Loosing pressure -- wife isn't happy!

[Sakislayer]

I wake up today to my wife telling me we have no water pressure as she stands in front of me all wet from the shower she didn't quite finish.... House was built in 2016 and I have a well (not sure how deep but I want to say 200-250') that has a submersible pump. I go down stairs and check the guage at the pressure tank and it shows 60 psi.... I have her turn on water to several faucets and watch the pressure drop thinking the pressure trip will trip and the pump will come on -- it doesn't. Pressure drops down to about 20 PSI then goes all the way to ZERO. 15-20 minutes later pressure is back.... I repeat the steps and the same thing happens. I'm thinking the pressure switch is bad so off to Home Depot I go to get a new one....

I get back go down stairs and I see the switch is now cycling.... goes up to 60psi... well cuts off..... then goes down to 40 PSI and well cuts back in... Problem is - NO water is running in the house! I turn the shutoff valve going to the house to isolate everything and the problem remains.... Pump gets on.... goes to 60 PSI.... cuts out.... . starts dropping pressure immediately and then kicks back on at 40 psi.....

Break in the line? Bad check valve on the pump? and most importantly how much is this gonna cost me to get fixed? I'm not shy about pulling the pump and fixing myself, HOWEVER, I am concerned about needing special tools to pull the pump especially if its down 200+ feet....

Thoughts?

 

[Reach4]

Use a volt meter to check the voltage out of the pressure switch while the pressure is low. See if you have about 230 volts AC between terminals 2 and 3. If not, measure the voltage across terminals 1 and 4.

If the problem is after the pressure switch, is there a control box (a box that gets power from the switch, does something, and sends power out to the pump)?

With those measurements, we will know if the problem is before, at, or after the pressure switch.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

I get back go down stairs and I see the switch is now cycling.... goes up to 60psi... well cuts off..... then goes down to 40 PSI and well cuts back in... Problem is - NO water is running in the house! I turn the shutoff valve going to the house to isolate everything and the problem remains.... Pump gets on.... goes to 60 PSI.... cuts out.... . starts dropping pressure immediately and then kicks back on at 40 psi.....

It sure sounds like a stuck check valve in the pump. If it was a leak in the line, then it would not have held at 60 PSI originally. A leak in the line does not fix itself but a sticky check valve can seat now and then.

Possibly the rapid cycling also damaged the switch contacts so now you have two problems. The thermal cutoff in the pump could also have tripped and later reset itself.

 

[John Gayewski]

The first part of the story sounded good.

 

[Valveman]

I wake up today to my wife telling me we have no water pressure as she stands in front of me all wet from the shower she didn't quite finish.... House was built in 2016 and I have a well (not sure how deep but I want to say 200-250') that has a submersible pump. I go down stairs and check the guage at the pressure tank and it shows 60 psi.... I have her turn on water to several faucets and watch the pressure drop thinking the pressure trip will trip and the pump will come on -- it doesn't. Pressure drops down to about 20 PSI then goes all the way to ZERO. 15-20 minutes later pressure is back.... I repeat the steps and the same thing happens. I'm thinking the pressure switch is bad so off to Home Depot I go to get a new one....

I get back go down stairs and I see the switch is now cycling.... goes up to 60psi... well cuts off..... then goes down to 40 PSI and well cuts back in... Problem is - NO water is running in the house! I turn the shutoff valve going to the house to isolate everything and the problem remains.... Pump gets on.... goes to 60 PSI.... cuts out.... . starts dropping pressure immediately and then kicks back on at 40 psi.....

Break in the line? Bad check valve on the pump? and most importantly how much is this gonna cost me to get fixed? I'm not shy about pulling the pump and fixing myself, HOWEVER, I am concerned about needing special tools to pull the pump especially if its down 200+ feet....

Thoughts?

If it is only dropping to 40 and not to zero, you have water, it is just being restricted by something like a clogged filter.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

2016-2022 is 5 years so all warranties are out the window. You could have a bad or blown pitless adapter gasket which will cause your house water to drain back right back down the well when your pump shuts off. Then when your pump comes back on, the very same water the pump you have already paid for in electricity bills is now spraying that paid for water all over the inside of the well casing instead of pressurizing your house expansion tank. This situation is an $8 dollar part plus labor that has caused divorce. Check down your well, you should not see/hear your pump refilling the well case.