Help setting Cycle Sensor Current (tank fill setup)

[s10010001]

Ok I got my Cycle sensor installed to replace the failed Pumptec. I’m not sure what current to set this at for a well that only pumps for a couple mins after a 2-3 hour recharge. Fills a storage tank so no pressure.

The instructions say to run the lowest current X .95.

I can see the water stop flowing right where the pump starts to hit 9amp, then shortly after it gets really low. I set it to 6 and it seems tm click OFF the pump about 5-10 seconds after flow stops at the tank. Maybe that’s good?

Video/short of the current drop.

(Excuse the noise, it’s raining and someone inside decided to turn on water right when I started so the jet pump/CSV came on haha)

 

[Reach4]

I can see the water stop flowing right where the pump starts to hit 9amp, then shortly after it gets really low. I set it to 6 and it seems tm click OFF the pump about 5-10 seconds after flow stops at the tank. Maybe that’s good?

Not sure what you are saying. Five second after the pump starts, how many amps are indicated? How many amps after 1 minutes? 2 minutes?

How long is the pump running?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[s10010001]

Once I start it, the amps climb to 10ish, it runs for a bit then when the water stops flowing the amps drop steep.

So shouldn’t see the Cycle Sensor current to something like 8? Lower than normal load but higher that “dry well no water”? The instructions seemed to indicate using a calculation.. I’m just not sure what number to calculate (something X .95)

Did you see the video? That’s a full pump cycle, (or a crop of the end when the wells goes dry) it including part of the normal pump moving water at the beginning.

 

[Reach4]

0.95 x 9 is 8.55. So maybe try 8.5. See if you get your two minutes or so after a suitable wait. What wait are you using?

 

[s10010001]

Yeah, I have it on six right now, but I feel like the pump is running dry a little longer than it needs to, I will try eight tonight.

I’m getting two minutes of water after about three maybe four hours depending on how hot and dry it is. I’m continuing to test and measure different times to figure out the optimal setting there.

I was reading another post about closing the ball valve a little bit to slow the flow increasing the pump duration, I’m not exactly sure what that would solve for me, I don’t have any sediment issues or anything like that at full chuch, but it sounded interesting

 

[Valveman]

A setting of 6 is probably ok. As long as it shuts off and says DRY when the water stops coming. But it looks at that for about 10 seconds before shutting the pump off, so that also sounds ok.

Restricting the pump could help, as you could make the pump run for 4-5 minutes instead of 2, which I consider bare minimum. Restricting the pump will change the amperage. But I don't think it will go below 6, so the Cycle Sensor setting should still be ok. But if it drops below 6 amps when restricted, use the times .95 thing to determine a slightly lower setting.

 

[Reach4]

Restricting the pump could help, as you could make the pump run for 4-5 minutes instead of 2, which I consider bare minimum.

If you then always wait 2 to 4 hours, is that increased run time any advantage? I would think not.

 

[Valveman]

A little longer run time at reduced amperage is always better for the pump/motor than short run times at high amperage.

Remember there is absolutely zero friction in a submersible motor once it is up and running about 50% speed. There is only heat build up that needs to be dissipated. Reduced amperage causes less heat and longer runs times can better dissipate the heat.

 

[s10010001]

Ok thanks for the info. I have been playing with timing and 4 hours seems about right. I get about the same amount of water once in 4 hours as I do twice in that time.

I will play around the ball valve as a regulator and see if slowing the flow down has the desired effect as well. I like the idea of less heat, weather it’s helping or not. Doesn’t sound like it can hurt so why not right?


As for the amps, after more testing, it seems like the water is stoping right around 9.9 amps, it plummet from there. I’m going to set it to 9.4amp for cutoff and see if that help it shut off faster. It should, and I think that’s the right number here. I will re-measure if I decide to add restriction too.


Thanks again all.

 

[Reach4]

I suspect less heat by not restricting the flow, but restricting the flow could be good to prevent upthrust.

What GPM is the pump, and what GPM flows early?

 

[s10010001]

Pump is a Grundfos ms402, installed in 2023, to replace a 19 year old Franklin.

My logic tells me some restriction prevents overspining like a trucks turbo? I’m not sure how that lowers the amps TBH.

I would imagine there is a good bit of restriction pushing the water up 500’ too.

 

[Reach4]

Pump is a Grundfos ms402,

MS402 is the motor, not the pump.

I would imagine there is a good bit of restriction pushing the water up 500’ too.

the pump only has to work to push the water from the top of the water to the output, plus any restriction/friction. Raising the water from 430 ft up to the water level does not take lifting energy.

If it is a 5 GPM pump, as I suspect, you might want to limit the flow to maybe 8 gpm with the valve.

The pump motor is an induction motor, and runs at an almost-fixed RPM.

 

[Valveman]

The motor will run cooler when the pump is restricted as the amps will be lower. As a matter of a fact the amps will probably be low enough that you will have to reset the Cycle Sensor. Restricting will probably drop the amps to 7 or 8, depends on how much it is restricted. If it draws 7 amps when restricted, the undercurrent in the Cycle Sensor will need to be reduced to 6.5 or so.

 

[s10010001]

Ohh lol I didn’t know that about motor vs pump haha. I only have one picture of the entire pump, the top looked like just a bunch of disks stacked with a frame around them. It was a bit taller than the motor. Can’t upload a pic, it says it too large even after reducing it.

Safe to say it’s whatever is “standard” is what I have down there.

 

[s10010001]

I’m letting the well rest/refill now do I have plenty of water, I’m going to go test restricting it.

Just closing the ball valve a bit does the trick then?

 

[Bannerman]

A centrifigal pump is subjected to the greatest load when it is pumping at the maximum flow rate it is capable of supplying.

Restricting the pump outlet will cause less water to exit from the pump which will reduce the pumping load, which in turn, will reduce the amount of electricity consumed.

Because energy is converted to heat, reducing the electrical consumption will reduce the amount of resulting heat created.