How To Tell If Well Pump Pressure | Water Well Problems and Solution

Are you a first-time home owner or have owned your home for years? Well, it’s possible that you never had how to tell if pressure switch is bad on well any experience in dealing with the well pump pressure switch. It’s also possible that you might not have even know about the existence of a switch and one day you find out your well pump is not working.

Then what would you do? Whether the problem is related to the switch of the well pump or something else, you first need to detect whether it is related to switch or not. But first, for those who don’t know what pressure switch are, let’s rewind the well pump pressure switch.

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Contents

1 What is a well pump pressure switch?
2 What could be the reasons for a pressure switch fail up?
3 How to tell if a pressure switch is failing?
4 First Step

What is a well pump pressure switch?

Are you looking for how to tell if pressure switch is bad on well? A well pump pressure switch works like sending signals to the pump depending upon the pressure within the water system to stop or start pumping. The pressure switches have pressure settings of two kinds.

These settings are cut-in pressure and cut-off pressure. The numbers that you can generally find on itself a switch are ranges from 20-40, 30-50, or 40-50. The lower number means that the pump will start filling your tank and the highest number means the pump will stop filling the tank.

Both of these numbers can be adjusted depending upon your unique need for water supply. The location of pressure switch can be inside or outside of your garage, pool, housing, or basement depending upon how you set up your well.

If your pump is submersible then the switch can be in different locations, for example, it can be on the pipe that is entering the pressure tank. However, if your pump is jet, then the pressure switch could directly be attached to the side of the pump.

What could be the reasons for a pressure switch fail up?

A well pump pressure switch’ mechanism consists of springs that are there to set the pressure and electrical wirings that send signals to the pump to turn on or off. As the time passes, wire ports can become corroded or exposed, and the springs can become loose.

Even sometimes, a random bug can be stuck in between and can prevent the electrical contacts from being correctly connected. Rusted contacts could also be one of the causes of rendering the well switch useless.

Typically pressure switches are covered in a plastic cover that is thick enough to hold humidity but still sometimes the summer humidity can get inside it and it can damage the switch slowly.

How to tell if a pressure switch is failing?

Now as you know that what a pressure switch is and how it works, it’s easier to troubleshoot the bad switch problem with the well pump. Some common issues that you may experience related to the bad pressure switch are given below. Have a look upon them.

If the water pressure is above or at the cut-out pressure, position and pump won’t turn off then your pressure switch is bad. How to tell if pressure switch is bad on well?
If on turning the cut-in pressure the pump does not turn on then the problem is related to your pressure switch.
The water pump runs, but the water pressure is weak. If this is happening with you, then check electrical power. Check if any circuit is fused. Also, check the voltage, Check out the pressure switch is closed and the power is getting sent to the pump.
The water pump runs, however, pump cycles off and on rapidly and immediately

Now follow these simple steps to troubleshoot a bad pressure switch

First Step

Firstly, you would need to remove the pressure switch. Working around plumbing and electricity is of great danger because you can touch any live wire unintentionally while touching the plumbing pipe that is grounded.

For safety measures, first turn the electrical power off, and double check the electric power is turned off with the use of VOM or neon tester. As discussed earlier that pressure switch has cut-in pressure of about 20-30 PSI, and cut out pressure is of 40-50 PSI.

When you buy the control of the pressure, the set-up is proper at the cut-in and cut-out pressure. If the power of your pump is adjusted correctly, then it would turn on and off nicely at the already set pressures.

Step 2: how to tell if pressure switch is bad on well

Remove the cover of the switch and access the mechanism of the pressure switch. With the plumbing pliers, in counterclockwise direction turn top screw cap. The location of the switch is at the plumbing system. A wires pair also exits and enter the switch.

Step 3

See if the water is leaking from switch housing or its mechanism. If there is any leakage under the plumbing connection of the switch, then fit the plumber pliers’ jaws on the brass fitting. Then turn the switch in clockwise direction and tight it. But if the leakage is from inside the mechanism then switch is bad.

Step 4

See the electrical contacts’ two sets and screw terminal who connect wires. If the connection is open and there is no pressure of water, then pull the contacts open and try to cycle the switch. This act may dislodge springs from the internal side. Turn the power on in case switch closes. If connections remain in opening position and there is no pressure of water, then the switch is bad.

Step 5

Open a nearby faucet of water and allow the pump cycles fully. Do not try to touch switch when it is getting energized. If switch gets close and open, then there could be a temporary stuck due to any debris. But if the switch closes when pressure drops then the internal spring of the switch is bad. In such situation your switch needs replacement.

Step 6

Inspect the mating points of contacts. If metal discs turn black with carbon, then try to apart it with your fingers. With your fingertips feel the discs. If there are small pits, then contacts are bad, and you need to replace the switch.