Recent questions and answers about finding the right settings for a well pump pressure control switch.

This article series describes how to adjust building water pressure by setting the water pump cut-in and cut-out pressure on the well water pump pressure control switch.

We also point to our article on how to adjust building municipal or community water pressure at a building.Contact Us by email if you are having trouble finding the information you need.

What are the Usual Water Pump and Tank Pressure Control Settings in PSI?

These questions and answers about how to set the pump pressure control switch CUT-IN and CUT-OUT or DIFFERENTIAL pressures were posted originally at PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH STANDARD (PSI) SETTINGS - be sure to review that article.

On 2018-09-02 by (mod) - pressures way too high 90psi

Watch out: very high pressure can blow a tank or pipe and injure or kill someone nearby.

Turn off the pump, drain down pressure below the pressure tank's rated maximum or below 70 psi.

Then re-set the pressure control switch CUT OUT - typically 40 psi on , 60 psi off maximum.

On 2018-09-01 by John Roberts

Started up my water pump. For 4 months. Just got it running but rhe pressures way too high 90psi how high should my pressure l tank be and should i adjust the pressure nut before i restart it again

On 2018-08-16 by Dave Cloutier

I'm using a booster pump for my sprinkler system in which I have a pressurized bladder tank with 40 lbs air charged.

My pump switch shuts off at 80lbs and when I run the system, the pressure drops to about 40lbs or lest before the pump kicks on again and then it takes awhile to build up again, so I'm not sprinkling with a decent amount of pressure for the system. Could there be something wrong with the switch or the 1/4" line from the pump housing to the switch.

On 2018-07-09 by Tony

How do I get the water pump to release water

On 2018-05-07 by (mod) - why the water pump stalls

When a pump stalls I suspect

- a bad start-run motor capacitor
- low voltage
- a binding pump bearing or a debris-jammed impeller assembly

On 2018-05-06 by Thomas - humming pump

I have a 1.5 HP water pressure pump. The control switch is working well, in the sense that the cut-in and cut-out are operating normally.

But when the pressure drops and the cut-in is activated, the pump stalls. I've lowered the cut-in to make it easier for the pump to start, but that still isn't working.

All I get is a humming, the motor heats up and the overload shuts off the pump. I then have to unplug it and wait for it to cool.

If I get to the pump just as the cut-in is activated, I can kick-start the pump before it heats up. I've resorted to switching off the pump after it has run its cycle, but even so, at times the pump doesn't start without some assistance (kick-starting it with a screwdriver).

On 2018-04-23 by (mod) -

IF the pump is capable of reaching the cutout pressure.

On 2018-04-23 by Elmer

.6kw water pump can i use 25 psi cut on and 45 psi cut off?

On 2018-03-19 by (mod) -

David, with a tank air pre-charge at 48 psi, and with a water supply pressure of 50 psi, only enough water will enter the tank to raise the tank pressure to 60 psi - which isn't much.

With water off, drain pressure from the system, drop the tank air pre-charge to something like 20 or 30 psi.

On 2018-03-19 by David R.

I have city water, a booster pump, reducing valve set @ 50psi, tank set @ 48psi. 3/4 going into tank tee and out. pressure gauge & drain on tee. When I turn on all runs ok, but no water enters the 36 gal. tank. HELP !

On 2018-01-08 by (mod) -

Rick

See the diagnosis and repair procedures at WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - home https://inspectapedia.com/water/Short_Cycling_Pump.php

On 2018-01-08 by Rick

My well pump keeps cycling very fast and sometimes when it shuts off at 36 PSI the have Leeds off pretty rapidly until it reaches 28 PSI and keeps cycling this way. Sometimes every 10 seconds or so

On 2017-10-28 by William Brown

How long for pressure to reach max after reset?

On 2017-10-04 by David

I have an inground well system with a pressure regulator switch that goes on and off depending on setting and an air pressure tank.

My regular switch is a 40-60 and it is working properly. My sprinkler system is not developing what I believe to be the proper water pressure in order for irrigation due to a weak stream that doesn’t give me coverage for what needs to be watered. What is the proper balance of pressure in my tank Relative to my pressure switch?

