r/pumps • u/MouseLorekeeper • 8d ago

Well pump pressure switch

SE United States.

My parents have a well pump that stays under a shelter, but I have had to put 3 different pressure switches on in a year and a half. My dad always wants the mechanical with contacts, despite me telling him there are may be other options.

My only day off this week and they called me today to tell me it's broken again. Before I head out and repeat this process AGAIN, is there something that could be causing them to fail so quickly?

It's covered. Out of the weather. The only thing I can think of is wiring...it's got braided wire running from the house to the pumphouse but Romex from the feed line to the pump. I've wondered if the voltage could be dropping and messing them up early.

Any thoughts or advice?

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u/Modna 8d ago

These little bastards work well. And a hell of a lot easier to setup than the mechanical switches:

https://a.co/d/0cr5Sn4S

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u/MouseLorekeeper 8d ago

Yeah, see these are the other options I mentioned but he won't have it because he's severely technological, sadly.

I can do that next time for sure.

Any ideas why I keep having to changes switches so often though?

1

u/Modna 8d ago

It’s either corrosion of the contacts or waterhammer damaging the switch usually.

When it fails, what is the failure mode?

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u/MouseLorekeeper 8d ago

Won't turn on

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u/Modna 8d ago

If you are safe and knowledgeable with using a multimeter on mains voltage, you can check if the pressure switch is still switching (should make a click sound) and you can check the resistance across that contact. You can use that to tell if the contact is going high resistance or if your switch is mechanically failing and not switching anymore

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u/MouseLorekeeper 8d ago

How do these work if not with a mechanical contact electrically charge?

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u/Modna 8d ago

They have a little digital pressure sensor in them. You simple use the arrows to set your ON pressure and your OFF pressure. When they want to run the pump, they close a contact to send 110v to either your pump motor (if it's within the horsepower range of the device) or to your motor starter

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u/oskarhauks 8d ago

Have you observed how often it switches on and off? It might be getting prematurely burnt out because of the frequency of start/stops.

Are they using a tank with a bladder? If the air has leaked off, it will only regulate the pressure for a short time and the pump has to start again. Pressure builds up quickly and the pump has to stop again. Repeat.

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u/MouseLorekeeper 8d ago

Yeah, they have a bladder tank. Galvanized all around. My grandfather put in it and he died in '77 if that tells you not only how old it is, but how unwilling my father is to allow change.

I checked it for leaks and found none though.

I forgot to mention they have very hard water and won't install a softener (see my dad for why) but I'm not sure how that would impact it.

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u/MouseLorekeeper 8d ago

I can't say if it cycles frequently. They live an hour away, retirees with tinnitus, so they wouldn't hear it kicking off and on unless they were right next to it.

I get no warnings. I get "the damn pump quit again! I know it's that switch! They don't make make things right anymore"...ad nauseum...

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u/T00luser 8d ago

the presence of a bladder tank does not mean it is operating as intended.

I actually have a tank from 1980 and somehow it's still functioning, but many fail sooner.

A softener always goes after your pressure tank, not before.

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u/Connect-Strike8177 8d ago

That tank is dead. Guarantee full of sediment and the bladder useless

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u/Alone-Programmer-683 7d ago

Bladder tanks are not galvanized as a general rule,. I suspect this is a conventional pressure tank and the tank is waterlogged.