Well pump pressure switch questions

[contender1]

I have my own well. My pump's pressure switch has been "sticking" and not working properly. I cleaned the contacts,, and all is fine for now.

My current pressure switch cover doesn't have any markings as to what pressures it's for. Looking into the new ones, I see different ratings of pressure. My gauge usually reads in the 40-50 lb range.

My questions;
What rating should I look for in a replacement if needed?

Can I buy a different rated one & increase the output pressure?

[jim147]

Do you have a pressure tank?

It's been a few years, we got rural water in 2014, I had to replace my switch and bumped it up about ten pounds without any problems.

[WebMonkey]

yes.

i've not run across a new production switch that couldn't be adjusted.

rarely have i seen one that didn't have 2 adjustments.

1 adjustment for the pressure it takes to shut OFF (all have this and is a 'real' number. so set it to 50 or 40 or whatever psi)
1 adjustment for how low the pressure drops before it turns ON (this is a relative or 'swing' and will follow the above setting)
--(so if you have the pressure set to 60 and the swing to a drop of 10psi to 'trigger', that same 10psi drop will follow if you increase pressure later)

good luck

[cwtebay]

A lot of times it's sticking because it's not set up correctly. Should be 2# +/- lower than your lower pressure tank's cut in pressure.
I finally got sick of them and have a variable frequency drive now - love the thing!!!! We're pretty rural, so power fluctuations are not uncommon - the VFD takes that out of the equation.

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[Alstep]

I run my deep well pump in the same range as yours. Just replaced it a few years ago, same problem. Our local hardware store is well supplied and has knowledgeable people, and sold me a Square D switch. It was factory set, but is adjustable if needed. I just left well enough alone.

[MT Gianni]

I like a 20 lb swing and run mine to cut out at 60 on at 40. If you have sprinklers, you want them so the pump continues to run all through their cycle. Stopping and starting will cost you a bunch more. For the cost of the switch I would replace it as it will fail when you least need it to.

[waksupi]

I recently went through an ongoing pressure switch problem. Three plumbers had looked at it over the years, no solution. I'm on a shared well, and pumping uphill to the neighbors at about a 80' rise, 340' total from static water level in the well.
I called a well service when I thought we were having worse problems. He solved the years long problem in under an hour, for much less than a plumber charges. I learned a lesson from that. Well men for anything up to the pressure tank, and plumber for anything on the other side. I'm a true klutz at plumbing issues, and can turn a 20 minute job into a three day ordeal.
I'd recommend consulting with a well man.

[243winxb]

30/50 and 20/40 Two to choose from. Both are adjustable.

When there is a problem, iron deposits block the hole where hose/line enters the pump body. Unscrew and remove the blockage with a screw driver. Or may need a new line?


The output is government controled. Go with 30/50. Lately, the pressure setting will need adjusting.
Instructions how to adjust should come with the new switch.

[243winxb]

My pump is above ground.
https://youtu.be/1VNSv7xVzzU

[jimlj]

Two common switch ranges are 30-50psi and 40-60psi. I'll bet most hardware stores have one.
If you have a captive air pressure tank set the air pressure in the tank to two (2) psi below the cut in. In the above examples the air pressure you want in your tank would be either 28 or 38 psi. If you set your air pressure higher than the cut in pressure of the switch you will have a short no water in the house moment, most noticeable while having a shower. With the pressure in the tank lower than the cut in switch rating the pump will start before your tank is completely empty.
30-50psi is the switch I stocked and sold the most of while in business, and as others have said they are adjustable. If higher or lower pressure is needed it is an easy adjustment.

[.429&H110]

+ 1 for Post #8: the thing is plugged up. Post #7 can get expensive...

Some, but not all, pressure switches have an orifice to prevent the starting surge from chattering. A 1/4 copper line helps smooth out the surge also, alas the whole rig catches rust. An old old switch can have its knife edge rounded over and the settings will wander. Usually the contacts fail first.

Some pressure switches have a low pressure cutout lever on the side of them, to shut off if the well goes dry. That would be a manual reset, holding the lever for a bit. When that style gets old, they lock out easily.

[contender1]

MANY, MANY thanks all. I think I have the info I need now!

[MrWolf]

I run my deep well pump in the same range as yours. Just replaced it a few years ago, same problem. Our local hardware store is well supplied and has knowledgeable people, and sold me a Square D switch. It was factory set, but is adjustable if needed. I just left well enough alone.

Replaced the exact same one last summer when my 400' pump died. Helped the guys take it out as the kids doing it were trying to do I by hand. I used my UTV and dragged it out for them. They were happy.

[wildwilly501]

Post #8 but sometimes its in the switch itself sometimes you can clean it out sometimes not.As for post #11 if those people work on well pumps regularly and don't have a way to pull a pump I'd get somebody else the next time.Did you put something on the casing to protect the pipe or just pull it on the sharp top edge?

[Rich/WIS]

When I was on a well mine was set IRC to peak at 55 and come on at 45. They do go bad as noted due to problems with iron and lime build up. The switches are not expensive and easily replaced, and sometimes the pressure gauge can crap out as well. Definitely get someone who is a "well" guy, they have the knowledge and experience to diagnose and fix the problem.

[15meter]

May have missed it, not sure if you have a shallow well pump (above ground sucks the water up) or deep well ( pump is in the well pushes the water up as a simple explanation).

I've only dealt with shallow well pumps, pressure ranges are more dependant on horsepower of the pump, most shallow well pumps are either 1/3 hp or 1/2 hp.

30-50 psi for 1/3 hp.
40-60 psi for 1/2 hp.

That's recommended settings. I always raised the kick in pressure a little so I didn't see as big a swing in pressure.

Didn't raise the kick out pressure because the hp wasn't there to get to the higher pressure without running forever.

[MT Gianni]

May have missed it, not sure if you have a shallow well pump (above ground sucks the water up) or deep well ( pump is in the well pushes the water up as a simple explanation).

I've only dealt with shallow well pumps, pressure ranges are more dependant on horsepower of the pump, most shallow well pumps are either 1/3 hp or 1/2 hp.

30-50 psi for 1/3 hp.
40-60 psi for 1/2 hp.

That's recommended settings. I always raised the kick in pressure a little so I didn't see as big a swing in pressure.

Didn't raise the kick out pressure because the hp wasn't there to get to the higher pressure without running forever.

What a difference regions make. I have never dealt with shallow well as we can freeze in any calendar month. Light residential pump is 1 horse, much more likely to see 1 1/4 horse.

[contender1]

My well is a deep well, not a shallow one,, at the house. At my range,, we have a shallow one,, but it's used infrequently,,, vs. every day. I inherited the property,, and both wells were installed before I took ownership over a decade ago.

I've cleaned the contacts & such,, which helped,, but I'm going to get a new pressure switch,, and swap them. As noted,, not expensive & well within my capabilities.

Thanks again everyone!

[Lloyd Smale]

yes.

i've not run across a new production switch that couldn't be adjusted.

rarely have i seen one that didn't have 2 adjustments.

1 adjustment for the pressure it takes to shut OFF (all have this and is a 'real' number. so set it to 50 or 40 or whatever psi)
1 adjustment for how low the pressure drops before it turns ON (this is a relative or 'swing' and will follow the above setting)
--(so if you have the pressure set to 60 and the swing to a drop of 10psi to 'trigger', that same 10psi drop will follow if you increase pressure later)

good luck

ive got a wayne i bought last year. Went to adjust it and it has fixed settings and no way to change the. Bitched at the hardware store guy and he said there all going that way because they dont want people farting around with the cover off where they could get shocked and sue someone.

[Texas by God]

The adjustment instructions are on the label inside the plastic cover on a Square D pressure switch. A 3/8" nut driver is needed- its 240 volts in there so please be careful. The ones with the on/off/ auto levers can drive you nuts if you are running a sprinkler system from your well/ pressure tank set up.
Good advice above.

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[GregLaROCHE]

Cleaning and filing the contacts may get you a little more life out of the switch, but it’s been my experience, that once they are worn out, it makes the most sense to replace the switch.
Things to consider are the size of your pressure tank and whether it is set up properly. A small tank is fine if you’re not using a lot of water, but with a big family and a lot water consumption, a bigger tank is definitely better. The pump will not cycle on and off as much. That will save your switch contacts, you will save on electricity and in total life of the pump.

[Bmi48219]

What a difference regions make. I have never dealt with shallow well as we can freeze in any calendar month. Light residential pump is 1 horse, much more likely to see 1 1/4 horse.

In cold climates the shallow well pump is in the basement or an insulated well box with a heat source (light bulb or heat tape).
We bought a home in 1988 with a 50 foot well and a jet pump in the basement. The jet pump has two concentric pipes in the well. Inner pipe draws water up to pump and a portion of drawn water is pumped back through outer pipe to provide lift to force more water up inner pipe, or so I was told.
The well was 20+ years old and point was plugging up w/ rust & scale.
It cost us $3,800 to put in a 5” well with internal pump. The old 5 gallon pressure tank bladder leaked and pressure switch was going bad. I found a scratched 65 gallon pressure tank at Sears for $100 that had a 10 year warranty on the bladder. Best deal I ever made. After I installed that I could draw down 45 gallons (or 1/2 of our older daughter’s shower) before the well pump came on.
BTW the 85 gallon electric water heater (stainless steel lined tank) was installed in 1967 on a separate meter. It was still working 35 years later when we sold the house. I had to replace both element seals and one thermostat in the 13 years we were there. The original owner had installed a insulation blanket on the heater. Water would stay hot for days in a power outage. Electric bill for the heater was $10 / month.
Hate to think what a new well would cost now.