On 2017-09-09 by king_slayer24

My pressure switch cut off is at 40 psi but it cut on at 15 psi when it suppose to be 20 psi.
How can i fix this?

On 2017-08-29 by (mod) -

Joe,

You can Use the on-page search box at the top or bottom of this page to find our article

WATER PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING

To see procedures for diagnosing and fixing the problem when a well pump will not stop running.

Meanwhile turn off the pump to avoid damaging it

On 2017-08-28 by Joe

Why would my water pump continuously run until I shut the water off to the house and faucet at pump has great pressure but inside the house has almost no pressure...🤔

On 2017-07-18 by (mod) -

I suspect the gauge is not working

Use the search box just above to find our article on PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING
ho see how tho diagnose and fix the problem

On 2017-07-17 by yjbenoit121

I shut off my pump from electrical panel and drained all the water, now the pressure gauge reads zero, should I still have air pressure in the tank? reason is the pump cuts in at 38psi and climbs to 48psi but does not cut out and the pump keeps running, should I replace the pump? HELP PLEASE, THANKS.

On 2017-05-27 by (mod) -

Jose

Try removing the faucet strainer - it may be clogged with debris. Or if your filter is one at the faucet that filter may be clogged.

On 2017-05-27 by Jose Evangelista

The water pressure coming out of the faucet is low even though the setting is correct at 40 psi in relation with the switch rating of 20 psi (cut-on) and 40 psi (cut-off). Does a bigger size filter bottle somehow changes the pressure flow of the water? In this situation, is it alright to raise the water well tank pressure to 50 psi ?

On 2016-12-27 by (mod) -

Lori

Those pressures are OK, the tank precharge will need to be 2 psi below the cut-in, or 24 psi when the tank is empty.

On 2016-12-27 by Lori

We just replaced our bladder tank because it had rusted a hole and leaking water. My question is,the cut-in pressure is 26and cut-out is 56. Is the pressure at a good setting? When we checked the pressure, at the cut-out point it sounded as if the tank was completely empty and water was running back through the pipes. Should I be concerned? Should I reset the cut-out pressure?

On 2016-10-28 by (mod) -

Shellie,

We provide a step by step diagnosis and repair guide for the problem you describe: please use the Search box just above to search InspectApedia for WATER PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING

Meanwhile turn off power to the pump to avoid damage.

On 2016-10-26 by Shellie

My water pump guage reaches 30 and will not shut off. Please help

On 2016-09-03 by (mod) -

The tank needs to be set to 2 psi below the cut-in pressure. Most switches will let you go from 30/50 to 40/60 though you're beginning to press the upper limit of what's good practice; very high pressures risk blowing a pipe and injuring someone; pressures over 70 risk plumbing leaks;

If the pump can't reach the higher cut-off pressure that is diagnostic; low water, low voltage, etc. (Search InspectApedia for PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING to read details of causes and cures).

On 2016-09-02 by Jo

The pump kicks on at the 45 but then does a sudden drop to 20. Then the pump runs about 4 or 5 minutes til it reaches 60.
I was doing some more trouble shooting. My pressure switch is a 30-50, will it cause damage to set it at 40-60?

I set it back to 30-50 (tried to) can't get the cut in to go down to 30. Kicks on at 40.
I believe tank was preset at 38 psi. Couldn't get a reading on tank pressure (couldn't find tire gauge)

Will a 30-50 switch work with this pressure in tank or do I need a new switch? Thanks for all your help.

On 2016-09-02 by (mod) -

"All correct" sounds fishy if the new installation doesn't provide functional water flow rates at a home.

If the CUT-IN is set to 45 but the pump isn't turning on until 20 psi, that's certainly not normal -something's wrong. Could be that the gauge is wrong or sticking, so an independent water pressure measurement might be diagnostic.

On 2016-09-02 by Jo

New pressure tank installed in July. Ever since, when water is being used for garden hose or hand washing dishes, water flow to rest of house is a trickle.

Had the plumbers come back to look at it. Said everything was installed correctly. The psi is set for 45 cut in and 60 cut out. I noticed when the pump kicks on the psi drops to 20. Is this normal?

I thought it shouldn't go below the cut in psi. Can you give me any suggestions what might be going on?

