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-   -   Well pressure (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=808499)

  • Feb 20, 2015, 09:49 AM
    jkren
    Well pressure
    I replaced the pressure control switch on my well system. I drained all the water from the tank made sure the pressure in the tank was at 28 psi turned the system back on and it filled up to 50 psi and shut off then once it hit 30 psi it turned back on and filled up properly and shut off. I woke up this morning to no water pressure reset the system and it filled up and shut off but now once it hits 30psi it doesn't refill the pump just keeps running and the pressure goes to zero. Any help please I cant get a plumber to come out till Monday because of the cold and my well is in a room where the temp is 45 degrees so I know they are not frozen.
  • Feb 20, 2015, 10:02 AM
    hkstroud
    What kind of pump, submersible or above ground? If submersible, how do you know the pump is actually running? If above ground, could you have lost your prime, (leaking foot valve)? Why and how did you reset the system? Does the switch have a pump protection feature. If not that implies that you reset the breakers. That would indicate an electrical short some where?

    Why did you replace the pressure switch?
  • Feb 20, 2015, 10:50 AM
    jkren
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hkstroud View Post
    What kind of pump, submersible or above ground? If submersible, how do you know the pump is actually running? If above ground, could you have lost your prime, (leaking foot valve)? Why and how did you reset the system? Does the switch have a pump protection feature. If not that implies that you reset the breakers. That would indicate an electrical short some where?

    Why did you replace the pressure switch?
    It is a submersible pump. I would guess that its running because I can feel the lines vibrating. I replaced the switch because it would never shut off once the tank hit 50psi. I reset it by turning off the breaker and pulling off the box cover replacing the box cover and turning the breaker back on and it will work. It was negative 20 degrees last night but the pump house has a heater and it was at 50 degrees this morning. Is it possible the check valve is going bad and letting water drain back into the well?
  • Feb 20, 2015, 01:16 PM
    hkstroud
    Quote:
    Is it possible the check valve is going bad and letting water drain back into the well?
    Yes, but that should not affect the pump. A submersible pump should pump water anytime it is running and in the water. No priming with submersible
    Don't understand how removing the switch cover would reset the switch unless you have a pump protection type switch. One that senses that the pump has been running too much and shuts off to protect the pump motor.
    Quote:
    I replaced the switch because it would never shut off once the tank hit 50psi.
    Not knowing the HP of the pump or the depth of the well but I would say that any submersible pump shouldn't have any problem producing more than 50 lbs of pressure. If before replacing the switch, the pump would keep running and the pressure kept increasing, the switch was bad or the piping to the switch was clogged. If the pump kept running and the pressure did not keep increasing the pump is bad.

    Not what you want to hear I know but that is what it sounds like to me. At first the pump could not produce enough pressure to turn the switch off. Now it will not produce enough pressure to over come the air pressure in the tank.

    Turn pump off, open faucet and empty tank. Pressure gauge should go to 0. Turn pump back on. Water out the faucet with pump running means pump is actually pumping water. No water out the faucet means pump is not actually pumping water. Close faucet and observe pressure gauge. If pressure gauge will not go above 30, that means pump cannot overcome the air pressure in tank or gauge is defective (clogged). If pressure gauge is defective you should be able to tell by having normal pressure of the water coming out the faucet.

    Always possible the well pipe froze and burst but I don't see how, assuming the pump house sits over the well. If you can remove the cap to the well you would probably hear water running back down the well if that were the case.

    Where is tank, at the well or in the house?
  • Feb 20, 2015, 06:26 PM
    jlisenbe
    Quote:
    once it hits 30psi it doesn't refill the pump just keeps running and the pressure goes to zero.
    Are you saying that the pressure does sometimes get up to 30 psi, but then, with no water being used and the pump still on, it just drops down to zero?

    Does your switch have a little lever on the side like this one? If so, if the pressure drops below, in your case, 20 psi or so, then the switch shuts off and you have to pull the lever to reset it.

    http://sell.bizrice.com/upload/20120...ure_switch.jpg
  • Feb 23, 2015, 08:21 AM
    jkren
    Before the plumber came out I changed the pressure switch the control box on the wall the pressure gauge and the breaker which none of those fixed my problem. The plumber came out Saturday and checked everything from those I changed to the tank and everything he said is in proper working order. He looked in to the well for busted line but could not see anything wrong the piping or the wiring. He said his only conclusion would be that either the pump is getting worn out and needs replaced or that there is a broken line but it is underwater. So I'm going to be replacing everything hopefully this next weekend once the weather gets warmer since we will be in single digit temps the rest of this week thanks for all the input.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jlisenbe View Post
    Are you saying that the pressure does sometimes get up to 30 psi, but then, with no water being used and the pump still on, it just drops down to zero?

    Does your switch have a little lever on the side like this one? If so, if the pressure drops below, in your case, 20 psi or so, then the switch shuts off and you have to pull the lever to reset it.

    http://sell.bizrice.com/upload/20120...ure_switch.jpg
    No there is no lever

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