pumptec problem

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Timbuktu

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I was having some issues with my pump tec last summer. it seemed like just connection issues within the pumptec itself.Sometimes the wells pump wouldnt come on,but Re positioning the PTec faceplate usually worked.It functioned normally for the next 7 months then it started acting up again .

I noticed yesterday something different happened. The single reset(1 red button) would kick off,but if i waited a few minutes or so,and reset it it would run the pump as usual.
Then, at some point, a few (4 or 5)resets later, the lights in the pumptec cover plate were completely off(not lit as theyre supposed to be when connected to its box.Sometimes there will be a slight bit of red and green light but not bright like it usually is.
Either way,lights dim or out,the jet still operates,but it no longer activates the well pump.
Any ideas?
 

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Timbuktu

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Thx Valveman
Boy is it great the days are longer,still not enough time though.
Although the dark burn spot you see on the twist cap has been there for a year or more,i guess it may have finally deteriorated enough by this time to reduce but not totally lose enough power to still run the jet...right?
Im going out now,and giver a try.
 

Valveman

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I was having some issues with my pump tec last summer. it seemed like just connection issues within the pumptec itself.Sometimes the wells pump wouldnt come on,but Re positioning the PTec faceplate usually worked.It functioned normally for the next 7 months then it started acting up again.

The connection could have been causing a problem since "last summer". Everytime you giggled the box it would work again for a while. Looks burned now.
 

Timbuktu

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well,i replaced the twist and it worked fine. About 7 hours later I noticed it had tripped off after or during the first pumping cycle after the repair. i reset it and it continued to pump water again. i will go out now and check if it has trippedpped. Im back andd yes it had tripped. i reset it and within 5 sec it tripped off again. So Ill try retightening the nut to get as good of contact as I can and see if that solves the problem.
if that doesnt solve the tripping,what could be causing it?Any advice on what i should do nxt would be appreciated.

Thirty minutes later
I reset a couple more times,again,and itstill trips.
 
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Timbuktu

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next day thursday 23
Today's Update on my pumptec/tripping ,for better clarification if needed

I left the trip switch in the tripped position for the last 12 or more hours 3pm to 3 am.
Then, at 3 am I reset the switch and the pump worked fine for the expected 15 minutes when this low producing well nears empty.

Immediately after the water stops being pumped into the tank, the "control or condenser box" switch trips ...which isnt the way its supposed to do.Instead the pumptec is suppose to do the tripping
.
Before it will resume pumping ,i have to wait from 4 to 12 hours before the pump motor will work . Normal wait time is 15 to 30 minutes when the settings are set that often .

well,i replaced the twist ant it worked fine. about 7 hours later I noticed it had triped off after or during the first pumping cycle after the repair. i reset it and it continued to pump water again. i will go out now and check if it has trippedpped. Im back andd yes it had tripped. i reset it and within 5 sec it tripped off again. So Ill try retightening the nut to get as good of contact as I can and see if that solves the problem.
if that doesnt solve the tripping,what could be causing it?Any advice on what i should do nxt would be appreciated.

Thirty minutes later
I reset a couple more times,again,and itstill trips.
 
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Timbuktu

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Fri 24 update on Tripping control box

Friday 24 3 AM

I just turned on the well ,as i did yesterday at 3 AM, but it didnt pump water as it had yesterday .
The control box switch simply tripped off .
So now it doesnt work ..... period!
I would like to put off calling the pump outfit until i hear more from the forum members.



next day thursday
Today's Update on my pumptec/tripping ,for better clarification if needed

I left the trip switch in the tripped position for the last 12 or more hours 3pm to 3 am.
Then, at 3 am I reset the switch and the pump worked fine for the expected 15 minutes when this low producing well nears empty.

Immediately after the water stops being pumped into the tank, the "control or condenser box" switch trips ...which isnt the way its supposed to do.Instead the pumptec is suppose to do the tripping
.
Before it will resume pumping ,i have to wait from 4 to 12 hours before the pump motor will work . Normal wait time is 15 to 30 minutes when the settings are set that often .
 
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DonL

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Did You cut back the bad place in the wire that had the loose connection ?

The wires should be cut back to Good Clean wire.

You should check the other connections as well, they may be loose also.


Good Luck.
 

DonL

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Time to get out the amp probe and find the problem.

With the looks of that connection, The connection was loose or the motor is drawing to much current.

