Well pump kicks in some of the time

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Wollebj

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Okay so I noticed our water pressure dropped to nothing a couple times and then a few minutes later came back to normal. I figured it was a failing pressure switch. I replaced it and the pressure would drop to the the cut in pressure and the submersible we'll pump would kick in- worked about 30 times in a row and then on time it didn't. Now it won't kick in sometimes ever 20 times, sometimes after it kicks in once or twice. Electrical is all good and tank pressure is setcorrectly according to the switch specs- so what do you think? Is there something in the wellfailing? A switch on the pump or something? Thanks for any advice you can offer!
 

Reach4

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Do you have a controller box for the pump? I don't mean the pressure switch.
 

Reach4

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It could be the pump. Check the voltages at the pressure switch terminals to see if the right voltage is going toward the pump.
 

Craigpump

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Probably drawing high amps and kicking out on thermal overload. Put a clamp on amp meter around one of the wires and see what the amp draw is.
 

Wollebj

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Voltages appear fine and i have already replaced the nipple. As pressure drops the switch will click and sometimes kick the pump in and sometimes not. Sometimes I get the click and no pump kick in and as the faucet runs the pressure will go all the way to zero- then eventually sometime a few minutes or an hour later the pump will just start running and building pressure again. Very frustrating.
 

Greenmonster123

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Voltages appear fine and i have already replaced the nipple. As pressure drops the switch will click and sometimes kick the pump in and sometimes not. Sometimes I get the click and no pump kick in and as the faucet runs the pressure will go all the way to zero- then eventually sometime a few minutes or an hour later the pump will just start running and building pressure again. Very frustrating.
You need to check the amperage draw not the voltage to see if it's locking out on overload
 

Valveman

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Craigpump and greenmonster are right, the overload in the motor is tripping. All that "kicking in" 30 times or so is killing your motor. Motors only have so many "kick-ins" or cycles built into them, and you have apparently used them all up. You are most likely going to need a new pump/motor. And if you figure out how to stop the cycling, it will last much longer than the last one.
 

Wollebj

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The cycling was my doing- I was running the water doing dishes, watering lawn etc to see if the pump would kick in and I'd write it down to keep track of how many times it would work in a row.

So if the amperage draw is wrong it would be caused by a bad pump you think?

Called a well company but they're booked solid till next week so trying to trouble shoot it myself. Appreciate all the help.
 

Reach4

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The cycling was my doing- I was running the water doing dishes, watering lawn etc to see if the pump would kick in and I'd write it down to keep track of how many times it would work in a row.
Once the pump starts, does it keep going until the cut-off pressure is reached, or does it cut off early?
 

Reach4

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It will go till the cut off.
I think the thermal cutoff theory was from thinking that the pump was cutting off early.

Are you confident that there is voltage on the output terminals when you are in the doesn't-start condition, and that those same terminals do not have voltage when the pump cuts off normally?
 

Wollebj

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I only tested it while it was resting (when pump should not be pumping) and when the pump was running-not when it was supposed to be pumping and wasn't.

So you're thinking the voltage is cutting out somehow?
 

Boycedrilling

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I did have a service call a couple of years ago with the same problem. One set of points in the pressure switch was burnt and was only making intermittent contact. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Could actually see it arcing on the points. (Dark room no overhead light, working by flashlight to see!)
 

Valveman

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Once it starts it will usually run to the pressure switch cut off point. But the next time it won't start. If you have a three wire motor with a control box, you maybe lucky enough that the problem is the start cap and/or start relay. If you replace these the pump may not trip on start. You would just be lucky if it is only the start cap, but that too is one of the first signs that the pump cycles too much. Ans yes you were purposely making the pump cycle to see if it would, but it does that everyday anyway, which is why you are having this problem.
 

Valveman

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I did have a service call a couple of years ago with the same problem. One set of points in the pressure switch was burnt and was only making intermittent contact. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Could actually see it arcing on the points. (Dark room no overhead light, working by flashlight to see!)

I have seen that many times as well. But burned pressure switch points is just ANOTHER failure caused by cycling. Hopefully it is the pressure switch like Boyce says or maybe the capacitor, and you have not destroyed the pump yet. But I doubt it.
 

Wollebj

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I replaced the pressure switch- even bought two and problem persists with both new switches.
I do not have a control box.

Is the capacitor, start cap / star relay in the actual pump?

I can't imagine the pump cycles so much that it's burning the pump up, but the pump is 11yrs old so maybe -who knows.
 

Reach4

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So you're thinking the voltage is cutting out somehow?
I am thinking that checking voltage is easy, checking current is a little harder because you don't already have a clamp-around ammeter, and pulling the pump to check wires and pump is hard. So I am thinking the solution will probably need pulling the pump, but I think that exhausting the easy stuff first is worthwhile.
 

Valveman

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11 years of normal cycling, you already got 4 years more than the pump was designed to tolerate. Pumps are made to run 24/7, cycling on and off is the most common reason for failure. Just take a daily number of cycles and multiply by 11 years. It adds up quick.
 
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