Well/pump, loses pressure but restarts when I flip the breaker off/on

[Hoo-dunit]

I’m in the NC mountains on a community well with 3 other families. The pump is 340’ deep with a 2hp pump, lots of iron bacteria. Well was fracked 8 or 10 years ago. Problems started a few months ago where the pressure goes down to nothing and I have to turn the breaker off and then back on again. It might be a few weeks between episodes or it might be 4 times in a day. No discernible, at least by me, pattern. A Well expert told me that it’s because a slow recovery time and it probably needs to be fracked again. Frustration has led my thinking to digging a new well but wanted to see if there’s any other ideas?

 

[Bannerman]

Always start with the simplest of possibilities based on what you do know.

It seems resetting the breaker is immediately restoring pump operation. This could mean the double pole breaker has become weak and is tripping too easily, with insufficient spring force to move the handle to cause the breaker handle to show in the tripped position.

Before resetting the breaker next time, suggest first using a volt meter to measure the voltage from each pole after the breaker. If power is not detected after the breaker on one or both poles, then the repair could be as simple as replacing the double pole breaker.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I would measure voltage between the two hots, and rather than from a hot to ground.

If you don't get 240, then the breaker is not passing the voltage. I guess you could then try each pole to ground. If you show 120 to ground when you don't get 240 across hots, you would have a possible but unusual failure.

 

[Valveman]

Flipping the breaker is usually just a coincidence. The overload in the motor is most likely tripping, and just cools off and comes back on about the same time as you flip the breaker. With iron you could have a flow restriction causing the motor to get hot. But with 3 families on the same pump the most common problem is cycling on and off too much. If you still have 230Vdown the well before flipping the breaker the overload in the motor is tripping and you need to reduce the cycling on and off.

 

[Hoo-dunit]

Flipping the breaker is usually just a coincidence. The overload in the motor is most likely tripping, and just cools off and comes back on about the same time as you flip the breaker. With iron you could have a flow restriction causing the motor to get hot. But with 3 families on the same pump the most common problem is cycling on and off too much. If you still have 230Vdown the well before flipping the breaker the overload in the motor is tripping and you need to reduce the cycling on and off.

I actually added a cycle stop valve onto the system 3 or 4 months ago to see if it would help, helped my water pressure but not this other problem

 

[Valveman]

I actually added a cycle stop valve onto the system 3 or 4 months ago to see if it would help, helped my water pressure but not this other problem

Just waited too long to install a CSV. The CSV will stop any further damage from cycling but can't do anything about the damage that was caused before adding the CSV.

 

[Hoo-dunit]

I actually added a cycle stop valve onto the system 3 or 4 months ago to see if it would help, helped my water pressure but not this other problem

Always start with the simplest of possibilities based on what you do know.

It seems resetting the breaker is immediately restoring pump operation. This could mean the double pole breaker has become weak and is tripping too easily, with insufficient spring force to move the handle to cause the breaker handle to show in the tripped position.

Before resetting the breaker next time, suggest first using a volt meter to measure the voltage from each pole after the breaker. If power is not detected after the breaker on one or both poles, then the repair could be as simple as replacing the double pole breaker.

I thought it was worth a try but replacing the breaker didn’t fix it. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Bannerman]

You said resetting the breaker caused the pump to operate. I didn't suggest replacing the breaker unless a voltmeter test indicated there is no power exiting the breaker while the pump would not operate.

The idea was not to check the breaker and give up, but to continue checking to ensure power is present at each stage before the pump. While the problem could be the pump is shutting down due to overheating as Valveman suggested, pulling the pump should be the last item to check when there is no other cause of power loss since the pump is the most difficult item to access and will require the greatest effort/expense to do so.

Since the breaker is not the problem, check to ensure power is passing through the pressure switch. If the PS is OK, then check the pump's control box. If not the control box, then check ...

 

[Valveman]

Like Bannerman says. If there is still 230V power after pressure switch when the pump is off, most likely the overload in the motor is tripping. And yes it was too late to add a CSV as the pump was probably already compromised.

 

[wellissue]

Hello, I am having the same issue at my house. Did you ever get it figured out? We even replaced the pump.