On 2016-06-09 01:39:35.693738 by stacy

I just installed a new pressure switch and nipple and new gauge and when I turned the pump on it only went up to 20 psi and then cut off. Replaced the nipple because it was clogged. Also it does not sound like water is entering the pressure tank. Any thoughts?

On 2016-04-28 13:46:33.969849 by (mod) -

Judy the pressure setting is not based on tank size whatsoever. Set the tank pre-charge pressure to 2 psi below the pump's cut-in pressure. The pump cut-in and cut out pressures are discussed in the article above. To be clear, those do not change based on tank size.

On 2016-04-28 by judy

I have an irrigation water tank? Its HUGE? about 220-300 gal.220v.what's normal pressure for this big tank?

On 2015-11-14 by Anonymous

1/8" NPT or less often, on some devices 1/4"

On 2015-11-14 by Anonymous

what is the inlet size for standard female pressure switch

On 2015-10-31 by Anonymous

What do I set my psi in tank if I have 19 gal tank

On 2015-08-18 by (mod) -

Steve O

Well don't feel bad, many of us have fouled up a pressure control switch by messing with it. Basically I adjust the larger nut - the range nut first, then the differential. First though let's see what you've got: what is the switch model number?

That will tell us the general pressure cut-in cut-out range intended by the manufacturer.

On 2015-08-18 by SteveO

Just replaced a leaky Square D switch with a new one (same exact model P/N). Followed Square D's installation steps to the letter, but after adjusting range nut to get cut-in down to 30 psi (was 40 when first run),

I can't get the cut-out pressure over 42 psi. Have adjusted differential nut WAY down (CW to increase per instructions) but cut-out pressure will not go beyond 42 psi.

I know pressure gauge is good and I also checked that tank had 28 psi of air pressure when pump was off and drained. Would appreciate any suggestions!

On 2015-08-02 by (mod) -

Sounds as if either the well has run out of water or the pump or wiring or control are damaged or have lost electrical power.

Search InspectApedia.com for NO WATER PRESSURE for some diagnostic procedures that will help you out.

On 2015-08-01 by nick

my with holding usually shuts down when it hits 60lbs of pressure than as i use water when it drops to 20lbs it starts pumping water now it doesn't pump at all when i hit 20lds and there's still water in the with holding tank but i get no water

On 2015-08-01 by Anonymous

my with holding tank usually when fill shuts off at 60lbs of pressure than while using water hwen it goes down to 20lbs it kicks off again now when it hits 20lbs it don't kick off and i get no water

On 2015-06-22 by Anonymous

pump pumps to 32 psi no higher Pump keeps running
set at 30/50 ? Pump feels warm Not the motor

have a little water pressure but goes down
emptied the system filled bladder to 28 psi same problem
thinking but not wanting to dig up for foot valve ??help??

On 2015-06-05 by jonny

In a well water home system, do I tie-in the added water storage tank supply line back into the piping before, or after the pressure switch?

On 2015-06-03 by (mod) -

I don't think so, Donald, at least not directly. More likely there's a wiring error or short circuit, or the pump motor itself has become damaged and is shorting or drawing excessive current.

On 2015-06-03 by Donald

I changed the points that regulate the pressure and lost air out of the tank and now it is tripping the breaker. Will lake of air pressure trip the breaker?

On 2015-05-04 by (mod) -

If pressure continues to drop after the pump has turned on I suspect either low water in the well or a damaged pump or impeller, or low voltage or a well piping leak.

On 2015-05-03 by Anonymous

My 1/2 hp house pump ,cuts in at 30 psi but then the pressure continures to drop to 10 psi

Question: My water pump makes horrible noise when pressure drops - what's wrong?

My pump pressure starts at 55 psi. I turn my irrigation on and the pressure starts to drop till about 30 psi. Then the well pump kicks in and the pressure starts to go up and a few minutes later it starts to go down until 10 psi. The pump is still running. When the pump kicks in, it sounds nice and smooth and when the pressure start to drop to 10 psi, it sounds pretty bad. But when I turn the irrigation off the pump sound goes from bad to good until pressure start to build up. Is the pump cavitating or one of my valve is going bad? - Phil.

