Lightning Storms vs. Grundfos CU 301 Control

[paxto]

I've had a new well for about two years, with a submersible constant pressure pump, an inwell pressure tank, and a Grundfos CU 301 Control Panel. During our rainy season last summer lightning storms caused the control panel to go out 5 times! Finally we had an electrician install 3 surge traps (Cutler Hammer CHSP) at the main service, the breaker panel in the house, and at the pump/control panel itself. Everything was great for the rest of the summer, and so far until last night when we had a huge lightning storm. Control panel is out again now.

Will this always be a problem with the computer controlled panel? Should I just get a completely different type of control panel installed?

Thanks,
Steve in Santa Fe

[Gary Slusser]

I've had a new well for about two years, with a submersible constant pressure pump, an inwell pressure tank, and a Grundfos CU 301 Control Panel. During our rainy season last summer lightning storms caused the control panel to go out 5 times! Finally we had an electrician install 3 surge traps (Cutler Hammer CHSP) at the main service, the breaker panel in the house, and at the pump/control panel itself. Everything was great for the rest of the summer, and so far until last night when we had a huge lightning storm. Control panel is out again now.

Will this always be a problem with the computer controlled panel? Should I just get a completely different type of control panel installed?

Thanks,
Steve in Santa Fe
Do away with it and buy a CSV, it will give you constant pressure mechanically. Speedbump sells them and it probably will cost you less than $175.

[paxto]

It should be under warranty. I warranty mine top to bottom five years. Talk to you pump installer or driller.

Well yeah, it's under warranty, but that doesn't mean I want to keep replacing it 3 or 4 times a year. And since my driller/pump installer hasn't come up with a solution in two years, I'm inclined to look elsewhere for solutions.

[valveman]

It is not always lightning but, we see so many of these fail that we came up with an easy replacement kit so you can get some dependability. When that little pump that spins 10,600 RPM dies, get a regular 3450 RPM pump and this Pside-Kick pump control system will make it even more dependable.

http://cyclestopvalves.com/prod_psidekick_replace.html

http://cyclestopvalves.com/images/psidekick-ad.jpg

[paxto]

It is not always lightning but, we see so many of these fail that we came up with an easy replacement kit so you can get some dependability. When that little pump that spins 10,600 RPM dies, get a regular 3450 RPM pump and this Pside-Kick pump control system will make it even more dependable.

http://cyclestopvalves.com/prod_psidekick_replace.html

http://cyclestopvalves.com/images/psidekick-ad.jpg

Do you know of anyone in Santa Fe or Albuquerque who installs these?

[valveman]

Your pump installer is going to need to learn how to do this, or all those warranties are going to put them out of business. It will take him/her about 5 minutes to figure it out if they will just listen. So many installers just keep listening to what the manufacturers are telling them. Which is, “ we’ve got the problems solved with this new model”. Which means they have been working on generation 5 or 7 of the same contraption for the last 10 years, and they still haven’t solved the problems. Some problems can’t be solved. Those darn laws of physics you know.

“Those who do not remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.” They will have to change to something that is known to last, or you won’t be the first customer they loose.