stay on, I can turn off the breaker for the bathroom and the well pump will stay on. But when the well pump is running it will trip the breaker for the bathroom. For example if I flush the toilet, while it is filling up the breaker will trip, or if I go into the bathroom to wash my hands, as soon as I turn the faucet it will trip.

I forgot to mention the pressure tank used to burn up switches all the time, there's probably about 10 of them under the house in a pile, the newest one has been fine for some time now. When I had to replace the pump last year I traced the wireing and it was fine under the house, and I had to patch up the wiring going down the well casing. Also installed a new pressure switch.

Yes, the bathroom/bedroom circuit is the one that is tripping.

[ma0641]

I that is the case, you have a shorted or crossed wire. No way a 240 VAC circuit would be connected to a bath circuit. You need to have someone do a signal trace and find the issue. If you are burning up switches at the rate you indicate, there is something wrong. I have had my well pump, 240 submersible for 10 years and still have the same switch.

[Tim91]

Gotcha. What if I trace the wireing and there is no noticeable problem, could it be a short in the panel?

[hkstroud]

What kind of pipe in house? What kind of pipe down the well?

or if I go into the bathroom to wash my hands, as soon as I turn the faucet it will trip.

That makes me think vibration of pipes caused by water movement is creating a short in bath circuit. Hot, cold or both?

Does same thing happen if you turn on kitchen faucet?

Where is bath breaker in panel relative to well breaker?

[Tim91]

Copper piping in house. Pvc for septic. Black plastic piping going from well to pressure tank, it's somewhat flexible. (can't remember what it's called though.)

Definitely every time with cold water, Hot water sometimes most of the time, but that might just be from the hot water tank pulling in cold water.

The well pump is the very bottom breaker on the right side #18 for example, and the bathroom is the very top on the right side ex. #9.
Yea it happens whenever the pump is running. For example the bathtub faucet drips, every 20 minutes or so it drips enough water that the pressure tank looses water pressure and the pump kicks on then the bathroom lights trip. I know for certain when the pump is running because I can hear the echo up the pipes when it bangs the side. It has a shock absorber on it but I'm not pulling the pump and 250 ft of chain back up to adjust it.

[hkstroud]

Reason for asking about location of breakers is I was wondering if heat from well breaker could be transferring through the buss to bath circuit. Don't see how if they are that far apart.

Just for grins I suggest moving the bath circuit down one space. That will put it on the opposite buss bar and leg. Replace it with another breaker and circuit. If the tripping moves to the other circuit we might have a hint.

If wiring comes under the floor and could be in contact with piping inspect for abrasion.

Given you have a ruptured bladder, chances are that your tank is water logged and that means you pump comes on almost as soon as you open the faucet. If tripping occurs only when you open bath faucet or flush toilet and not when kitchen faucet is open that would indicate that the contact is likely on the piping to bathroom.
Burning up numerous pressure switches would indicate faulty well wiring.

Don't see how faulty well wiring could cause bath circuit to trip unless breakers are on the same buss (opposite one another).

If well piping is plastic and well wiring is faulty, a leak in piping could cause a short. If well piping is galvanized simple contact and pipe movement could cause a short.

Move the breaker and see what changes, if anything.

[hkstroud]

Another suggestion. Turn off all breakers except well breaker and main. Go read you meter to see if it is turning when pump is not running.