Delay from pump cut in / to water flow

[Paul I Abraham]

Seems that ever since guy across street had new well replacement, mine has had this problem. delay from pump start to water at faucet.. only about 2 seconds of nothing...new 30/50 switch put in, working correctly. is this possilble? or likely a coincidence and my pump may be going bad?? Not sure of his or even my well depth. but I have 3/4 hp Myers submersible according to motor tag. not sure of age.

 

[Valveman]

Are you getting in air out the faucets? Is the pressure switch clicking in exactly at 30, or does it drop lower? Could also be too much air charge in the tank. And that wouldn't happen unless the bladder in the tank was bad, or you added too much air with a compressor. Tank needs 28 PSI air charge before the pump is turned on and before any water is put in the tank.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

How do you start timing the 2 seconds? From when you hear the pressure switch click, or something else?

Do you have a pump control box?

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Are you getting in air out the faucets? Is the pressure switch clicking in exactly at 30, or does it drop lower? Could also be too much air charge in the tank. And that wouldn't happen unless the bladder in the tank was bad, or you added too much air with a compressor. Tank needs 28 PSI air charge before the pump is turned on and before any water is put in the tank.

Thanks for response..
It was dropping below the 28psi. but I changed the switch and no water drop out or pressure drop out since. . but now it seems it is taking too long to build cut out pressure. I checked the tank , empty and it was a little high. I never pUT any air in there at all..only let some out to get the correct differential. -2or 3 psi under cut in.. but as I stated now I can't get it to build over 48 -49 psi. just runs n runs, so I have to dial it back to cut off there. obviously with no water running.. no air in faucets either.. just would like to get pressure a little higher now. but at least I have a proper working system at maybe 29/49.. I guess my question now is #1 do I need to add air? #2 is my pump dying possibly? # 3 is it struggling to get the proper amount of water to build up the pressure?..since my neighbor might have dropped my level with his newly installed well??

 

[Paul I Abraham]

How do you start timing the 2 seconds? From when you hear the pressure switch click, or something else?

Do you have a pump control box?

Seems that problem has gone away with the new switch..kinda had my symptoms out of order, sorry..

 

[Reach4]

I guess my question now is #1 do I need to add air? #2 is my pump dying possibly? # 3 is it struggling to get the proper amount of water to build up the pressure?..since my neighbor might have dropped my level with his newly installed well??

#2 and #3 are both possible, with #2 seeming more probable, unless your neighbor is irrigating a lot.

 

[LLigetfa]

Are there more checkvalves besides the one on the pump? If so there might be a leak in the pipe that is being masked by a topside checkvalve.

 

[Paul I Abraham]

#2 and #3 are both possible, with #2 seeming more probable, unless your neighbor is irrigating a lot.

No irrigation that I can see. Small yard, small house. Single guy it seems...
I feared it's the pump..keeping my fingers crossed. .

 

[Reach4]

but I have 3/4 hp Myers submersible according to motor tag. not sure of age.

I wonder what you mean by "motor tag". If you have a photo of the motor label, that would include a date code.

One far-out thing... you should not have a cartridge or screen filter before your pressure switch and pressure tank. Yet some do, unfortunately. If you have such a thing, you can act on that. Yes, it is unlikely, but I know somebody with such a filter.

Keep dropping the pressure tank switch setting as the pump deteriorates. You sure don't want the pump to keep running because of not being able to hit the cut-off pressure. Each time, drop the air precharge pressure to 2 PSI less than the new cut-on pressure. If you get a stutter in pressure when the pump turns on, drop the precharge another PSI.

Set aside funds for the future pump work, or maybe do the paperwork for a home equity loan in advance. Check out reputations of your local pump people.

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Yup seems the pump may be going bad fast. I set the cut off at like 45 and musta ran all month long cuz my energy usage was doubled literally on my consumers bill. Im assumig ot ran nonstop. So now i dialed it back to cut off at like 35 and it will cut off when im down there looking. But it seems everytime i go down there the pump is on but no water runnig in the house.. Question can i set the tank under the cut in without draining all the water? Like check pressure with tire gauge when it cuts in? Cuz i actually added some air yesterday thinking it would help make up pressure to cut off since it seems im struggling to make pressure. Bad move?

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Btw the origal delay problem is gone. Now worse problems ..

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Only filter is big blue , after tank, before softener... changed regularly. . Old stucker for i believe original pump since its smaller 1/2 hp and condition of stucker then two motor tags tied around bottom of fused disconnect .. no visible dates on tags...or sticker but casing is cast iron so im assuming its older. House built in 1979.

