new pressure switch

[pinecroft]

The main water pump for our well has not been shutting off, so we have been shutting it off and on manually for a while. It was suggested that the pressure switch was bad, so I bought a new 20-40 switch and installed it. I turned the power to the pump back on the pump started running, but no pressure will build at all, guage remains at zero.

I did not shut the water line off before installing the new switch, and when I disconnected the small line going into switch, water sprayed out until I closed the main shutoff.

Using jet pump and pressure tank.

What did I do wrong? Has the pump lost the prime or something? Any advice appreciated, Greg

 

[Speedbump]

There should not be any shutoff before the switch. Maybe the bladder tank bottomed out at the same time you closed the valve.

Do you have a gauge that tells what pressure you had before? If it's around 28 psi, you probably have a plugged jet.

And yes if it is at zero, you probably lost the prime.

Just so you know, the switch does not have anything to do with the pressure. It just turns the pump on and off when the set pressures are met.

bob...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[pinecroft]

how to prime jet pump?

Yes, the shutoff I referred to is between the pump and the bladder tank.


Before I replaced the switch, the pump would run all the way up to 50 on the gage and would stay there until we cut power to the pump. Then the pressure would slowly go down as we used water until it dropped to zero and we had tyo turn on the pump again. So I assumed that the switch was no longer shutting the pump down at the set cut out, as the pump would run forever until we manually cut power.

My biggest problem now is how do I prime the pump? Never had to do this and I am clueless.

 

[pinecroft]

problem solved

I got it primed and it's working great.

Thanks for the advice, Bob. I just discovered this forum and it's my new favorite thing about the internet.

Greg

 

[Speedbump]

Glad to hear it.

One word of caution, there should not be a valve between the pump and tank. If someone were to shut that valve off, depending where the switch is, you can either hammer the motor to death, or the pump just won't shut off at all.

bob...