If the connection was loose then maybe that toasted the motor, normally it would not but low voltage makes the current go up.


Or it is just wired wrong.


What Box are you using now ?


Good Luck.
 

Timbuktu

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wiring hasnt been fooled with in the 5 yrs or more .
It has its original pumptec and trip box. The 1-1.5HP.
The 2HP I picked up as a parts item just in case. I have not used it and wouldnt until someone answers my other post asking if it is compatable.I posted this am side by side pics of both and the look like they might be compatible if needed. have a look at the pics posted today,this morning and tell me what you think?
its listed unter the subject "i picked up this control box etc. its about 3 or so places below this posts position on the board. Scroll on down to the last entry dated today early am.

Ive gotta look and see if i even have an amp meter tester. volts yes ,but amps??not sure.

Time to get out the amp probe and find the problem.

With the looks of that connection, The connection was loose or the motor is drawing to much current.

If the connection was loose then maybe that toasted the motor, normally it would not but low voltage makes the current go up.


Or it is just wired wrong.


What Box are you using now ?


Good Luck.
 
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BobL43

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wiring hasnt been fooled with in the 5 yrs or more .
It has its original pumptec and trip box. The 1-1.5HP.
The 2HP I picked up as a parts item just in case. I have not used it and wouldnt until someone answers my other post asking if it is compatable.I posted this am side by side pics of both and the look like they might be compatible if needed. have a look at the pics posted today,this morning and tell me what you think?
its listed unter the subject "i picked up this control box etc. its about 3 or so places below this posts position on the board. Scroll on down to the last entry dated today early am.

Ive gotta look and see if i even have an amp meter tester. volts yes ,but amps??not sure.
I thought I was losing my mind (probably am anyway), but then I realized you started another thread, same topic, but named different. your other thread was named "I picked up a used pumptec that looks good. $10 buck was worth the gamble?? HHHHmmmmm:confused: And yes, as Don says, you need to measure the current with an "Amprobe" (brand name) or other clamp on meter.You can use an inline amp meter if you have one and the skills to use it, but I think, with all due respect at this point, you may not.:eek:
 
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Timbuktu

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yes,actually As we got going in the pump problem,other aspects popped up i thought could be contained in their own post,but it sure didnt work out that way. instead of remaining separate topics they all began to merge and i lost control.
I just succeeded in getting the pump to pump again,and I couldnt decide if there was a more approprate plasce to put it.I just ran across this post of yours.
Boy this is the most spread out post ive ever got entangled with.
Now when im about ready to post my successful pumping this am i still dont know just where to post it. Well where should I put it ?put it under the Pumptec problem? or i bought a pumptec for $10.
Well,Ill just put it where my most recent member reply was this morning...

Oh heres a quote we can both probably relate to.
"not only is my short term memory poor,so is my short term memory"

I thought I was losing my mind (probably am anyway), but then I realized you started another thread, same topic, but named different. your other thread was named "I picked up a used pumptec that looks good. $10 buck was worth the gamble?? HHHHmmmmm:confused: And yes, as Don says, you need to measure the current with an "Amprobe" (brand name) or other clamp on meter.You can use an inline amp meter if you have one and the skills to use it, but I think, with all due respect at this point, you may not.:eek:
 

BobL43

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yes,actually As we got going in the pump problem,other aspects popped up i thought could be contained in their own post,but it sure didnt work out that way. instead of remaining separate topics they all began to merge and i lost control.
I just succeeded in getting the pump to pump again,and I couldnt decide if there was a more approprate plasce to put it.I just ran across this post of yours.
Boy this is the most spread out post ive ever got entangled with.
Now when im about ready to post my successful pumping this am i still dont know just where to post it. Well where should I put it ?put it under the Pumptec problem? or i bought a pumptec for $10.
Well,Ill just put it where my most recent member reply was this morning...

Oh heres a quote we can both probably relate to.
"not only is my short term memory poor,so is my short term memory"
Maybe Terry can combine these 2 threads if you ask him to if that's what you want.

It's easy to lose control sometimes with posting. In the John Bridge tile forums, they will scold you (in fun) for doing that and combine the threads, as I have seen.

Good luck in figuring out your problem. I am not really a pump/well person, but I noticed in one of your posts that you said it tripped when the well ran low on water: ah yes, ypur post #6 here; maybe that is something to think about. a plain, regular centrifual pump would pull less current when not moving water, but if the well ran dry and the water kept starting and stopping flow over and over again, the sudden change in load may be causing the motor to ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, never mind, I'm just thinking out loud. I am basically an electrical/electronic controls guy, not a well guy (in several respects, lol).
 