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Very very low amp draw where wires come in to house from pump. 0.1 on one leg. 0.2 on other. This is 6.5amp pump. Runnig very quietly. My days are numbered im afraid. Im just hoping against hope theres something easy im missing. So either struggling to get water? Or pump dying slow death?

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Are there more checkvalves besides the one on the pump? If so there might be a leak in the pipe that is being masked by a topside checkvalve.

Not sure of any other checkvalvez besides the one right next to tank in basement..probably one in well pipe

 

[Reach4]

Very very low amp draw where wires come in to house from pump. 0.1 on one leg. 0.2 on other. This is 6.5amp pump.

I think you should try a different meter.

Note the currents should be the same on each leg, but they should also be much bigger.

 

[Paul I Abraham]

I think you should try a different meter.

Note the currents should be the same on each leg, but they should also be much bigger.

Its basically brand new Fluke meter. Im gonna do it again at the well case cap where the wires tie in there too. But thats the reading i got 3 separate times.And the pump was on and seemed to be running.

 

[TVL]

Its basically brand new Fluke meter.

Just curious: Is this a clamp on meter you're using OR is it a multimeter? You may likely already know this and be doing things properly, but just in case you don't, reading amp draw with a multimeter is a little different than reading voltage. Then again, you may have connected everything correctly, but the pump simply was not energized. There is no way on earth that pump could be running and using no more current than indicated.

https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Amperage

 

[Paul I Abraham]

Just curious: Is this a clamp on meter you're using OR is it a multimeter? You may likely already know this and be doing things properly, but just in case you don't, reading amp draw with a multimeter is a little different than reading voltage. Then again, you may have connected everything correctly, but the pump simply was not energized. There is no way on earth that pump could be running and using no more current than indicated.

https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Amperage

I hear ya.. but its a fluke t5-1000 voltage/current/continuity meter. I isolated each wire between the current test opening and thats what it read. Now it is right next to the wire nut tie in, if that makes a difference. . No offense taken. I thought was crazy too, its clearly gonna need more investigation before i call the well people. Just kinda wanna know exactly what im dealing with so i can make a more informed decision.. Because I would think if the pump was going bad I would get a high spike in current correct? Like overworking to pump water. Im confused..
Below is meter i have

 

[TVL]

I hear ya.. but its a fluke t5-1000 voltage/current/continuity meter.

I'm not familiar with that particular Fluke meter, but I did take a quick look at an online manual. Based on your response, it appears you correctly placed just ONE wire inside the sensor zone. If the pump was energized, then you should have received a valid reading. But again, 0.1 amps can not be accurate if the pump was energized and pumping water.

If I were you, I would conduct a simple test to verify your meter is reading amps correctly. (unless you have a trouble light or lamp with the bare wires exposed, you may have to make yourself a short extension cord with exposed wiring to conduct the following test) With a 100 watt light bulb energized, place either the black OR white wire inside the sensor zone. With the meter selector set to <A> you should get a reading of approximately 0.8 amps. If so, then your meter is reading correctly.

However, I still say that the pump is pulling more amperage than you've indicated if it is truly energized!

 

[Paul I Abraham]

I'm not familiar with that particular Fluke meter, but I did take a quick look at an online manual. Based on your response, it appears you correctly placed just ONE wire inside the sensor zone. If the pump was energized, then you should have received a valid reading. But again, 0.1 amps can not be accurate if the pump was energized and pumping water.

If I were you, I would conduct a simple test to verify your meter is reading amps correctly. (unless you have a trouble light or lamp with the bare wires exposed, you may have to make yourself a short extension cord with exposed wiring to conduct the following test) With a 100 watt light bulb energized, place either the black OR white wire inside the sensor zone. With the meter selector set to <A> you should get a reading of approximately 0.8 amps. If so, then your meter is reading correctly.

However, I still say that the pump is pulling more amperage than you've indicated if it is truly energized!

Yup, you're right, it must not have been pumping then or something. Because i just went down there again and got 2.6A on one leg and 1.9 off other.. i had just turned washer on so i knew it would be running, also very obvious vibration. So current seems ok. When i rethink everything I have done, i think i may have possibly not re-pressurized the tank when i changed out the ressure switch. . I gotta get air compressor down there, empty tank of all water and set to -2psi under cut-in. Obviously with pump and water off. Im hoping against hope thats what it is...suggestions??