Reply:

The horrible noise you describe is often caused by air cavitation in a water pump that has either lost its prime or is attempting to pull water from a well whose water supply has been exhausted.

At WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR and at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE we include a diagnosis of how to figure out what's the root cause of bad water pressure.

Question: Should I be using a 30-50 psi switch when running 38-64 psi cut-in/cut-out? Should I change the air pre-charge pressure in the water tank?

I have a 20 gal wellxtrol with a 30-50 psi squareD pumptrol switch with pressure reading that are unusual. The pressure switch needed replacing because contacts were sticking. I put in a new pressure gauge and measured before I replaced the switch: tank pressure 18 psi, cut in 42 psi, cut out 67 psi. The system seems to work fine. It's 25 years old.

I replaced the switch with the same, and adjusted it to 38 psi cut in, 64 psi cut out. Do I need to increase the tank pressure to 36 psi? Should I be using a 30-50 psi switch when running 38-64 psi cutin-cutout? - D. Hurry

Reply: The 30-50 psi pressure control switch is acceptable. Set the water pressure tank air pre-charge to 2 psi below the cut-in pressure

D Hurry:

First, if your present pressure control switch is handling your (somewhat high) setting of 38/64 psi cut-in/cut-out you don't need to change the switch itself. Square D's pressure control switches typically can handle pressures up to 220 psi - much higher than a typical residential water pressure tank setting will ever be.

In the article above we list the factory air pre-charge settings for models of Well-x-Trol water pressure tanks.

Please read the WARNINGS about messing with tank air pre-charge in the article above. Then you can set your pre-charge pressure (with all water drained out of the tank) to 2 psi below the cut-in pressure on your pressure switch, or as you suggested, for a 38 psi cut-in, you'd set the air charge to 36 psi.

That 4 psi difference, however, is not very significant. Leaving the tank at factory pressure and setting the pressure control switch to a higher cut-in/cut-out pressure means that the volume of water you can draw from the tank before the pump turns on is a bit reduced.

Details about how to adjust the water pressure control switch are at WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS.

Question: my water pressure is too low, pump gets hot, trips breaker. Can I increase the pressure setting?

I have very low water pressure, so a neighbor turned it up for me. I couldn't even get Dawn to suds up in my sink! But now the pump runs until it gets hot & throws the breaker switch. Sometimes it keeps clicking on & off.
What can I do to get good pressure, but not burn the pump up? I don't quite get this cut-in & cut-out thing. - Gwen 5/7/11

Reply:

Gwen,

Watch out: do not try setting up the pressure on the pump pressure control switch in this case. Since your pump is tripping the circuit breaker there is a problem to find and fix first: such as a failing pump motor, wiring error, or other unsafe condition.

The pressure control switch sets the water pressure at which your pump turns on and off. Typically these switches are set to turn on at 20 and off at 40 psi or on at 30 and off at 50 psi.

If your neighbor set the pump cut-out pressure too high, your water pump may simply be unable to ever reach the "Cut off" pressure - so the pump will run until it overheats and shuts off by an internal thermal overload switch. Usually these switches reset automatically when the pump cools down.

But running the pump this way is

- DANGEROUS - too much pressure could burst a water pressure tank or other plumbing parts, even injuring someone

- and it can ruin your well pump by burning out the motor

You need help from someone with a bit more expertise, perhaps a real plumber who knows how to adjust the pump pressure control correctly.

Question: My pressure control switch melted

my pump runs 30 to 55 psi and when irragation kicks on drops and to 30 then runs up to 40 and pump runs continious and I had to replace pressure switch old one melted - Joe Faino 5/19/11

Reply:

Joe Faino: regarding "I had to replace pressure switch old one melted" - it sounds as if when your irrigation system is running the pump runs continuously because you are drawing out water at a rate that keeps the pump running all the time that the irrigation system is running. But it's common for a pump to run continuously under those conditions

. If the pressure control switch melted, most likely there is a different problem, perhaps burned contacts or a voltage or even an installation or wiring issue.

If your well pump is a submersible unit (it is in the well) and a higher amperage motor is used, it could be that the current draw exceeds the rating of the pump pressure control switch.

