Pressure on pump keeps going up, up, and up. Bad pressure switch?

[bxptone]

Will try to give as much information as possible, I believe I have a bad pressure switch and I'm going to try to do this myself, but just want to see if this is the correct diagnoses.

Our water froze a few nights ago, I turned off the power to our pump. Temperatures rose so I went to turn on the water, but I noticed the pressure gauge was near 90. I turned on the water to see what it would do and it short cycled like CRAZY. Like literally went back and forth from 0-100 constantly, and clicked every second. Shut off the the power and was hoping maybe it was just iced up inside the pressure tank.

Let two more days go by, opened the valve at the pressure tank, let all the water run out that would, started the water again... this time instead of short cycling the water came out like it normally would except the pressure kept rising and rising and wouldn't stop. I shut the water off drained the water and the lowest it would go is like 40. Turned the water on again and same thing happened, pressure just kept increasing.

Is the bladder busted or is this a bad pressure switch?

I took a tire pressure gauge and checked the pressure tank it's constantly at 35 which should be cool, as I believe this is a 40/60 pressure switch as it constantly was at 40 before this. Shook the pressure tank doesn't sound like there is any water in it.

So what do you guys think?

And if it is the pressure switch is a cheap $25 Klein voltage meter ok to use to make sure the power is off after I turn off the breakers? Scared of electricity but being an ex city boy, I want to try to do this on my own lol.

Thanks.

 

[Reach4]

Let two more days go by, opened the valve at the pressure tank, let all the water run out that would, started the water again... this time instead of short cycling the water came out like it normally would except the pressure kept rising and rising and wouldn't stop. I shut the water off drained the water and the lowest it would go is like 40. Turned the water on again and same thing happened, pressure just kept increasing.

You shut off the water with a valve or the breaker? I presume breaker.
You drained the water, and the lowest the water pressure meter would go was 40. Sounds like a bad pressure gauge or the pipe to the meter is clogged or frozen. What is the air temperature at the pressure tank?

Is the bladder busted or is this a bad pressure switch?

I took a tire pressure gauge and checked the pressure tank it's constantly at 35 which should be cool, as I believe this is a 40/60 pressure switch as it constantly was at 40 before this. Shook the pressure tank doesn't sound like there is any water in it.

This sounds like maybe a clogged or frozen line to the pressure tank.

And if it is the pressure switch is a cheap $25 Klein voltage meter ok to use to make sure the power is off after I turn off the breakers? Scared of electricity but being an ex city boy, I want to try to do this on my own lol.

Yes, but make sure the meter shows voltage before you turn off the breaker.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bxptone]

You shut off the water with a valve or the breaker? I presume breaker.
You drained the water, and the lowest the water pressure meter would go was 40. Sounds like a bad pressure gauge or the pipe to the meter is clogged or frozen. What is the air temperature at the pressure tank?



This sounds like maybe a clogged or frozen line to the pressure tank.


Yes, but make sure the meter shows voltage before you turn off the breaker.

Hi thanks, yeah the lowest the pressure ever goes to is 40. Don't know the air temperature, but I can tell you from previous experience anytime this has happened before and we get above 36-40 for at least 2 days like we just did everything thaws out, water works no problem, never had this happen before. Left the basement door open past two days so I think the air temperature should be around that... 36-40 at least 36 I would think.

And yes turned off with the breaker...

And last but not least I don't doubt the pressure gauge may be broken but would that affect the pressure switch? I ask because like I said the pressure just keeps increasing both on the gauge and just from visual inspection. From visual inspection the pressure gets way higher then I've ever seen it and it doesn't cut off at any point, when I open the valve at the pressure pump. I have to turn the breaker off since I get afraid it's going to burst, literally.

So I'm assuming I'll be changing both the gauge and pressure switch?

But before I wasted money on that I just wanted to get confirmation that this doesn't seem like a bladder problem, since the pressure in the tank holds and there's no water evident in the tank.

 

[Reach4]

And last but not least I don't doubt the pressure gauge may be broken but would that affect the pressure switch? I ask because like I said the pressure just keeps increasing both on the gauge and just from visual inspection. From visual inspection the pressure gets way higher then I've ever seen it and it doesn't cut off at any point, when I open the valve at the pressure pump. I have to turn the breaker off since I get afraid it's going to burst, literally.

So I'm assuming I'll be changing both the gauge and pressure switch?

But before I wasted money on that I just wanted to get confirmation that this doesn't seem like a bladder problem, since the pressure in the tank holds and there's no water evident in the tank.

There could be a blockage common to the gauge and the pressure tank, but not the pressure switch.

Do you have crud deposits such as iron that might block things?

I agree that the symptoms don't seem to match a bad pressure tank as the cause of these symptoms.

 

[bxptone]

There could be a blockage common to the gauge and the pressure tank, but not the pressure switch.

Do you have crud deposits such as iron that might block things?

I agree that the symptoms don't seem to match a bad pressure tank as the cause of these symptoms.

 

[bxptone]

Yeah I do, I've been told I live in very mineral rich area and if the water freezes sediment will come up with the water.

If there is blockage how can I check, and what would be the solution?

 

[Valveman]

If the pressure gauge only goes to 40 when the tank is empty, it will add 40 PSI to the actual pressure. So a 40/60 pressure switch would make the gauge read about 80/100. You can't tell what is going on without a good gauge, and you can make sure the pump is working at 40/60 without a good switch. Replace the gauge and switch and clean out the nipple the switch is attached to.

 

[LLigetfa]

Of course one can also use a tire gauge to verify the water pressure, assuming of course the water pressure is above the precharge pressure.

Anyway, gauges and pressure switches are cheap enough that you should have spares on hand.

BTW, freezing can ruin a gauge right quick.