|
|
|
You have just introduced me to a switch I have never heard of before. Why am I not surprised though?
The guy and the sledge hammer thing kind of scares me a bit. That doesn't sound like the preferred method for removing a submersible pump from a well/pitless unit. You might want to seek out someone with a little more professional methods and tools.
bob...
OK, Now the pump seems to be running all the time and won't shut off, yet pressure in the tank neither increases nor decreases AND I have water. What gives? It was 45lbs all day and running and then the softener ran and now it is 60lbs and won't stop. Note: It should quite at another lb.
What could possibly be doing that?
Maybe you set the switch too high.
bob...
Why is the pressure in the tank taking all day to build?
The tank isn't taking all day to build. If the pump is sitting at 60psi and wont shut off,its probably reached its maximum pressure that it will build. I would turn the nut on the large spring of your pressure switch counter clockwise until the pump shuts down and you should be good to go.
SAM
No, the pump could barely keep itself at 40. Anyway, heres what I did. I drained all the water. I dropped the pressure in the tank about 6 or 7 lbs to 38, which it was supposed to be. I lowered the switch pressure settings and attempted to 'start'. it so as it would not stay 'On' until it reached near 40 on the gauge (confirming that was 2 psi above) . Then I waited. For the past few days this has seemed to be taking a long time and I began to wonder if the deep well pump inlet was restricted (at times I tapped on the 1.25" line and could swear it was hollow sounding but wouldn't the pump shut off or overheat quickly?) After at least 15 minutes, I returned to the basement and it was just creeping past 60PSI when, suddenly, it clicked off. Now, I keep my fingers crossed that it kicks in near 40, before it drops out at 38.Originally Posted by sammyhydro11
Are you running any water when the pressure is at 40?????Is there a check valve on your tank? You might have a break in your water line somewhere between the top of the pump and the foundation.
SAM
It sounds like you have your switch and tank settings all messed up. Instead of doing this all over again, go to my FAQ page and read up on switches and bladder tank.
FAQ Page
Also tell us if this is a submersible pump or a jet pump. I think you said you had a goulds 4", I assumed you meant a submersible.
No, not running any water. There is a check valve just before the "T". I think you're right. Theres is probably a leak somewhere between the pump and the house. I hope its not the house. I just had $4000 dig to fix a poorly installed septic tank with colapsed lines and a fractured internal partition.
Sorry Speedbump. Yes its a submersible 4" 1/2 HP Goulds. I don't think anything is wrong with the settings. I reviewed the FAQ and am familiar with the characteristics of the pressure tank and switch. It just seems to be doing some odd things. Perhaps I've complicated the issue. Up until, say, last week, it took it 5 minutes to go from 40ish to 60lbs. Granted it was dropping out quite frequently, and discovering it had 45+ lbs of air was a revelation. Even then, when I went to start the pump via the pressure switch, it would immediately increase to 40 lbs and keep running witout holding the switch. Dropping the tanks pressure to 38 would logically rectify the situation. Here's where the peculiarities start. Now if I start it, it doesn't jump up, rather, I have to hold the switch in "Start" until it reaches 38 which seem s to be taking sometime. Then it can run for hours and barely move over 40. For example I just went out for an hour and it ws still running and no more than 41lbs. When I tap the line with a screwdriver, it sounds hollow. I just the switch off, drain it to 35 lbs and start it up again and I can hear the water rushing through the line. But this time it seems to go. Not long iyt is at 50 and a short while later 59, but then it stops. The pump is running and I can feel the vibration, but the line sounds hollow, again! We had some -30f weather not long ago. I wonder if a line is partially frozen. My well head is in the driveway and when the pump was running, I went out to put my ear down to the ground, thinking I may hear water splashing back in the well from a break by the top of the pump. I can't hear anything, but the concrete encasement is still frozen so I could not get it off, either.
Thev water seems to be there, then not, then suddenly back enough to increase the 87 gallon Well-X 252 from 38 to 60 psi in 10 minutes, or may sit at 42 pumping for an hour or two with little or nothing happening.
Do you notice any water accumulating anywhere in your yard or by the well? I would take the cap off the well and listen for water spraying. You could have a nylon fitting in the pitless or on top of your pump that has split.
SAM
Now that you mention it, I had a couple of tiny puddles of water on the basement floor the other day that I assumed came from the area out back wher I have just dug my septic tank next to the house. The downspout extension is off so as to try to save her and there is a heated cable in the main down spout to keep the ice of a lower roof ridge. I assumed the water is dripping directly down there where the dirt has been disturbed against the exterior wall and seeping through a metal bracket imbedded in the wall, but loose, where the old septic effluent pump was. (new one is in the tank). Howevere, in one spot where a puddle was there is a small crack in the basement floor itself and I wonder if well water has flooded under the basement and come up the crack? It is dry now, and has turned a snap cold again freezing everything up, which would support it is downspout water.
Was there any excavating done near the water line? Maybe the line was damaged during the excavation. It happens all the time.
SAM
No. Ones in the front and the others in the back. The lines are 25 years old and it was really cold a few weeks ago. I looked closely at the floor and I can only think that if the one instance of puddling was from the well, it would have come up through the floor through a crack that would have made a significant pool under the house. I just checked for moisture near the crack because I know the pump ran for a while today. I don't know if it quite or overheated but it is off now, the pressure is still about 42 although it was 60 at one point and I used hardly any water all day. There is no sign of moisture by the crack, it is back to freezing as opposed to yesterdays melt which is what I think caused the puddling. Perhaps the fitting in the well is dumping water back in the well. If its a broken line, I hope its from there.
I would guess it is possible to snake a smaller line through the old line if its broke?
Last edited by Lockport; 03-16-2007 at 04:02 AM.
This sounds to me more like a well problem. If the pump can make pressure but it takes a long time, this rules out the pump being nuked. It also rules out a broken pipe. Other wise the pump would just keep running at a steady pressure trying to satisfy the leaks want for a certain amount of water. I think your well is drawing down. The pump is breaking prime, then it has to wait until the water level comes up far enough to make the pump reprime and start pumping. This explains the pressure coming back up fairly fast after you shut off the pump for a while.
The fact that your switch is dropping out (because its a low pressure cut off switch) means one of two things. Your tank pressure is too high letting the switch see a momentary zero pressure or the pump breaks prime while your using water and the pressure gets below the cut out or both.
bob...
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks