Trouble diagnosing sub well pump issue

Bobcat

Sound Hound
Pressure tank's at 35#, cutin at 38#, cutout @ 58#.
Everything holds pressure fine and seems to run fine THEN no water. Gauge reads "0", pressure switch has engaged but no water pumping (apparently).
Breaker has not "popped" but if I throw it off, wait a minute, and throw it on then the pump will start right up.
Seems pump's thermalling out but WHY?
Happens 1-3 times per day.
Been battling this for a few days now and can't figure it out!

After losing all pressure this morning, I checked the pressure tank (tire gauge) and it read 25# so I pumped it up to 35#. Thought that might have been short-cycling the pump but then I lost water a while after that.

Ideas?
 
I'm confused. Is the pump motor running and no water, or is the motor shutting off but not tripping the breaker?

Most controllers have protection built into them, some with a reset button. They'll usually cut out before tripping a breaker.
 
Air locked? Or the water level in the pump is too low, due to a failing foot valve. Do you have a service company? Quick fixes may work, but the long term solution is best.

Take care,

Rob
 
When pressure switch is on and no water is pumping there's still 220v showing at top of well (splice at well head). I believe the pump has thermalled out at that point.
No controller.
I'm trying to fix this myself (possibly save ~$1000). I can replace anything just trying to diagnose the issue to determine what part(s) are needed. I can buy the pump and accys from a wholesaler.
 
Kill the power and pull the pipe. Look for sand or debris in the pump, or the impeller and shaft failed/stripped. The check value, it may be stuck. Make sure the pipe isn't leaking.
 
Sounds like a bad/failing pump.

Pitless? Age?

It sounds like you can pull it yourself and I believe you will need to do that.
 
picking up and replacing wire tomorrow as it has a few splices in it.
I've pulled the pump a couple of times and did not check the impellar or valve.
Has a pitless adaptor and the pumps maybe 10 yrs old.
To check pipe for leaks I guess I can put the pump in a 5 gal bucket and turn on? It seems to get up to pressure pretty quick and hold but maybe that's intermittent.
Replacing whole house filter when wife gets ome tonight with one.

Thank you very much for the help so far.
 
My parents' well is slow to recharge. It is easy to pull the water level down to where the pump is running, but not pumping water. Could this be a possibility?
 
my friend's well has that problem. If too much is asked of it, the well pumps itself dry and the motor overheats. Only fix is letting it sit a while and hitting the reset on the pressure switch.
 
Replaced whole house filter cartridge - same issue.
Replaced old ratty cable with a new, flat one - same issue.

I guess the pump motor thermal overload is weak? Time for a new pump?
 
I would think a good pump would last longer than that, but........


A cycle stop valve is different than a check valve. A cycle stop valve goes in before the pressure switch. It tricks the pump to think the tank hasn't gotten to the cut-out pressure, so it keeps running.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's better to keep the pump running constantly while you are using water than to have it cycling on-and-off multiple times. My will feeds my irrigation system, so now (that I recently installed a cycle stop valve), my pump runs the entire time my sprinklers run (before, it would have cycled on-and-off every 30 seconds, or so).

It won't solve your problem, but once fixed, it will extend the life of your pump.
 
Do you have a pump controller mounted on the wall? Franklin Electric ones are popular here, inside are 2 capacitors, round black ones, one or both could be going out. They are not expensive, and they should just pull out, be careful they hold a charge. jdrum is right about both the age of the pump and cycling on and off.
 
Well (no pun intended), it's a beautiful Easter day and we now have NO water. There's only a submersible pump (just pulled receipt and it's 13 yrs old), press tank and press switch - no controller.
I think the pumps officially dead now as I can no longer simply turn the breaker off to reset the pumps internal thermal overload.

My paperwork only states the pumps 3" and 220v - no HP.

My static head will be ~85' from the pumps invert up to the highest fixture (upstairs shower head). We have 1 faucet outside, 2 sinks upstairs, 1 shower upstairs, 1 sink downstairs and 1 shower downstairs.
Well heads approx 30' from the house/pressure tank and the house is not real big (~2' sq ft).

Would anyone know which Grundfos pump I might need?
 
I un-nutted the wires at the well head, pukked the pump a few inches to let the pipes drain, checked the pressure tank and it remained at 35 psi. Buttomed everything back up and away she purred. Haunted?
I watched a few cycles and learned that while the washer filled the pressure guage stayed around 52 psi until the washer stopped filling then the guage continued up to 58 psi cutoff.

Should I back the pressure switch off-on/tank down from 58-38/35 to 50-30/27? I'm thinking the cold winter may have changed the physical characteristics of the pressure switch. Remember, the tank was clear down at 15psi before I adjusted it up to 35 the other day. I don't know any more. I hate to pay for a new pump if that's not the culprit only to expose it to another problem.
 
If you don't have a controller and the pump seems to be working, the only other part could be the pressure switch. They do fail, and over time the contacts can become corroded, and the nipple going to it can become clogged with sediment and rust. It's not a difficult change, just make sure there is no pressure so it won't surprise you when you take it off. Sometimes the installer will put a couple of valves to isolate it, but usually not, in my experience. If you wind up changing the pump, you should change the pressure anyway. Happy Easter & good luck.
 
Guess I could try changing the press switch but it's engaging just no pressure from the pump sometimes. I'll look it over. Thx.
 
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