[15meter]

What a difference regions make. I have never dealt with shallow well as we can freeze in any calendar month. Light residential pump is 1 horse, much more likely to see 1 1/4 horse.

Around here the pump goes in the heated basement, underground (4') line to well, only thing going down the well casing is 1"-1-1/2" pipe with a foot valve at the bottom. Works on suction. There is a limit on how far you can pull water up. With the water table being so high it doesn't take that much horsepower.

Shallow well pumps are way easier to work on.

And hand dug wells with the hand pumps never freeze, the pump section is actually down in the well 6-7 feet. Had one of those on the farm.

Only problem with them is when the leathers (seals or flaps were made of leather and they lasted almost forever) went bad. Then you had to lift the entire pump jack, down pipe, pump itself and the pipe and foot valve that reached down into the water as a single unit.

Dad on one side, me opposite, two pipe wrenches, dad reached down, put pipe wrench on the down pipe and lifted as far as he could then it was my turn. Alternated until the entire pump was high enough to lay it out on the ground and replace the leathers. Then reverse it to put it back in the well.

Did it twice over 30+ years, ain't never gonna do it again. Don't know what would give out first, my back or my ticker if I tried. Tried being the operative word because I certainly don't have the strength to even attempt some thing that silly.

Interesting to see some of these "homesteaders" or "preppers" deal with leaking leathers.

On the farm I grew up on 27' deep drilled well produced enough water for up to 85 head of feeder cattle and 900 laying chickens, depending on the year. How much the old man put in the barn depended on how much corn we had and more importantly, what he thought he could sell at a profit. Beef/egg market up, fill the barn, prices down, less in the barn and sell more grain instead of converting to beef or eggs.

[cwtebay]

Around here the pump goes in the heated basement, underground (4') line to well, only thing going down the well casing is 1"-1-1/2" pipe with a foot valve at the bottom. Works on suction. There is a limit on how far you can pull water up. With the water table being so high it doesn't take that much horsepower.

Shallow well pumps are way easier to work on.

And hand dug wells with the hand pumps never freeze, the pump section is actually down in the well 6-7 feet. Had one of those on the farm.

Only problem with them is when the leathers (seals or flaps were made of leather and they lasted almost forever) went bad. Then you had to lift the entire pump jack, down pipe, pump itself and the pipe and foot valve that reached down into the water as a single unit.

Dad on one side, me opposite, two pipe wrenches, dad reached down, put pipe wrench on the down pipe and lifted as far as he could then it was my turn. Alternated until the entire pump was high enough to lay it out on the ground and replace the leathers. Then reverse it to put it back in the well.

Did it twice over 30+ years, ain't never gonna do it again. Don't know what would give out first, my back or my ticker if I tried. Tried being the operative word because I certainly don't have the strength to even attempt some thing that silly.

Interesting to see some of these "homesteaders" or "preppers" deal with leaking leathers.

On the farm I grew up on 27' deep drilled well produced enough water for up to 85 head of feeder cattle and 900 laying chickens, depending on the year. How much the old man put in the barn depended on how much corn we had and more importantly, what he thought he could sell at a profit. Beef/egg market up, fill the barn, prices down, less in the barn and sell more grain instead of converting to beef or eggs.Done that around 50ish times on the ranch wells. You learn your grip knots pretty quickly!!! Our shallowest "shallow" well was 48'. I can build an A frame with a block and tackle about as fast as anyone!

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[NyFirefighter357]

More than likely the 1/4" piping the switch screws into is clogged. 40/60psi is normal. Most if not all are adjustable, I set mine to 50/70 psi. If you have an air bladder/pressure tank you need to set the pressure of the tank 2psi less than the lower setting so for 40/60psi the empty tank pressure would be 38psi. You do this by draining your tank & leaving the valve open, using a tire pressure gauge you can check the pressure of the tank & increase or decrease like a tire. I have also found clogs as stated where the line meets the well "Tee" or at the check valve. These clogs would be more of a lack of water. The clogged 1/4" nipple traps the pressure in the switch not allowing the switch to come back on for a while until the pressure slowly dissipates giving you what described as a sticking switch. I recently replaced my switch with one that also drops out if the pressure drops below 20psi, It's a low later cut off and only a few dollars more than the standard switch.

[Catshooter]

I have a friend who's pressure switch was sticking. Pulled the cover and shot it with WD-40. Works like a charm now. WD-40 is a good cleaner and doesn't conduct below 600 volts.


Cat

[Mal Paso]

I have a friend who's pressure switch was sticking. Pulled the cover and shot it with WD-40. Works like a charm now. WD-40 is a good cleaner and doesn't conduct below 600 volts.
Cat

Well it's Hooked Now! It will need a another shot when that drys out, and another. WD is the Crack Cocaine of lubes.

[Texas by God]

WD40 is the best hand cleaner for Tru-Oil. I wouldn't spray it in a sparky box though......

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[Bmi48219]

WD-40 is good stuff but for displacing moisture nothing beats CRC 5-56.