Deep Well Pump Runs 1 Cycle then cuts off.

[Roger Horn]

Our well stopped pumping water on Sunday;2/7/2010. I was told by everyone who knows anything about wells that it was the pressure switch.I replaced the switch with a new 30/50 (same as the old one).
I started the pump and it cycled through 1 cycle then when it hit 28 it didn't cut back on. I checked the tank air pressure and it was at 22psi so I tried to put more air in it but it wouldn't take any air.I read online that if the tank won't take air it's bad.I also asked the people that had said the pressure switch was bad and they agreed that the tank should be replaced.
The original tank was a wellxtrol 44gal. and the only thing close to it was a 52gal tank at Lowes.So I put the new tank in and turned the pump on.It ran until cut off then pressure slowly went down to zero.The switch did click at cut in but the pump never cut on.
Again everyone said I got a bad (NEW) pressure switch. I changed it out to a 40/60 and put 38psi in the new tank.
This didn't help.Now the pump will come on once in a while if I flip the breaker on and off but just runs one cycle.We can fill up 5or6 5gallon jugs in that cycle.I also replaced the gauge.
The system is a (2) wire from the house to the well house and straight into the pressure switch.(2) wire from switch to pump.The pump is a Gould 1 horsepower deep well submersible and the well is 250 feet.We live in Fincastle,VA.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank You Roger

[valveman]

I would check for corect voltange and loose connections at the pressure switch but, it sounds like the overload in the motor is tripping. It will reset itself in a few minutes and try again. If you have power out of the pressure switch to the motor but the pump is not running, your overload is tripping and you will probably need a new motor.

[cacher_chick]

Valveman is right but you didn't say, so I'm wondering if you drained the water from the tank before you checked/adjusted the air pressure?

[Roger Horn]

Valveman is right but you didn't say, so I'm wondering if you drained the water from the tank before you checked/adjusted the air pressure?

No I didn't and the tank is reading 35psi.

[cacher_chick]

The air pressure can only be measured/adjusted when the tank is empty of water. The air pressure setting with no water in the tank should be 2 psi lower that the cut-in pressure of the switch.

[Roger Horn]

The air pressure can only be measured/adjusted when the tank is empty of water. The air pressure setting with no water in the tank should be 2 psi lower that the cut-in pressure of the switch.

I called a Well Guy.He put an Amprobe on the pump wiring and said the pump is pulling 32amp.
I thought the pump was binding or had a bad spot in the motor.I guess it's time for another pump.
I thought about what you were saying and I did remove the tank and drain it before I put the 40/60 switch in it because I needed to level it up a little better.

[Gary Slusser]

New tanks usually are set a 28 psi for a 30/50 switch setting. And for 40/60, you need 39-38 psi with no water in the tank.

[turbotech]

I called a Well Guy.He put an Amprobe on the pump wiring and said the pump is pulling 32amp.
I thought the pump was binding or had a bad spot in the motor.I guess it's time for another pump.
I thought about what you were saying and I did remove the tank and drain it before I put the 40/60 switch in it because I needed to level it up a little better.

I just went through some of the same things you are seeing. First, I lost water pressure. I pulled the cover off the switch and saw the contacts were closed so the tank was calling for water. I put a meter on the feed side of the switch and it had 220v. All was good there. Measured the switch pump side and it had 220v. All good there. My first thought is the pump is jammed/stuck. I turned the pump power switch off and waited 3 minutes. Then turned it on. The pump came on and filled the tank partially and then stopped. I turned the pump off and waited 3 minutes. It would then turn on and filled the tank all the way and shut off properly.

The pump kept shutting down on its own. I figured there must be a thermal switch inside it. It is a 2-wire pump. I messed with it for 1 day of use. The next night it was still acting up. It seemed to me the pump was failing. The well guys came out and put a meter on it and it would draw 20 amps. It would run for a little while and then shut off on its own. They said the pump was bad. I agreed. They pulled the pump and installed a new one. They did a great job.

Your 32 amps sounds high unless you have a very large well pump.

[ballvalve]

32 amps is a arc welder not a 1 hp motor. I HATE harbor freak tools, but their clamp on ammeter and ohmmeter at 9 bucks reads the same as my 100$ rig. Now we can all keep one in every car. The Ohmmeter at 4$ works too, incredibly. and the battery is included which costs about 2 bucks. Go figure. May be we should empty our day care centers and get them soldering like the asians instead of playing tag and eating play-doh.

For what its worth, did you test the 32 amp motor on the surface? fair chance it drew normal amps and the fault was in the wires. Pump guys get a lot of free motors that way.

[Roger Horn]

32 amps is a arc welder not a 1 hp motor. I HATE harbor freak tools, but their clamp on ammeter and ohmmeter at 9 bucks reads the same as my 100$ rig. Now we can all keep one in every car. The Ohmmeter at 4$ works too, incredibly. and the battery is included which costs about 2 bucks. Go figure. May be we should empty our day care centers and get them soldering like the asians instead of playing tag and eating play-doh.

For what its worth, did you test the 32 amp motor on the surface? fair chance it drew normal amps and the fault was in the wires. Pump guys get a lot of free motors that way.

No,the pump itself was bad and I helped them pull the pump.All they did was cut the old splice and re-tape the wires when they installed the new pump.It took about 3.5 hrs. to get clear water again but it's great to have water!!