This is my first post. This is my problem:

I have a water well that is 220 feet deep. The pump is at 150 feet. It is a 1/2 HP submersible pump.

I replaced the pressure tank one year ago, the old one was waterlogged. The new one is an 86 gallon one with an empty pressure of 36 pounds. I checked this pressure today.

I just replaced the 40/60 pressure switch today.

These are the symptoms:

Yesterday, the pressure would rise to about 40 pounds, the pump would shut off, the pressure would slowly fall to 38 pounds and then rapidly drop to 8 pounds, then slowly drift on down to 2 pounds before the pump would kick back on and repressure to 40 pounds. Then a repeat. This went on for most of yesterday. When I went to install a new pressure switch last night, the pressure was at 60 psi so I waited to see if maybe the problem had cleared itself. This morning, things were back to the same problem so I replaced the pressure switch. While replacing the switch, I cleaned out the pressure switch stand pipe with pipe cleaner; it was not very dirty, and seemed to be clear.

Now, I have somewhat similar behavior of the pressure gauge with these additional observations. The pressure switch is remaining closed while the pump is shutting itself off and on through some other means. Today's cycles have been varied in nature with cut on pressures from 0 psi (with a 4 minute bottom time) to 35 psi. The cut off pressures have been from 40 psi to, at this moment, 60 psi. I suspect the current 60 psi cut off was due to the pressure switch but I have not looked.

That's it. Thank you for your ideas.

 

If I understand correctly your pump is turning on and off even though the pressure switch contacts are staying closed. Is your pump a two wire (no control box) or a three wire with a separate pump control box?

Do you have a volt meter or other electrical tester? If so can you check to see if power is going to the pump continuously? If possible check the wires at the well head for continuous power to the pump. At the well head can you hear the pump running or feel the vibration of it running? Is it truly turning on and off or is it running continuously but water is only making it to the house intermittently?

 

Thank you for the reply.
The pump is a 2 wire plus ground, there is no pump control box.
The pump is truly turning on and off. I can hear the pump running through the water line that arrives at the pressure tank.

I like your idea of checking the electrical connections at the well head. Thanks, I'll let you know.

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I checked the wiring at the well head. All appeared to be well. I did remove and retwist all of the connections and cleaned the grounding lug.

I now have a 35/38 cut on/cut off psi performance. What else might it be?

Thanks

 

If the pump is actually turning on and off when the pressure switch remains on continuously it could be a broken wire leading to the pump or a bad pump.

Hopefully it was just a bad connection at the well head. Does the pump continue to turn on/off after you re-did the connections?

 

Good morning Dane,

Yes the pump continues to turn on/off after redoing the connections.

After my sleeping on this, do you think low water in the well is a possible explanation? These are my thoughts on this. Maybe the pump is pushing only the small amount of water that has seeped into the shaft since the last running, then, the pump runs dry and overheats which causes the shutdown. After cooling back down the pump restarts and repeats the attempt. This might explain the not reaching 60 psi, the little bit of air that is occasionally spitting up top in the system, the slightly higher noise level I hear when the pump is running because it is no longer fully submerged (or, maybe, my imagination has turned up the volume), and why the restart pressures have varied so much.

What do you think?

If I have to pull the pump, do you think I can do it myself with the help of a friend (I have more sense than to ask my wife for help on this one)? If I'm figuring correctly, the lift should be about 150 feet of pipe, water column, wire and pump. The casing is 6 inch so I'm guessing the line is 1 inch. Do you know if there is typically a check valve in the pump or just above the pump?

If this is the problem, do you have any thoughts on splicing in an extension into the line or would I need an all new, non-spliced, line. How far below the surface of the water column should the pump be placed?

Thanks again,

Gregg

 

"...do you think low water in the well is a possible explanation?" That's why I asked if power was being sent continuously to the pump. If the pump is being told to run continuously and the water is starting and stopping a dry well is a possibility. Try turning off the pump at the breaker when you go to work in the morning. When you get home turn the breaker back on and see how the water flows. Leaving the pump off should allow the well to recover (fill back with water) and you should have water in the house for a decent period of time, which would further point to the well having run dry.

If you suspect your well is going dry check all toilets in the house to make sure the flapper valves are not leaking. You can also make sure nothing in the house is using water. Let the system come up to full pressure so the pump turns off. Then watch the pressure gauge for a while (maybe an hour). You should not loose any pressure if no water is being used in the house. If you do it indicates a leak somewhere.

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Pulling a well that deep is not bad. Messy, but not terribly difficult. Having a helper helps a lot. Make sure you turn off the well pump circuit breaker before starting. Wear clothes you can get very dirty and a good pair of work gloves with textured grip and help hold the slippery pipe. After loosening the well cap start pulling up. Do not let the wire or pipe scrape on the top lip of the well casing. One person pulls up the pipe while the helper just manages the huge mass of pipe and wire you're pulling by laying it out on the ground without kinking. Big figure eights work well. At first the pipe will be nice & clean but when you get where it was under water it will probably be very dirty, slimy and slippery.

Wire can be added to the existing if needed. Plumbing suppliers and home centers sell electrical connectors specifically for splicing well wiring. There is a heavy duty butt splice that you crimp then a plastic heat shrink tube lined with a water sealing glue that goes over the outside. Heating the shrink wrap... shrinks it. Start in the middle and work outward and when you get to the end you will see the sealing glue ooze out. A proper heat gun works best but you can use a propane or butane torch if careful.