Pressure dropping, breaker tripping

[Deepfried]

I just installed a new deep well pump. Also a new pressure switch. The old pump gave out. But now Im having a different issue.

I primed the bladder tank and powered on the pump. It's a 20/40 switch but the tank has "25 on, 42 off" written on it from my uncle owned the place. So I primed it to 18 psi. The tank pressures up 42 and the switch disengages, then it drops down to 25 and the switch engages. The pressure holds at 25 and the switch stays engaged. When you turn a facet on, the pressure slowly falls to 15 psi and the breaker trips. It does this every time. I've also tried this when priming the tank to 23 psi, only to get the same result.

So heres my issue... Why is the pump continuously running at 25 psi? Why isn't the pump compensating for the lost water when a facet is turned on?

Both the pump and switch are brand new. Is this a bladder issue?

Thoughts?

 

[Cacher_Chick]

The pump should pump water continuously as long as there is a faucet open and the pressure is less that the cutout setting on the switch. The breaker will only trip if the wiring is shorted or the motor is faulty. If the wiring was hooked up correctly, perhaps it has been pinched or the insulation rubbed through when setting the pump.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

How far down is your water?
What is the model number of the pump?

You have some odd symptoms there.

The tank pressures up 42 and the switch disengages, then it drops down to 25

Is that dropping to 25 with no water being drawn, or are you using water that explains the pressure dropping?

So heres my issue... Why is the pump continuously running at 25 psi? Why isn't the pump compensating for the lost water when a facet is turned on?

Yes, why does the pump go to 4o the first time after [?]? Then why is the pump on continuously without the pressure rising.

Turn off the pump while the pressure is 25 and no water is being used. What happens to the water pressure gauge? Does the pressure stay at 25? What air pressure do you read at that time?

 

[Deepfried]

How far down is your water?
What is the model number of the pump?

You have some odd symptoms there.


Is that dropping to 25 with no water being drawn, or are you using water that explains the pressure dropping?


Yes, why does the pump go to 4o the first time after [?]? Then why is the pump on continuously without the pressure rising.

Turn off the pump while the pressure is 25 and no water is being used. What happens to the water pressure gauge? Does the pressure stay at 25? What air pressure do you read at that time?

I don't have a model number for you. It's a 1 hp Jet pump. 33 gpm.

Water is 120 foot down.


Pressure drops even to 25 even if water isn't being used after it initially reaches 40.

Turned the pump off while water pressure was at 27 exactly. 25 psi on the tank. The psi on tank dropped to 0 fast. But the water pressure on the gauge on the main line dropped to 20 and held.

 

[Deepfried]

I'll also note that after I changed the pump I had to change the feed pipe to the new switch. It was so corroded that nothing was getting to the switch. Therefore the pump would just continously run. But it wouldn't drop pressure and wouldn't trip the breaker. It only started doing what I explained in the OP after I put in a new pipe to the switch.

 

[Reach4]

I don't have a model number for you. It's a 1 hp Jet pump. 33 gpm.

Water is 120 foot down.

I have a hard time thinking you are going to pump 33 GPM from 120 ft with a 1 HP jet pump.

Symptoms on deep jet pumps are hard. Post a picture of your pump including pressure tank input, pressure gauge, and the piping to the well. 800 pixels or less, under 200 KB. Somebody with experience with such systems can give you some info.

Pressure drops even to 25 even if water isn't being used after it initially reaches 40.

Turned the pump off while water pressure was at 27 exactly. 25 psi on the tank. The psi on tank dropped to 0 fast. But the water pressure on the gauge on the main line dropped to 20 and held.

And that was really weird. You say "The psi on tank dropped to 0 fast.", I think you are saying that the air pressure went to zero while the water pressure held at 20 PSI. I think that is not possible in a normal setup.... Just the fact that the air pressure went to zero would tell me that the pressure tank is bad. If you run water with the pump off, does the water pressure go to zero? If not, I would replace the water pressure gauge.

 

[Valveman]

I think you have a bad check valve and a badgauge stuck at 20. If the pump is spinning backwards when it tries to start it will trip the breaker.

 

[Deepfried]

I have a hard time thinking you are going to pump 33 GPM from 120 ft with a 1 HP jet pump.

Symptoms on deep jet pumps are hard. Post a picture of your pump including pressure tank input, pressure gauge, and the piping to the well. 800 pixels or less, under 200 KB. Somebody with experience with such systems can give you some info.


And that was really weird. You say "The psi on tank dropped to 0 fast.", I think you are saying that the air pressure went to zero while the water pressure held at 20 PSI. I think that is not possible in a normal setup.... Just the fact that the air pressure went to zero would tell me that the pressure tank is bad. If you run water with the pump off, does the water pressure go to zero? If not, I would replace the water pressure gauge.

Here's a pic.

Yes I meant the air pressure in the tank drops to zero.

 

[Deepfried]

I think you have a bad check valve and a badgauge stuck at 20. If the pump is spinning backwards when it tries to start it will trip the breaker.

I keep reading the words "check valve". I honestly have no idea what that is. Lol. And the gauge isn't stuck at 20. It fluctuates up and down just fine. The dial pressure gauge only reads the line pressure and doesn't have anything to do with the cycling of the pump right?

And the pump is running when the breaker trips.

 

[Craigpump]

You need an Amprobe to determine if the pump is pulling excessive amps when the breaker trips.

 

[Valveman]

The gauge may still go up and down but could only go to 20 instead of zero. Kind of like the one laying on the floor that shows 30-40 PSI. You should have a check valve down the well on the pump to keep the water from going backwards when the pump shuts off.

 

[Reach4]

I keep reading the words "check valve". I honestly have no idea what that is.

A check valve is a one-way valve. The purpose would be to keep the water from going back down and out of the pump. The pump often has a built-in check valve, and another may be external to the pump. Ideally that added check valve would be right above the pump, or at least below the water. The water in the drop pipe (pipe that connects down to the bottom) would stay under pressure. If there is a leak, water in the pressure tank would go back into the well. When enough water has been lost, the pump would get turned back on, and the pipe stays pressurized.

The dial pressure gauge only reads the line pressure and doesn't have anything to do with the cycling of the pump right?

The pump makes pressure. The pressure gauge does not cause cycling, but the gauge is important in knowing what is going on. You did not say in your description that the pressure gauge ever dropped to zero. So it seemed that your problems could include a bad pressure gauge.
They sell pressure gauges with a garden hose thread. One of those would give you an extra indication, during your troubleshooting, which should match the one at the pressure tank. That extra gauge could be attached where the garden hose is in your photo, it could be outside outside, it could also be at your laundry area, or it could even even be on the water heater drain.