Well pump stops with low pressure

[JChad]

I have a 1.5 hp submersible and a Franklin controller (2823008110 = 1.5 hp). We had a flood and it was submerged. Well would run for a few seconds then pop thermal breaker on the box, so not knowing what type of problem I had I called well service. They replaced the relay in the controller box. This box is a standard controller with "three" parts: relay and two capacitors. Now a new problem has appeared.

On two recent occasions I found well pressure at zero. The well was not running even through the pressure switch contacts were closed. I suspected bad contacts so I cleaned them up, but that was not the issue. Instead I found that if I cut power then turned it back on, the pump would run. But it only ran for a few seconds. I kept cycling and saw well pressure increasing each time. I noticed than once it got up around 30 psi it would run just a little longer. When it got up to 45 psi (or so) it ran continuously until pressure cut off at 60. It will continue to provide normal operation for a day or three, fluctuating between 40 and 60 psi.

On the second occasion I swapped the 10 uF run capacitor with a new 20 uF but it seemed to stop even sooner than when it had the 10 uF so I returned to the 10.

What is causing the problem? My observation is something is now marginal so that the harder the pump works, the more likely it is to run continuously.

 

[LLigetfa]

My observation is something is now marginal so that the harder the pump works, the more likely it is to run continuously.

You got that backwards. The pump works hardest when it moves the most water, not when it has the highest pressure.

 

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[Reach4]

I don't have relevant experience.

It seems to me that your problem is going to be the pump or the control box. I think I would replace the whole control box, because that is a lot easier than replacing the pump. I wish I had suspect component in the box that I would replace to fix your symptoms.

Many, and probably most, control boxes have only the one start capacitor. The run capacitor makes the pump more power-efficient.

 

[JChad]

The pump works hardest when it moves the most water, not when it has the highest pressure.

Understandably the pump works hardest when it starts up. But after a second or so, I would expect 'work' to increase as pressure increases. At 10 psi, pump might run for 2 seconds ... at 30 psi, run for 3 seconds ... at 40+, run for whatever it takes to reach 60 psi (10+ seconds).

One correction: I went back through my records and the relay was changed out a month prior to the flood, thus all current components including the relay were flooded.

I'm hoping someone will tell me something above ground needs to be replaced, without spending $200 on a whole new controller.

 

[LLigetfa]

I would expect 'work' to increase as pressure increases.

No, it is the opposite. Your expectation is flawed.

 

[JChad]

No, it is the opposite. Your expectation is flawed.

Why the opposite?

 

[LLigetfa]

As I said, the GPM rate is what is seen as work (AMPS). Pumps run on a curve, higher GPM at lower pressure, lower GPM at higher pressure.

 

[Valveman]

Yeah starting a pump is the hardest thing on it. Once the pump is running the higher the pressure, the lower the GPM and amps, and the easier it is for the pump to run. Check the amps. If the amps are higher than max amps the overload is doing what it should. If the amps are not over max but the overload still trips, there is probably something wrong with the control box.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Replace the entire control box. Sounds like the components got flooded (I'm also in flood area and replace many of these this year).