Pump coming on and off

[cvg]

Three wired submersible pump.

Pump will cut on and then will stop after after a min or so, stay off for a min and start again. Sometimes 3 or 4 times until the pressure has reached the shut off limit.
Note that the contacts on the pressure switch are closed the whole time until shut off pressure is reached

Pump does not do this all the time but is getting worse. I have replace two start capacitors and a relay in the control box. I have a new pressure switch so that not the problem.

Could the pump be going bad or can the control box, witch is in a closed box outside be the problem

 

[Valveman]

If you know the control box is good, and you have the right voltage, it is probably a motor problem.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Could the well be running short of water?

 

[Valveman]

Could the well be running short of water?

That is possible. Need to check the amps. If it pulls high amps then stops, it is the motor. If it pulls low amps, the well is out of water.

 

[cvg]

Is there anyway to test the pump motor before pulling it. just hate to pull it and replace it with something else going on.

 

[cvg]

That is possible. Need to check the amps. If it pulls high amps then stops, it is the motor. If it pulls low amps, the well is out of water.

I dont think the well running dry Is the problem but I do need to learn how to test the pump. When the pump does stop it is building pressure the whole time. It is neve rrunning and not building good pressure. I have a Florida heat pump system in my house which requires my pump to rush a lot.

 

[Reach4]

How large is the casing? What size is the pump (GPM and HP)? How deep is the water? How deep is the pump? The thing that I was wondering about is if the pump should have a flow inducer sleeve. If the casing is very large, the pump can get insufficient cooling. A flow sleeve causes water to flow past the motor on the way to the intake.

You can measure resistances with a low-range ohmmeter. The expected values are published. Yet whether the resistance is normal or not, you would be getting the pump pulled anyway. If you do need a pump, you might re-visit whether you have the ideal size.

I am not a pro, but the data I asked above might be useful to one of the well pros.

 

[cvg]

4 inch casing with a 1hp 24gpm pump. I do not know how deep water or pump is. I do know that the house in twenty years old and has always had a Florida heat pump system.

 

[Reach4]

That seems like a very high capacity pump.

 

[Craigpump]

You need a clamp on Amprobe to read the amp draw when the pump is running.

 

[cvg]

You need a clamp on Amprobe to read the amp draw when the pump is running.

Ok. I will try that. Since I replaced the starting capacitor last week I have not had a problem. This same thing happened a year ago and I replaced the gd control box and it started working. Then about three months ago the blue relay burnt up.

 

[cvg]

Ok. I will try that. Since I replaced the starting capacitor last week I have not had a problem. This same thing happened a year ago and I replaced the gd control box and it started working. Then about three months ago the blue relay burnt up.

How many amps should it be pulling. Whats low and high

 

[Valveman]

A 1HP should be pulling around 9 amps. When it starts pumping air it will drop from 9 amps to about 5 amps almost instantly. The fact that you have been replacing starting capacitors and starting relays and now the pump seems to be working OK, makes me think the pump is starting or cycling too much. I hear from a lot of people with heat pumps that continued cycling, which causes frequent replacements of the well pump overrides any benefit of savings from a heat pump. A Cycle Stop Valve will stop the pump from cycling, and a Cycle Sensor will protect it from running dry. But you have probably already let the smoke out of that motor, and it can never be put back in.

 

[DonL]

If the Pump is coming Off, You have a Big problem.