I was first alerted to a problem when no water was available at spigots. I checked the pressure gauge which had 0 pressure. Iturned off power to the pumping system. I looked at the pressure control switch to find that the points were in the cosed position. I turned the power back on and could tell that the pressure was building up to 50 lbs (30/50 pressure switch) and the pump turned off but the points did not separate. I was able to separate them manually after the proper pressure was reached. Since the first time that this happened sometimes the points separate on their own and sometimes they do not. I don't understand why the pump goes off but the points sometimes remain closed. I replaced the pressure switch and had the same problem after I put a new switch on.

If the pump shuts down and them control box is still calling for power the first thing I'd check is the breaker and power source. Next I'd clean the contacts and check the small tube that runs between the pump and the box for a kink or a clog Let me know what you find,

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Originally Posted by speedball1

If the pump shuts down and them control box is still calling for power the first thing I'd check is the breaker and power source. Next I'd clean the contacts and check the small tube that runs between the pump and the box for a kink or a clog Let me know what you find,

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The system is a submersible pump. As far as I know we have a pressure control switch but no other control box that I can see. When the pump shuts off and the contacts remain closed we still have power on both the pump side and power side of the pressure control switch.

When you changed the switch, did you happen to check the little pipe leading to the switch? That can easily clog and cause the switch to malfunction.

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Originally Posted by jlisenbe

When you changed the switch, did you happen to check the little pipe leading to the switch? That can easily clog and cause the switch to malfunction.

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I put on a new 4" pipe and a new pressure gauge.

If you are getting power to the pump and it is not coming on, then the next likely place to look, sad to say, is the pump. Any idea how old the pump is?

This could also be a intermittently open wire leading to the pump. That would shut the pump down and leave the control box still calling for pressure. Cheers. Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

This could also be a intermittently open wire leading to the pump. That would shut the pump down and leave the control box still calling for pressure. Cheers. Tom

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I have probably not been clear about my problem. Originally no water was available in the house. When I checked to see what the problem was I found the water pressure on 0 and the contacts on the pressure switch were in the closed position. I turned the power off at the fuse box. Then I turned it back on right away. The pump remained off and the points were still closed so I turned the power off again. I waited about 4 or 5 minutes and turned the power on again and the pump started up and continued to run until it reached 50 lbs. of pressure (30/50 pressure switch) at which time the pump went off but the points remained closed. We were able to use water as needed but when the pressure went down to 30 lbs. the pump did not go on and if we continued to use water the pressure went down to 0. If I turned the power off and then back on immediately the pump would not start. If I waited a few minutes and then turned the power on the pump would start and the pressure would reach 50 lbs. and the pump would turn off. Sometimes when the pressure reaches 50 lbs. the points open as they should and sometimes they remain closed even though the pump tuns off. I replaced the pressure control switch,the pressure gauge and the 4" pipe the control switch sits on. Same problem. Sometimes the contacts open at 50 lbs. sometimes they don't. If I am watching the contacts when the pressure reaches 50 lbs. and they don't open I can open them manually with a plastic screwdriver.

Here's what I thinks happening. It sounds like a short in the motor windings.
You make draws and the control box calls for power, The pump starts to build pressure but before it reaches the cut off point the windings overheat and opens the thermal switch and the pump shuts down but the control box is still calling for pressure so the contacts are closed. Then the windings cool down and the thermal switch closes so you can restart the pump. The solution would be to pull the pump and have it checked, good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

Here's what i thinks happening. It sounds like a short in the motor windings.
You make draws and the control box calls for power, The pump starts to build pressure but before it reaches the cut off point the windings overheat and opens the thermal switch and the pump shuts down but the control box is still calling for pressure so the contacts are closed. Then the windings cool down and the thermal switch closes so you can restart the pump. The solution would be to pull the pump and have it checked, good luck, Tom

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The pump does not shut down until it reaches 50 lbs of pressure.

The pump does sound suspicious, but the fact that the points stay closed is really strange. That would seem to show that the pump is simply shutting down even though it is still receiving current, and that makes Speedball's theory look pretty good.