Q&A on How to Install or Replace a Water Pump Pressure Control Switch

Pressure control switch wiring
Pump pressure switch & wiring electrical failures

Water Pump Burn-Ups & Failures Q&A

Square D well pressure pump switch burned up in Texas

My square D well pressure pump switch just burned up, I mean as in black hole in the top and the wires on the side even are darkened.

We smelled an electrical burn in the house a apparently the box was burning as a few moments later we used up all the water in the tank washing the dishes.

My question is, while I am sufficient enough to turn off the power buy a new switch and replace it. I do not have enough funds to do so just to have the new one burn up like the old one.

So why would this burn up? We live in Texas have a lot of minerals in the water, had the switch replaced one time since its installation as crazy ants had shorted it out. I haven't taken the cover off yet to see inside, and will do so after posting this and yes turning off the breaker to the well.

But before I spend money replacing this and then have to spend more money on the well guy coming out cause it didn't work, I thought I would check in here to see what you thought as well. Oh and I am a girl, lol, so while I have wired up switches and plugs, changed out breakers and the like, I am no professional electrician, tho I do a lot of stuff that others might not attempt. Money is the real issue here for me.

oh for the below , its a deep (300+ ft) water well with a submerged pump. (July 26, 2015) Anonymous

Reply: warning about shorted wires or seized pump motor and electrical fires

Anon:

Watch out: the risk is death by electrocution or fire when messing with electrical wiring - which you may already understand quite well but I need to make that warning.

If the switch burned up it may be futile to replace it without diagnosing the trouble - the next switch may burn up as well.

While the fault could be in the switch itself or a short in wiring to it, short cycling well pumps (due to a waterlogged pressure tank, for example, or a well that is running out of water, or a pump that is failed or shorted or similar troubles could show up at the switch.

A failing pump motor (ran dry, was damaged) may also draw abnormally high current, damaging the switch.

An electrician would probably replace the switch and then check current draw on the circuit to diagnose some underlying problem that burned the switch.

Can I add a switch to protect water pump from damage if there's no water?

I live in the North (Nunavut) and our water is supplied by truck and held in a 700 gal. tank. Sometimes when it storms and the trucks fall behind schedule and we run out of water. The problem is when this happens the pump continues to run and if we don't catch it quickly it heats up and ruins the impeller centre or the bearing.

My question: is there a shut off I can install on the pump or water line that will shut the pump off when the tank is empty. (Apr 25, 2012) Ernie Parsons

Solution by mod:

Certainly, Ernie. Take a look at the controls described at WATER PUMP PROTECTION SWITCH

When my pump pressure switch turns on it trips the circuit breaker

i replaced the pressure-switch and now when the system comes on it trips the circut breaker On 2016-06-27 by j s mccoy

Warnings by (mod) -

Check for a wiring error at the pump switch cover or wires shorted together.

If that's not the problem it's possible that there's a seized pump motor - found by testing the wires to the pump for continuity and resistance.

Water pump won't kick on and breakers trip

I have a 2HP Franklin Electric Control Box. The pump works and fills my tank to 40+psi, but will not kick on when the pressure drops. Both the main and overload protectors are tripped, I reset them, and the pump kicks on. Is it the Square D Pressure Switch, something in the control box, or both? (Aug 23, 2012) CSW

and

I have replaced my pressure switch 4 tmes in the last 30 days. This just started happening. So, I replaced my pump. But again, the switch just blew out again. Something is burning up the contacts in my switch, causing it to quit working. What is the problem (Oct 1, 2012) Anonymous

Reply:

Sounds like a seized pump motor or wiring short that's tripping the breaker. This can also occur if the well has run out of water or the well screen is clogged, causing the motor to overheat or causing damage to the pump impeller or bearings.

Water Pump Pressure Control Wiring FAQs

On the pump pressure switch which terminals are for the motor and which for line voltage?

I had our Square D pressure switch replaced recently (30/50). They used the outer two screws to connect lines to motor/pump and connected the inner two screws to the house current.

I thought the motor has to be connected to the inner two screws?

Am I wrong, or it does not matter any. I also noticed a spark when pressure switch turns off with a click. Should I have someone look at it? or is it just normal? On 2017-12-16 by mike

Answer by (mod) -

Mike,
From our WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPLACE article (where you'll find details of pump and pump control wiring)

I will paste in an illustration that should help:

You will see that as this is AC current there's no polarity and the relay will "work" as yours is wired but yours is not wired according to the manufacturer's instructions.

by mike

WOW, thanks for super quick reply. I will change them to manufacturer's instructions tomorrow. I don't know if it makes any difference but will go with it.

by (mod) -

Sounds resonable

Be sure to work with electrical power to the circuit OFF lest you get fried.

