I have a 1/2hp lift pump in my rainwater collection system that pumps water from the collection tanks at my house to storage tanks 100' away.
The collection tanks have a float switch that comes on after water rises a few inches and pumps water to the storage tanks until the water level drops back down to the near empty point. There is also a float switch in the storage tanks that override in case storage is full (no use trying to pump water uphill to a container with zero capacity).
The pump had been inadvertently switched off (at a control point) during an absence of several days, and when we returned the collection tanks were about 1/3 full from a light rain. So I flipped the switch expecting it to begin but it did not.
I am not an electrician but have one of the small battery operated hot circuit testers that lights up in the near presence of a hot circuit. With the tester, I could see that the when the float switch in the collection tanks is floating (i.e., the water has risen and "floated" the switch to the upside down position) the circuit is closed (hot) and current flows.
When the float switch in the storage is hanging, the circuit is closed and current flows. So if the storage tank fills and that switch floats it opens the circuit and the pump does not send more water up to already full tanks. If it is hanging (i.e., tank not full) and the float valve in the collection tank drops as water is pumped out and it goes into the hanging position, that turns the pump off before the collection tank is emptied and the pump burns up.
When both circuits are closed (hot ) the wire to the pump is hot, but the pump is not coming on. Both the red and black wires in the pressure (?) switch on the pump show to be hot.
To complicate things, I left the control switch off for awhile, and when I went back to it and turned it on, the pump ran for about 30 seconds then went off.
I am thoroughly confused, but since the pump went on, at least I know that the pump does work (at least sometimes.) I have the feeling that it really should work normally but I have got something out of position.
Can anyone guide me through this? Thanks.
The collection tanks have a float switch that comes on after water rises a few inches and pumps water to the storage tanks until the water level drops back down to the near empty point. There is also a float switch in the storage tanks that override in case storage is full (no use trying to pump water uphill to a container with zero capacity).
The pump had been inadvertently switched off (at a control point) during an absence of several days, and when we returned the collection tanks were about 1/3 full from a light rain. So I flipped the switch expecting it to begin but it did not.
I am not an electrician but have one of the small battery operated hot circuit testers that lights up in the near presence of a hot circuit. With the tester, I could see that the when the float switch in the collection tanks is floating (i.e., the water has risen and "floated" the switch to the upside down position) the circuit is closed (hot) and current flows.
When the float switch in the storage is hanging, the circuit is closed and current flows. So if the storage tank fills and that switch floats it opens the circuit and the pump does not send more water up to already full tanks. If it is hanging (i.e., tank not full) and the float valve in the collection tank drops as water is pumped out and it goes into the hanging position, that turns the pump off before the collection tank is emptied and the pump burns up.
When both circuits are closed (hot ) the wire to the pump is hot, but the pump is not coming on. Both the red and black wires in the pressure (?) switch on the pump show to be hot.
To complicate things, I left the control switch off for awhile, and when I went back to it and turned it on, the pump ran for about 30 seconds then went off.
I am thoroughly confused, but since the pump went on, at least I know that the pump does work (at least sometimes.) I have the feeling that it really should work normally but I have got something out of position.
Can anyone guide me through this? Thanks.