This is a common problem where higher horsepower well pumps are used. If that is the case, your plumber or well installer might want to change the wiring and controls for your well pump to use the pressure control switch to in turn switch a separate, high-capacity well pump relay switch that in turn sends power to the pump. The pressure control switch turns on the pump relay switch and the pump relay switch turns on and off the pump itself.

More about the separate well pump relay switch are found in the article whose link you will see at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article , titled WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH

Question: How to increase the water pump pressure control cut-in and cut-out pressure

I have a square d control. It cuts off at 40 psi and goes down to 20 psi before it comes back on which is to low when I am using one sprinkler. I want it to come on at 30 psi. I can't understand how to do that looking your directions. Pls help - John 5/19/11

Reply:

How to increase the water pump pressure control cut-in and cut-out pressure:

Take a look again at the instructions above that indicate which nut to turn in which direction to increase the well pump cut-in pressure (that's your 20 psi number) and cut-out pressure (that's your 40 psi number).

You should be able to raise the cut-in pressure to 30 psi and you will probably want to raise the cut out pressure to 50 psi, provided that your pump can actually reach that number.

If the pump keeps running forever even AFTER you have turned off the water, then it is not capable of reaching 50 psi and you'll have to lower that setting to avoid burning up the water pump.

If the instructions are still too complicated to follow then you would be best off asking a plumber to change the settings for you. Just be sure the person you hire is familiar with well pump pressure control switches.

Question:

just moved into an old farm house I was watering my garden when I lost water, I had run it for some time. did I use up all the water? I went to the pump imediatly and turn off the water spicket.

did I burn up the pump, I don't get great pressure in the house since i moved in. later I got a little water but then it was gone again. what can i do to find out what happened - Sandra 6/5/11

Reply:

Sandra:

You need a well flow test or an approximation of one so that you have an idea just what your well can deliver. If the well flow rate or recovery rate is limited you can drill a new well (expensive, no guarantee of success) or add a larger quantity of water storage in tanks.

But be sure you've accurately diagnosed the poor flow rate; poor water pressure or flow can be caused by clogged piping, for example, or you may have both problems: clogged pipes and a low-flow-rate well.

Question: my pump cannot reach the cut-out pressure setting - my pump runs all the time

I have replaced the Pressure swtch and I can not acheive cutout, pump continues to run. Switch is adjusted very low for cutout. The units cuts in about 26-28 psi. but exceeds the desired 50 -60 psi cutout. - BK 6/6/11

I had to put a new pressure switch on, the pump was running all the time and it burn the points up.

The new one is letting the pump run all the time too, when the pump is running the water pressure keeps going up and down, until there is a small amount of water coming out. I'll turn the pump off and back on then the pressure will come back up and if it runs about a couple of minutes it will do the same thing again. I have no leaks, could this be the water tank?
I need help - Ed 6/18/12

My pump does not exceed 32psi and constantly runs then fails to cut back on even though pressure drops below 20psi. Only way to start it is to manually connect the flow switch to engage the pump. - Jack Nelson 7/7/12

Reply:

BK: Well pump won't stop running: try setting your pressure control to turn on at 20 psi and off at 40 psi. That should be achievable by most well pumps unless the pump itself is damaged. Once you have the pump operating normally in that pressure range you can try increasing the cut out, or both cut-in and cut-out gradually. Don't operate the pump too close to the highest cut-out pressure that it can attain, since there is the risk that when you're not watching the system may through wear or other factors leave the pump running until it burns up.

Jack, if the pump does not start at pressures below the cut- in point of 20 psi, the switch may be bad. But the pump running continuously and never delivering cutoff pressure is something else _ such as lost well water flow rate or a well piping leak or someone has lest a faucet open in the home.

Question: I have water but no pressure

Bladder tank set at 30 psi switch set at 40 psi cut off. I have water but no pressure. help - Charlie C 6/7/11

Reply:

Charlie: if you have no water pressure at all I think you may best take a look at the diagnostic guide in the article linked-to at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article and titled WATER PUMP PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TABLE

Question: pump won't stop running and got very hot - my well pump won't turn off

Pump has worked fine until today for some reason it kept running after the 'timer' stopped. I didn't notice for a while and by the time I got to the pump, it was really hot. I killed the power and water/steam shot out of a PVC pipe on the bottom

If I plug it in, it won't stop running. I turned the timer on and tried to send water to a sprinkler zone to no avail. Please help! - pumpwontstop 6/17/11

I have been having a problem with my well for a couple years now with it staying running.
I hired a well guy and he told me it was a 30 year old system and it needed to be replaced,

so i started to replace things and it has fixed some problems, but has cause others.

