KPS water
New Member
Was it making pressure before the tank replacement? Was there a galvanized or Clayton mark tank in there?
2 vs 3 wire well pump
- Thread starter illrohan
- Start date
Users who are viewing this thread
I had the csv maxed out... or "in". Screwed in clockwise all the way, It made NO difference. Couldn't build press.
Sponsor
Paid Advertisement
I'm assuming the check is just above the pump, in the well.
We just bought the house. I found the tank water logged during the inspection.
Old tank was a flotec
The pump is 17 years old based on service tags. Plus, who knows how long it was short cycling because of the bad pressure tank. It actually seems like the cycle stop valve is what put it over the edge if that's even possible.
We just bought the place. Idk about the elec bills but my next step is pulling the pump. I will check those points you mentioned as well. Thank you.
Like Reach said, put a gauge before the switch and csv. Look down the hole at your pitless and I'd guess to listen for spraying even farther down. I assume at 320" you can't ess all the way down.
Also, what is that where the pipe goes through the block? It almost looks like cast. Also notice that the bottom row of block is wet. Could be wicking from the water you turned loose during work, but it looks the same in both pics. It also seems higher at the mortar joints like it's coming from inside the block or the other side of the block wall. Is it still wet a day or two after your work is complete?
Also, what is that where the pipe goes through the block? It almost looks like cast. Also notice that the bottom row of block is wet. Could be wicking from the water you turned loose during work, but it looks the same in both pics. It also seems higher at the mortar joints like it's coming from inside the block or the other side of the block wall. Is it still wet a day or two after your work is complete?
Static water level in the well is only 20' (as service tags indicate) so not much spray would be visible/audible but of course I will check. The water on the floor is def just from me making a mess lol. Always dry otherwise. I will install another gauge off that valve before switch and csv.
I have NO IDEA what that fitting is. It looks cast, it's s some kind of adapter from the black poly to copper and it has a schrader valve on it.
There is no reason to install a gauge before the CSV. If you have the CSV bolt tightened in quiet a bit, the CSV is working like a piece of pipe and the pressure before it will be the same as after.
However, if that fitting with the Schrader is a check valve, a leak will not cause the pressure to not drop off when water is not being used. It could also mean that at one time there was an old galvanized tank in there. Then you could have had one of those rubber bleeder orifices about 5' down the well. The back pressure from the CSV could have popped out that old rubber bleeder. Those rubber bleeder can't handle more than 75 PSI.
I am just guessing of course, because even if it is just a popped out bleeder, it is 5' below the surface and you won't know until you can see it.
However, if that fitting with the Schrader is a check valve, a leak will not cause the pressure to not drop off when water is not being used. It could also mean that at one time there was an old galvanized tank in there. Then you could have had one of those rubber bleeder orifices about 5' down the well. The back pressure from the CSV could have popped out that old rubber bleeder. Those rubber bleeder can't handle more than 75 PSI.
I am just guessing of course, because even if it is just a popped out bleeder, it is 5' below the surface and you won't know until you can see it.
Next step is removing cement lid and well cap to inspect. I also need to install a head extension to raise it all above grade.
320' well... Could I assume it's blk poly pipe down to the pump since that's what's coming in through the foundation?
Yes. Extending the casing above ground and installing a pitless adapter is the right thing. Is there a steel casing? That will call for welding on the extension. This is worth spending money on.
Where is the black poly pipe? It looks like copper in your picture. Big copper. There must be a different view where you see poly that adapts to the copper.
I weld so that wouldn't be a problem. I just don't know where to get these parts.
You can't see it in the picture but I have Poly coming through the wall into that cast adapter with the Schrader valve and then 1" copper.
I have yet to lift that cement lid so idk what I have under there.
ALSO I failed to mention that when the pump stops raising press at around 30/40 psi (even though the switch contacts are closed and it is calling for pressure) if I let it run like that for too long, eventually the pump stops working. almost as if it's shutting off on overload. I don't know if those pumps have an overload built-in but that's what it seems like
Most do have a thermal overload switch.