Are splices in water pump wiring permitted?

I'm plumbing a new pressure tank with a 'tank T' and all new components including Square D 40/60 pressure switch.

The old tank and plumbing has the pressure switch 32" off the ground (see photos). The new tank and t will now put the pressure switch 8" off the ground. The existing armored electrical cable will not reach.

I wanted to splice into the wires in the wall junction box and extend a new, longer piece of armored cable to the new switch.

I found the wires in the box have not been spliced. All 4 wires are wired directly from the well pump to the pressure switch, via the conduit.

Is there any issue with code or safety that would preclude me from just splicing into the wires in that box and making a longer cable? Thanks.

On 2018-01-20 by Mike S

Reply by (mod) - splices are allowed: follow the electrical code

Mike, you can splice well pump control wires (and also pump wires) provided you follow the electrical code and good electrical practices.

Indoors that means the splice is in a properly-sized electrical box (with a cover on the box when you're done).

Outside your splices need to be made using an approved waterproof connector. I've used rubber self-adhesive tape and in some installations weatherproof electrical boxes.

OK to re-use old wiring when installing a new well pump control?

This female thanks you for all the info you have give everyone. I bought a new pressure switch and gauge .Is it safe to use the same wiring from the old one? I enjoy doing things that challenge me. Thanks again (Feb 4, 2014) ardena

Reply:

Ardena,

WATCH OUT for getting electrocuted working on electrical wiring - make sure and confirm by test that power is off before you touch anything. A mistake can shock you, kill you, or burn the house down. I'd make that warning to anybody.

That scary message out of the way, if electrical wiring to a water pump control switch is not damaged say by overheating, nicks, cuts in insulation, etc. then normally it is re-used to power the new switch.

Read the instructions that come with the switch, including warnings about wiring safety; also, regardless of whether or not a person is competent or knows how to make electrical wiring connections, note that in some jurisdictions that work is by local code something required to be done by a licensed electrician, and inspected by the electrical inspector.

This is being a bit fussy I know, but the consequences of a mistake are serious.

I'm Trying to run a 230V motor on 120V

Have a 240 single 1ps fuse box w/two line hookups,3 neutral,and 2 load w/2 fuses.

Have Franklin Elec. control box, 1hp, 230v, #28011084915 w.

L1 - L5. A Square D Pumptrol pressure box w/4 hookups.

The incoming lines look ok w/black hooked to line 1, white to neutral,and red to line 2.

Yellow wire going from load to pressure box.

Black wire goes from pressure box to nowhere, but is hot.

The 3 wires coming out of pressure box go to the control box as #2 black to L2, #3 yellow to L1, #4 Yellow to the load on the fuse box

.#1black is just hanging loose and hot.

L3,L4,L5 all go to pump, red, yellow, and black.

I tried it quickly to see if it worked and water gushed out. I tried it again before I hooked up the pipe

I needed from pump to tank and capping the 1"pvc (broke frozen) on the house side and it didnt work. Do I just need to hook that hot black wire from pressure box to the other load screw on the fuse box?

Was it bleed over and worked on 110v? Fuses are good. Dont know why it was left this way. It is 500'deep.Missing pipe between pump and tank with valve on pumpside of remaining pipe.

Plan was to finish hooking pipe to tank w/coupling and 2 nipples, capping the pvc going out of tank and use the valve between pump and tank for garden.

No breaker in house for well. Shut off all power and check to make wire is not hot anymore and hook to other load on fuse box?

Capped pvc on broke house side of tank, pump hooked to tank, will let me use valve between pump and tank? Have city water but want to eventually find city pipe (1'crawl space)coming to house and tie in using valve or shutting off at meter. Why did it run on 110v and not now. Did something get broke? On 2015-08-10 by Anonymous

Warning by (mod) -

Anon:

Some electric motors are designed to be wired for either 120V or 220V (or other voltages on 3 phase motors etc) - you'll see that information as well as wiring connections usually on a data tag right on the pump motor.

Watch out: it's easy to die from electrical shock if working on equipment for which we're not trained.

A broken wire, wiring error, or a burned up motor, control, or a blown fuse or circuit breaker can all explain why there is no longer power to a pump or why the pump has stopped working.

Trying to run a 230V motor on 120V if the motor isn't convertible or if you don't make the right connections is likely to damage the motor or wiring or controls.

I replaced the pump motor & the pressure switch and after adding my water to prime it came on few seconds then quit

Guys I had my well water pump quit within minutes on out last freeze even with it being in a shed with foam coverings and heat lamp.

After the thaw it came on busting one pvc line so I shut the power and replaced the line and on powering it again, there was nothing.