We replaced the air tank, pressure control switch, the run capacitor, and the start cylinder.

When we turn it on after about 4 hours it will run for 5 to 10 min, but if we let it sit off
for 8 hours or even 10 hours it will run for 15 to 20 min. I have no clue what is going on and seeing if someone could help. Also as I was down at the well, and it was turned on their was some sloshing in the system as it starts and turns off. If you need any more details just ask. - Mike 7/25/12

Reply:

If your well pump won't stop running and it is delivering water then I suspect that the pump is unable to reach the cut-off pressure.

That can happen for a variety of reasons like loss of water in the well, a well piping leak, water running somewhere that you didn't realize, a pressure switch set too high, or a damaged pressure sensor component of the pressure control switch.

See WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING for a thorough diagnostic procedure

Ed:

If the pump runs all the time even when you turn OFF water from the pressure tank into the building, then since you've excluded the control itself:

- the pressure sensing port on the pressure switch may not be seeing actual water pressure if the small diameter tube or pipe feeding pressure to the switch is clogged

- you may have a leak in well piping in the well or in the ground between house and well.

- you may have a damaged pump impeller that is not developing enough pressure to reach switch cutoff

- or something else

Hi Mike. It sounds as if perhaps you are losing well prime back down into the well - could be a bad foot valve - or a leak in the well piping.

Is the pump in the well or above ground? If above ground, is it a one line or two line jet pump?

Followup from Mike:

the pump is in the well about 600 ft down how do i find a leak that far down or where is the foot valve in the pump? thank you for answering me fast

Reply:

Mike, first establish that there is a leak, and in what segment of the whole system it exists - say in the building vs between the water pressure tank and the bottom of the well.

If it appears that the leak is in the well piping and if the leak is in the well piping that's in the well itself (as opposed to between well and building) you're in luck because you can pull the whole well piping and pump (use a professional to do this) to find and repair the leak as well as replace the foot valve. If the leak is between house and well then unfortunately excavation is in order.

If the leak in the well pipe is in the well and is between the water surface and well top, you'll hear or even see water squirting out of the leak when the pump is running; if it's under-water you may never see it without pulling the line.

All of this means that you start by determining that the leak is between house and well.

Search InspectApedia for

"find leak in well piping" to find our diagnostic article

Question: water pressure is low but the water pump won't come on

Pump won't come on: I just changed the pressure control switch and it will not turn on by itself. the water pressure is very low but the pump never comes on. - BigEd 7/16/11

The pump will not come on. There is no water pressure. I have a Square D Pump Pressure Control Switch. The contacts will not stay down/connnected. When forced to on postion they bounce right back into off ppostion.

Any advice would be helpful. - Wilson 7/31/11

My water pressure is very low after one or two loads of laundry. The pressure gets down to less than 15 and the pump still has not pumped. I am not sure how low it gets before it pumps. W

han I get up the next morning it is back up to 45. What might be the cause of this problem? Is it the pump pressure switch or something else. I hear it running all the time. Any advice would be helpful - Mark 8/31/11

We are losing water pressure at any/all faucets/toilets/etc randomly- water will be running fine, and then it will slack off to nothing, then within 30sec to 1 minute, water will come back one and be fine.

This happens at least once a day. This also just started happening once we replaced the entire reserve tank and pressure gauge and switch (we had a drip from our old tank, and a plumber came in a replaced the whole thing).

Now he tells me he thinks this new problem is the well pump....seems very convenient to have 2 major things go bad at exactly the same time. What do you think? - Meg 9/2/11

Reply:

Big Ed

Sometimes changing the switch but mounting it on the existing 1/8" support pipe or connector to the pump or piping leaves a clogged component in place so that the switch doesn't properly sense the actual water pressure.

