Is this pressure switch scenario possible?

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Mooch91

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Hi all,

I've posted previously about a situation I've been troubleshooting. My well pump sometimes trips off for a period of time after some high current and possible rapid cycling. It doesn't happen during normal use (on/off cycles while showering, doing laundry, etc.), just during extended run times when I'm operating my in-ground sprinklers. The irrigation system is set up to have the pump run continuously while a zone is on (sprinkler nozzles are set up so that the pressure is somewhere between 40-60 psi while in operation, so the pressure switch doesn't reach it's cut-off setting until the sprinklers shut down).

An observation I made is that when a couple of sprinkler zones are operating, pressure at the well tank is between 58-59 psi, which is very close to the 60 psi cut-off setting (40 - on, 60 - off). Most of the zones operate with a pressure at the well tank of 50-55 psi.

This got me wondering if operating that close to the cut-off pressure could be part of my problem. I would think, though, that if it did reach 60 while the sprinklers are running, it would simply turn the pump off until the pressure dropped to 40 and turn on again. But is there any scenario where the switch operating right at that edge for a longer period of time could cause the switch to quickly chatter open/closed, pump to cycle rapidly, and pump to trip out on high current?

Thanks in advance.
 

Reach4

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You could be running the well dry.
 

Valveman

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If they tried to just match every sprinkler zone with the size of the pump to keep it from cycling, they could have missed it or something could have changed. If a zone is slightly too small and it takes a long time for the pump to get to 60 and shut off, the zone is still so large than it will quickly drain the tank and turn the pump back on before it has had time to cool down. This will cause an overload to trip. Adjusting the switch up to 65-70 for shut off might solve that problem.

You also mentioned "high current"? High current happens when the sprinkler zones are matched to use all the water the pump can produce. This runs the motor at the highest possible current and heat. Using smaller zones and restricting the pump with a Cycle Stop Valve will not only keep it from cycling no matter the size of the zone, but will also reduce the amperage and make the motor run cooler than when pumping full out.
 
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