Well continues to fail - Control Box?

Discussion in 'Pumps and Tanks Well Forum & Blog. Water is life.' started by WilliamWWhitworth, Jan 16, 2020.

  1. WilliamWWhitworth

    WilliamWWhitworth New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2020
    Location:
    Lubbock, TX
    We've lived on our property for about 4 years now. The well setup is weird and I didn't mess with it the first couple years until a pressure switch failed.
    The way they wired the pressure switch to the control box is this:
    They ran one leg of the 220V straight to the L1 of the control box, the other leg (L2) they ran one leg of a 2 wire to the pressure switch line 1 and then returned it with load 1 to complete the 220Volts to the control box.

    Could this, one leg being constantly hot, be causing continued failure of the capacitor in the well control box?

    upload_2020-1-16_11-16-16.png
     
    WilliamWWhitworth, Jan 16, 2020
    #1
  2. Reach4

    Reach4 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2013
    Location:
    IL
    No.
     
    Reach4, Jan 16, 2020
    #2
    WY_WaterWellGuy likes this.
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  4. WorthFlorida

    WorthFlorida The wife is still training me.

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2009
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Orlando, Florida
    It should not but I had a AC unit I was fixing for a co-worker and within two weeks the second start capacitor failed. I also suspected the same reason as your are for the failures. I remove the SPST relay to a DPST relay to to open both hot leads as all new AC units now have. There are 220v pressure switches so you can open both legs. Only opening one side and the pump not running gives a false sense of security that the power is off to the pump (for servicing) and it is not. I would change it out. It doesn't cost much and easy enough to do.

    A moderator on this forum,"valveman", has his business in Lubbock, Tx. Maybe he'll comment on this.
     
    WorthFlorida, Jan 16, 2020
    #3
  5. valveman

    valveman Cary Austin Staff Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2006
    Occupation:
    Pump Controls Technician
    Location:
    Lubbock, Texas
    Thanks Worth! As has been said it is safer to cut both hot legs, but is not what is causing your problem. Starting capacitors and pressure switches fail when the pump is starting too often and too many times. A pump Start/stop is called a "Cycle". Eliminating the cycling is the best (only) way to make pumps and equipment last longer. Funny thing, some people who you would think might be really good pump men will tell you cycling doesn't hurt a pump. Cycling is the biggest killer of every component in a pump system, and "pump guys" who don't understand that look pretty foolish! :)

     
    valveman, Jan 17, 2020
    #4
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