Problem with QD control box with pumpsaver

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Macki

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i recently had my 20 yo 1hp sub pump replaced. During installation there was a QD control box with a little fuse pumpsaver installed. These components were made to go together, not some cobbled together piece. When my pump shuts off there sounds to be a relay clicking. I suspect it is a trouble light, however with the control panel plugged in you cannot see the lights, and with it out there is not power to them.
I suspect there is either an issue with some component of the system, or it was not calibrated correctly. I cannot find direction for calibrating.
Can someone give me some direction on how you are supposed to see the flashing led lights, and how you are supposed to calibrate it when unplugging it is the only way I see to get into it?

Thanks,
 

Macki

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I was able to peek through a mounting hole and see that it is one green light blinking in time with the clicking. Not sure if it is the run light or the cal light. The pump is not in demand, the liquid level in the well is fine. I have not taken an amp draw (dead batt in my digital multimeter). I will try to get a volt and amp draw reading over the weekend.

After finding an instruction sheet for a similar model pumpsaver it appears the one blinking light is indicating a dry run, deadhead, or an overcurrent condition. I am not sure how to re do the calibration, due to the fact that there is ni access to the unit while it is plugged in.

I am also suspicious of the gate valve between the pump and the tank. I will have to figure out a way to determine if that has fully reopened when it was put back into service. Not sure if I would be able to jump a new valve onto the pipe with 2000 gallons at 8 feet of head above the valve. The tank is 8' tall, is it just the column of water that dictates static pressure, or does the volume come into play?
 

Macki

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Thanks, I couldnt quite remember about the water column issue, as it is not in my normal line of work.
I turned the pump off, closed the gate valve, pulled the plug at the top of the well head, and opened the gate valve. It seems to flow fine, so no partial blockage from a bad gate valve.
I did find out how to calibrate the pump saver. Put the pump in demand, shut off the power, pull the QD face off, put in Cal mode, reconnect QD face, turn power on, it runs for 10 seconds and shuts off, then set from cal mode to time that pump is supposed to time out for and set sensitivity to the middle line. Then reconnect QD face, and turn power on.
This seems to have solved my issues for the most part. The tank is staying full. The last issue is a low voltage warning light. This appears to be cause by having the float switch on only one leg of the pump before the control box. I think I will just install a contactor to operate the control box, putting the float switch as the trigger instead of switching the pump through the float switch.
 

Reach4

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Also, check the voltage with a voltmeter (AC voltage setting on a multimeter). See what voltage is across the power terminals.
 

Macki

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He well pump has been working very well. Until today. My floar swtch sank. I see a small crack where the cord enters. I guess it didnt like hanging dry in the hot tank over the summer. And of course, its the weekend, so I doubt I will be able to find one until next week.
 

Reach4

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He well pump has been working very well. Until today. My floar swtch sank. I see a small crack where the cord enters. I guess it didnt like hanging dry in the hot tank over the summer. And of course, its the weekend, so I doubt I will be able to find one until next week.
Tape/tie an empty plastic bottle or two to the float as a workaround until you can shop at leisure?
 

Macki

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Unfortunately everybody carries a pump down, NO, sewage sump switch, but nobody carries a NC pump up switch. This is especially odd since there arent any sewer sumps here.
I did pick up a new one from the local well guy. I have not installed it yet, I am waiting for my contactor to arrive. Though the floats I have are rated for 10 amps at 230 volts, the pump saver doesnt like cutting one leg of the voltage.
 

Macki

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just to update, I did get a contactor installed on the float switch. I works very well. I also got the new float switch installed. I pulled the old switch apart, which had water inside. I was amazed that it worked at all. The contacts were very corroded. This solved the low voltage issues with my Pumpsaver Insider module in the QD control box.

While the pump and pumpsaver are now working as they should I still have an issue with the well, the water level is just too low now. That problem will abate in another month or so as the water table starts to recover from the summer. By next summer I am going to have to do something about it. The well is drilled another hundred feet below the pump, but has backfilled with mud over the last 20 years, so I am going to have to bail it out. i will start a new thread on this topic.

Thanks for the help,
 
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