When you have about 35 PSI, and the pump shuts off, and you are not using water, what happens to the pressure? This would not affect plans to pull the pump and extend the casing, but it would help predict what you would find.
Last edited:
Craigpump
In the Trades
Where in CT are you located?
So if there was a leak than would it still go off on over load? I feel like it's just a week pump and not being able to produce any more than 35 PSI is essentially like dead heading it (since the switch remains closed) and that's why it's going off on overload. Sheer speculation, idk....
Regarding the leak causing overload, I am not sure.
When you cut off the power to the pump, and you are not using water, what happens to the water pressure? With a leak, the pressure would not hold.
To work around this temporarily, drop the pressure switch to where the pump will cut off. See if you can get the pressure low enough that the cut-off pressure is lower than what the pump can do. After you reduce the pressure switch setting, adjust the air precharge accordingly.
To raise or lower the cut-in and cut-out settings while keeping the
differential between those two settings constant, adjust the range
nut. The range nut is the 3/8-inch nut that adjusts the larger of
the two springs in Models FSG, FYG, FRG, and Type G Pumptrol
switches.
Turn the range nut clockwise to increase the cut-in pressure and
counter-clockwise to lower the cut-in pressure. Three and a half
revolutions of the range nut will change both the cut-in and
cut-out settings by approximately 10 psi.
Adjust the differential nut if you want to raise or lower the
cut-out setting while keeping the cut-in pressure constant. The
differential nut is the 3/8-inch nut that adjusts the smaller of
the two springs in Models FSG, FYG, FRG, and Type G switches.
Turn the differential nut clockwise to increase the cut-out pressure and counter-clockwise to lower the cut-out pressure. Adjusting the
differential nut will change only the cut-out setting while the
cut-in setting remains unchanged.
I think it is common that you cannot adjust the differential to much lower than the 20 PSI differential that the switch comes pre-set to. You can try it. After you have the pressure off of the little spring, it is adjusted as narrow as it can go.differential between those two settings constant, adjust the range
nut. The range nut is the 3/8-inch nut that adjusts the larger of
the two springs in Models FSG, FYG, FRG, and Type G Pumptrol
switches.
Turn the range nut clockwise to increase the cut-in pressure and
counter-clockwise to lower the cut-in pressure. Three and a half
revolutions of the range nut will change both the cut-in and
cut-out settings by approximately 10 psi.
Adjust the differential nut if you want to raise or lower the
cut-out setting while keeping the cut-in pressure constant. The
differential nut is the 3/8-inch nut that adjusts the smaller of
the two springs in Models FSG, FYG, FRG, and Type G switches.
Turn the differential nut clockwise to increase the cut-out pressure and counter-clockwise to lower the cut-out pressure. Adjusting the
differential nut will change only the cut-out setting while the
cut-in setting remains unchanged.
Press doesn't drop when faucets are closed. It does however...
1) Press will not climb higher than 30 to 40 psi range. It varies.
2) When press drops from an open faucet it will drop steadily from 35 (or whatever it made it to last cycle) then drop suddenly to 0 at around 20 psi (give or take)
So no leak.
That says that the precharge is around 20 currently. While the pressure is around 30, the precharge air will read within about a PSI of the water pressure. If it differs much, your water pressure gauge and air pressure gauge have different calibrations. For measuring or setting air precharge you do that with water pressure zero. This is a special exception for purposes of comparing calibration.
So anyway, this goes along with either the pump dying. If the problem was some blockage that restricts flow a lot, you could still raise the pressure higher. So it seems to me that the pump is the problem.
If the spring disc were missing, wouldn't it make the adjusting screw useless? And even cause the spring to have less tension to no tension than the lowest screw adjustment with the disc in place? Or even worse, a gap between the spring and the spring cage?
illrohan, did you by chance take the spring cage off? I had to to install mine, so I'm aware of what's under it.
Valveman, isn't there a "builtin leak" safety or something, and if the disc were absent could it cause it to not function properly?
illrohan, did you by chance take the spring cage off? I had to to install mine, so I'm aware of what's under it.
Valveman, isn't there a "builtin leak" safety or something, and if the disc were absent could it cause it to not function properly?
Similar threads
