Time for this week's "Country living questions with Phylo"....

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  • phylodog

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    This week's topic is well pressure switches.

    I spent the morning and early afternoon working in the barn and was drenched with sweat when I decided to wrap it up for the day. I came in the house, stripped off my clothers, turned on the shower and........nothing. No water, no noise, no drips, no air.

    Put my clothes back on and went down to the cellar. The well alarm wasn't going off and the well pump breaker wasn't tripped. I looked at the tank gauge and it read 0psi. I touched the prssure switch housing and the pressure jumped up to 40psi and the line in kind of jumped. I pulled the cover off and didn't see anything obvious going on but the switch appears to be very sensitive, it jumped several more times.

    Any idea what I should do to correct this issue? Degree of difficulty?
     

    deo62

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    Replace switch or turn power off and clean the contacts. That will help for a little while until you can replace switch
     

    ChristianPatriot

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    When the pressure goes low, switch closes and turns on the well pump. When it gets up to pressure, the switch opens and the pump shuts off. Not a lot to them. If there’s isolation valves, you can take the switch out and make sure there’s crap in it or in the lines.
     

    actaeon277

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    Replace switch or turn power off and clean the contacts. That will help for a little while until you can replace switch

    this.
    they're cheap.

    Buy 2.
    That way you have a spare. keep it where you can find it.
    That way, 10-20 years down the road when it breaks, you can replace it right there.
     

    phylodog

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.
     

    ghitch75

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.

    lowes menards or rural king....just check the pressure with a tire gauge should be 28psi with no water pressure....just used a 30/50 switch if at 28psi.....if lower just top it off.....
     

    patience0830

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.

    Perfect opportunity to pick up a 110 pancake style compressor! I LOVE a chance/reason to buy new tools!
     

    Cameramonkey

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    [STRIKE]Replace switch or turn power off and [/STRIKE]clean the contacts. That will help for a little while until you can replace switch

    FIFY.

    (Got to give him limited info so we get other cool threads later. "So I went to clean the contacts, and now I need to clean my shorts..." :):)
     

    Cameramonkey

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.


    You can also kill the pump, drain the pressure tank dry, close it up, and turn the pump back on. that will provide the necessary pressure without actively adding air to the tank.

    (grew up doing that with dad every couple years when I lived at home in the country. Pressure tank was 6' x 3' )

    EDIT: When you do this, open the cold water faucets to allow it to draw air and drain the tank.
     
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    Clay Pigeon

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    You can also kill the pump, drain the pressure tank dry, close it up, and turn the pump back on. that will provide the necessary pressure without actively adding air to the tank.

    (grew up doing that with dad every couple years when I lived at home in the country. Pressure tank was 6' x 3' )

    Not with a bladder tank , you are thinking old old water storage tanks. With bladder tanks you shut off electric and drain the tank and check air pressure in the tank ( remover that blue cap on the top of the tank ) with a gauge and if more is needed use a compressor or a hand pump and raise it to a few pounds below what the lower pressure is set to.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Not with a bladder tank , you are thinking old old water storage tanks. With bladder tanks you shut off electric and drain the tank and check air pressure in the tank ( remover that blue cap on the top of the tank ) with a gauge and if more is needed use a compressor or a had pump and raise it to a few pounds below what you are going to set the upper pressure to.


    Valid point. My basis is a standard old school plain tank. Forgot about bladder tanks. Wasnt sure which he would have since its an old farm house. (My reference house was built in '68)
     

    Clay Pigeon

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.

    With the water pump turned off and the tank drained or pressure dropped to zero, remove the blue cap on the bladder tank top and put a tire guage on that stem and see what pressure you have, if water shoots out its most likely new tank time because the bladder has a leak in it. if its holding pressure adjust it to within a few pounds of the lower pressure setting you want. Its not rocket science. If no compressor, a hand pump will work just fine.

    When you buy a new switch buy a Square D well pump switch. Look at the old switch and contacts with the cover off and take a closeup picture or two of it.
    Turn the double pole breaker off and disconnect the wires and unscrew the old switch. Use pipe dope or tape on the threads and install the new switch and wiring.
    flip the breaker back on and watch the pressure build back up until the switch cuts power off. Most well pump switchs are preset for 30-50 psi or 35-55 or 40-60 psi.
    Whatever it is if you want to lower it or raise it, whatever you do , DO NOT adjust the shorter of the two threaded rods with springs on the top of the switch. I repeat, DO NOT adjust the shorter screw. It is the 20 lb variable for when the pump switch cuts on and off. no matter what that pump needs that 20 lbs so it runs long enough to cool off before it shuts off. No matter what you set the on and off pressure at that shorter spring varible does not change.
    If you want more water pressure you run the nut down a few threads on the TALLER threaded rod. Down is more pressure and up is less pressure. If you lift up the plate you under the springs you can turn the pump back on to build pressure until it gets to the new setting. When you believe it where you want the pressure go and open one fixture and then go and watch the well pressure gauge and you will watch and see it cut on and off.
    I wouldnt suggest that you raise the upper pressure past 65 - 67 lbs, at those pressures the toilets tend to start sounding like jet engines and might hammer when the float shuts off, along with shutting off some fixtures and getting a hammer.
     

    Gabriel

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    lol

    Are there brands or places to buy which are recommended over others? I watched a few Youtube videos on replacing the switch and it appears pretty straight forward but I will have to pressurize the tank which is going to be a pain since I don't have my compressor wired up yet.

    Too bad you're so far away. You could borrow my portable compressor until yours is running. It just sits in my shed now that I have my Quincy.
     
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