If your switch is properly wired and there is power to the pump, that clogging could be the problem.

Wilson

if the pump pressure control switch has electrical power and won't stay in the "on" position, that suggests that the pressure diaphraghm of the switch is indicating pressure at or above the cutoff point. If in fact there is no or low water pressure in the system then perhaps the pressure sensing end of the switch or its mounting tube is debris clogged. R&R the switch and mounting tube.

In a different direction, if someone messed with the adjustment nuts on the pressure switch they could have left it in an improper setting position.

Mark:

what you describe sounds like your well recovery rate is poor, perhaps seasonally during hot dry weather. Under WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS (links at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article ), see the article titled "How Much Water is In the Well?" for help in investigating that question.

Meg

I too tend to look first at work that was just recently done, or what was just changed, when debugging a building problem that has just shown up.

I tend not to start by blaming the pump, though there could be an indirect cause there: if the plumbing changes increased the water usage rate or the rate at which the pump was asked to operate, a pump motor that was overheating (failing) might on occasion turn itself off on thermal reset then reset and begin again automagically.

But before replacing the pump I'd look more closely at the pressure control switch; for example, if the plumbing work stirred up debris in the system, crud could be blocking the pressure sensing input of the pressure control switch, causing it to misbehave.

You could try removing the switch, replacing or cleaning the small diameter mounting tube for that device (where water flows up to push on the switch bottom), and if necessary replace the switch.

See the water pressure loss diagnostic steps at WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR (article link at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article )

Keep us posted - it'll help other readers.

Question: Genesis pressure control switch pressure adjustment

I've got a switch that seems to have been made by Genesis (but no maker data, no part number, etc.; that's just the name on the cover box) of my Panamanian pressurized residential system.

Turn-on was around 19psi by the gauge, off at 45 (which drifts down to 41.5 during the first minute after the pump shuts off, then stays stable).

I tried both adjustment nuts, separately, and while a half-turn clockwise will get the left-hand nut (the big Range one) took the cutoff to 49psi, nothing seems to move the turn-on pressure up.

I'd like to be able to bring that up to about 25psi, because much below this the boiler (pass-thru, 7 liter tank inside) won't kick on and stay on. Was a half to a full turn just not enough to get that switch's attention? It's only a two year old switch. - notonyourtintype - 7/19/11

Reply:

Noton... I'd like to see some sharp photos of y our switch - you can send pix to the CONTACT link found at the left or bottom of our website pages.

The operating pressure range you describe is common: roughly on at 20 off at 40 psi. The gauge behavior you describe could be due to a partial blockage of the gauge mounting pipe or gauge bottom with debris, slowing down the passage of pressurized water into and out of the gauge bottom. Try tapping the gauge too - remember these water pressure gauges are not precise.

Most water pressure gauges work about the same way - if yours looks like the examples I show above, you should be able to review and follow the pressure gauge adjustment procedures found above on this page. Turning the nut just a half turn, depending on which nut, may not have registered, or it may take some tapping or a few pump cycles for you to see the effect.

Question: Goulds jet pump 3/4 hp, pump always comes on right away when water runs

i have a jrs7 goulds jet pump 3/4 hp, recently i have been encountering a problem which i cant seem to rectify. my pump is set that immediately when any tap is opened it will come on and cut off when closed.

it will run for the period while the water is being used but, the pressure however drops sometimes while in use to 0 psi on the guage resulting in the pump cutting off immediately and no water is being delivered.

i have changed the pressure switch and am still experiencing the problem. the thing no matter what i try while it is off it will not come back on until it feels like it then the guage will build back up to 45 psi and it will run for a while and then do the same again. please help - Shawn White 7/23/11

Reply:

Shawn, if a pump always comes on immediately when you open a faucet and shuts off when you close the faucet, your water pressure tank is water logged - it's lost its air charge. See the article titled WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD (links above at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article )

You might also have a problem of sediment clogging at the pressure sensing switch and gauge both - even if you replaced the switch if its mounting tube were clogged the problem would continue.

Question: how do I add air to the pressure tank?

I need to add water to my water tank. I know you have to drain the tank before adding air, but the manual doesn't say if you add the air with the water valve open or closed. Any help would be appreciated. - Greg Weber 8/3/11

Opps, sorry. I need to add air to my tank, not water. Sorry.

