Pump breaker tripping

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eltinnc

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About two weeks ago our well pump started tripping a breaker (which appears to actually be an ancient thermal overload switch) 2 or 3 times a day. It did that for 5 days. Then for over a week it stopped tripping, staying on through 8½ days of normal water usage—(3 showers per day, dishwashing, laundry, and even a couple of dog washings, etc). Now as of yesterday it appears to have reverted to the initial pattern of frequent and regular tripping.

It frequently takes two resets to do the job. The first time the pump runs enough to get the pressure up to about 33 PSI, then the breaker trips. The second time the pump stays on and we’re good for the next 8 or 12 hours or so.

So this is an issue that can manifest persistently for several days, then totally disappear for over a week, then return. Does that rule out the pump as the problem? Does it rule anything out? What does it point to?

The breaker that is tripping is redundant; the pump has it’s own 2-pole breaker upstream in the main breaker box. Should I replace the breaker with a regular 2-pole switch?

This is a simplified update to this earlier thread. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/reset-switch-questions.68445/
 

Valveman

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You have to check the amps! If the amps are high the pump is the problem and the overload is doing as it should. If the amps are normal , the overload has just gotten weak. You must replace or remove the overload if it is the problem. But never remove an overload that is doing what it is suppose to do.
 
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