Timbuktu

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I thought I was losing my mind (probably am anyway), but then I realized you started another thread, same topic, but named different. your other thread was named "I picked up a used pumptec that looks good. $10 buck was worth the gamble?? HHHHmmmmm:confused: And yes, as Don says, you need to measure the current with an "Amprobe" (brand name) or other clamp on meter.You can use an inline amp meter if you have one and the skills to use it, but I think, with all due respect at this point, you may not.:eek:


Ok,Ill post my results today sunday 26th here

here's every excrucitiating detail incase any are significant.

yesterday evening i depressed the reset on the franklin control box and i turned all power off to the well.
This morning I turned on the main power and the control box breaker-button didnt trip ,as it has been lately,and allowed the pump to pump water its usual 16 min .(Low producing well and this is the way it has been for 10 yrs)
In another post i had mentioned that the last time it was pumping I began to hear a couple episodes of crackling. Valveman responded to that post. Well this time I didnt hear any crackling and it ran normal for 16 minutes,except for this: About 1 to 2 minutes before the well stopped,i heard 2 rapid clicks and then what sounded like a 2 big thumps. The kinda thump when when you have a starter out and to test it with jumper cable .It is a torquey jerk.. i think i could see the pumptec and control box shake from the thumping.
There was no further issue and the pump stopped pumping. At that point the control box reset didnt pop, as has recently been the case, and it remained engaged as it should. i also noticed that the pumptech face plate red trip light was on after the pump stopped too. it hadnt been doingg that lately either. This particular cycle of manually starting the pump,its running and it stopping ,all appeared normal except the clicks and thumping i heard.
Ive heard off and on in the past this pump do the clicking and thumping. sometimes only once up to as many as 3 or 4 times in one pumping cycle. what could that be?
Several issues in this post
 
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DonL

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That sounds like the Resettable Protector may be bad.

Check the voltage across the Protector when the pump should be / is running, to make sure it is 0 VAC. (Closed contact)

It sounds like you have some resistance in the circuit, somewhere.

Seeing that Hot Melted connection, and just letting it go for months, Was a Big Error on your part. Sorry, I speak the Truth Most of the time. lol


Be careful playing with electricity.
 

BobL43

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That sounds like the Resettable Protector may be bad.

Check the voltage across the Protector when the pump should be / is running, to make sure it is 0 VAC. (Closed contact)

It sounds like you have some resistance in the circuit, somewhere.

Seeing that Hot Melted connection, and just letting it go for months, Was a Big Error on your part. Sorry, I speak the Truth Most of the time. lol


Be careful playing with electricity.
Don speaks big truth here. that burned connection caused many current overloads to the motor and may have damaged it. I think he gave the correct advice in his previous post when he said to call in the expert. If there is a financial reason not to, I can understand, but it may take an expert on site to see what the problem is. Is the pump itself at the bottom of the well? I can't remember what you said about thet, sorry.
 

Timbuktu

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take a look at my circut board please

i want to ask 3 or 4 other questions regarding my pumptec circut board.

Look at the pic of the circut board. Go the the Lower left corner and one inch up.Notice the screw adjustment. What is that for?

2. On the same board look dead center and to the right 1 inch. See the powdery white. With a mag glass it looks like a thin coat of alkali. kinda like left by hard tap water,& scrapes off with my thumbnail. Could that be something sinister?

3- Now look Rt Lower corner and up 1 inch. See the dark carbon like smudge bridging the two solder points about an inch apart. Whats that ?

These marks have been on this board for 11 or 12 months and look the same. Ditto for the wire red twist that was blackened ...in another post

4=Look at the side of the circut board where you see the pump cycle settings. i recall reading in the past that to reset this you turn the screw to zero. problem is I dont recal exactly the steps after that. Do you wait a certain lengh of time and then dial it to a cycle time then reinsert back on the pumptec? or what?

In regards to my tripping issue,Im exausted and have to deal with some other issues that are piling up,but Ill check back off and on today incase anyone replies . circut board pumptec DSC05505.jpgTime set Pumptec circut board DSC05506.jpg
Thx
 

DonL

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That looks like what happens when a Cap blows.

Are all of the Caps in that box good ?


I would say, Maybe not.


Do not turn the screws, or did you already ?
 
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