Reply:

John M: replies to Greg W:

I'm no expert but I usually leave my water valve open, this lets the portion of the tank which holds water equalize with surrounding atmospheric pressure. If you close the water valve then pressure will build in that sealed space.

Greg,

If you are adding air to a water pressure tank (by which I infer you are not using the 'total-tank-drain-out' method, and if your tank uses an internal bladder, the water is kept physically separate from the air and it won't matter a bit whether or not your tank drain is open or not. You are basically pumping air into the air chamber of the tank that is separate from the water (in many but not all bladder type water tanks the water is in the bladder and the air is around it).

If your water pressure tank does not use an internal bladder and you add air to the tank with its drain (or some nearby plumbing fixture open), your incoming air pressure will push more water out of the tank. Now two things can happen, depending on how much air you put in.

If you stop putting in air before all water is pushed out of the tank and the tank pressure is below the pump cut-in pressure your water pump will come on and repressurize the system normally.

If you keep putting air into a bladderless tank and the water pump is left turned off, eventually you'll push all of the water out of the tank and air will start coming out of your tank drain or nearby faucets.

That won't hurt anything, provided you don't lose pump prime. You'll have charged the tank by emptying it of water completely, the equivalent of our 'total-tank-drain-out' procedure.

When you close the tank drain or faucet and turn your pump back on the pump will return water to the tank and pressurize the air in the tank at the same time. If your water tank has excess air that will pass out through plumbing fixtures until the system stabilizes.

Question: increased pressure switch settings - now I think the pump is bad

Last week I increased the cut-in cut-out pressure switch setting on my well. The system was running at 20-40 and after making the pressure switch adjustment it has been running at 40-60 just as I planned. I checked the cut-in and cut-out over several days after the change and it was working fine. Today we found that we had zero water pressure.

I looked over our system and found there is no water flowing into our pressure tank so no water is being pumped. I tested for power at the pressure switch and it is getting power but I did not check the voltage. The well pump was here when we bought the house about 10 years ago so the pump is at least 10 years old.

I don't know the specifics of the pump but the control box for the pump states 1 hp, 230 volt, single phase and includes a capacitor and some other blue device. I assume my increasing the pressure switch seating has lead to a pump failure. Anything else I should test before running out to buy a new pump? - John M 8/34/11

Reply:

John M:

Changing a pump pressure control switch from 20/40 all the way up to 40/60 has an understandable appeal: much higher water pressure, faster flow rate. But the risk is that you set a cut-off pressure that the pump simply cannot maintain. If that happens the pump might just keep on running - never reaching that 60 psi. If your pump was a submersible you might not know that the pump is spinning itself to death down in the well. Until it stops working or until the pump overheats and shuts down on thermal overload.

A second possibility is that sometimes when we start pumping water out of a well faster than before we can exceed the well's flow rate (especially if the well is not very deep- doesn't have a big static head). Even if the well later recovers, we can lose prime and lose water pressure, or in some cases run the pump dry and damage it.

Sorry about the bad news, but those are the worries that occur to me from your description.

Followup:

Thanks for the reply

The pump is working fine now, the following morning after my post I replaced the thermal protection device, turned on the pump and it immediately started pumping and has been running fine since.

Just for clarification and as I explained in my original post, the pump is cycling properly (cutting in and out) with the higher presser setting of 40~60 psi.

I suspect the problem occurred due to my extended continuous use of water while I was working on a landscaping project which had the water running continuously for 8 plus hours. It appears the thermal protection device which is designed to protect the pump from burning out did its job.

Happy to report the pump and well are working great.

Reply:

Thanks John M - I will add "replace the thermal protection device" to our list of diagnostic suggestions when a pump motor won't run. Can you send along photos of the parts and pump? Use the CONTACT link found at page top, left, bottom.

...

Continue reading at PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH STANDARD (PSI) SETTINGS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH
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  • WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS
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  • WATER PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH NOISES
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  • WATER PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH SAFETY

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PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH STANDARD (PSI) SETTING FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER SUPPLY, PUMPS TANKS WELLS

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