I replaced the motor I replaced the pressure switch and after adding my water to prime it came on few seconds then quit and the pressure switch started to smoke.

Did I burn up another pump or is the wiring not correct? Somebody please help lol On 2018-01-08 by Sheree

Reply by (mod) -

Sheree

How courageous. Please take care not to get electrocuted.

That said, it sounds as if there are shorted electrical wires in the pump circuit, a bad pressure switch that's dead shorted, or a seized pump motor or, as you suggest, a wiring mistake.

Watch out: Review the simple wiring connections usually given in the pump control switch cap and compare that with what's installed - WORK WITH ELECTRICAL POWER OFF so as not to get killed.

Lost water pressure, pushed pressure switch, pump came on, switch was sparking and chattering

Last night I was giving my kid a bath and lost water to house, my well pump is in garage, and could not hear it run. I

went out to investigate and pushed on the pressure switch and pump came on and shut off like it was supposed to, but the switch was sparking while running, pump has not problem cutting out, just cutting in. Would the sparking indicate a faulty switch? (June 27, 2016) Trey

Reply: normal vs. abnormal sparking and arcing at a pressure control switch relay

Minor sparks or arcing are normal at many control relays. But a lot of sparking or worse, chattering at the relay means that either the relay is bad or the motor that the relay is trying to start is seized or won't run for some other reason.

As a first step, since sparking and "chattering" in the pump control relay switch may mean burned contacts - replace the switch or replace the contact set within the switch.

Explanatory details are at WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH CHATTER

Trey said:
That's what I thought just wanted to make sure I was headed in the right direction.

Mod said: When replacing the switch also check for clogging in the tube connecting water pressure to the switch bottom sensor port and clear or replace that as well.

Testing my pump switch I saw a spark, then everything went dead - how do I select a new pump switch

Square D 9013FSG 2 pressure control switch. While testing with a VOM probe, I got a small spark and everything went from dead to working normally (I think...at least the water is back on). If I eventually need to replace this switch, are there several varieties of the 9013FSG 2? How do I know what version to get?

The tank is a red AMTROL H20W-TO WATERWORKER 9015-585 in a residential installation. (Jan 11, 2012) Steve

Reply:

Steve, just match the new switch to the original one by

brand and model or part number

equivalent brand and model chosen by the factory pre-set cut-in and cut out pressure

Should I lubricate sticking pump switch contacts?

Is there a lubricant that can be applied to the switch contacts to make them less likely to stick? (Nov 1, 2014) Peter W. Bednar

Reply: no

Peter

Indeed there are conductive thermal greases used in some electrical applications but

Watch out: I would not for a minute modify a pump pressure control switch with lubricant thinking I was fixing a problem. More likely the cause is elsewhere - or the switch needs replacement. For example, debris clogging can make a pressure switch fail to cut in or cut out as it should

Should I put antioxidant on the pump pressure switch contacts?

Can you put on On Ox Id on contact points for corrosion? On the pressure switch contacts? On 2017-09-02 by Gregards Barkley

Answer by (mod) - No, antioxidant on water pressure control switch contacts is not needed, not recommended, andmay be the wrong repair

You don't need an antioxidant on the pump pressure control switch and it's not normally used there.

If the pressure switch contacts are badly burned and the switch is arcing, you should replace the switch. Previously I've tried filing the contacts to clean them, but that's really a very short term fix. New pressure switch contacts are plated to provide a clean good contact surface. When you file or sand those surfaces you're removing that protective plating. And if it's already "removed" by arcing and burning, that too means its better to replace the switch.

If the water pressure switch contacts are simply dirty but not burned, you can clean them with a spray electrical contact cleaner.

I do not recommend adding a diaelectric grease in this control. It's not a "fix" and it may collect and hold dust and debris that ultimately prevents good electrical contact.

Watch out: some online "experts" recommend using a "snubber circuit" to protect the pressure switch contacts from arcing. That's not quite correct. A snubber circuit is used to protect diodes from overcurrent or over voltage spikes or to protect high voltage switching relays or relays that switch on and off very rapidly such as in electrical power converters - not to protect metal relay contact surfaces.

If your pressure switch contacts are burning due to rapid on-off switching then there's switch chatter or short cycling problem that needs to be fixed. Don't treat the symptom, fix the underlying cause.

See ARCING / SPARKING PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL for an explanation and then

See WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH CHATTER

and

See WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING

for the proper repair procedures.

New water tank and pressure switch but pump still won't come on: I hear humming at the well!

OK new tank new switch and new gauge switch still won't come on my pump is in ground however when u take cap off you can hear humming help. What is it. (May 8, 2016) Sheri

Reply: seized or failed pump motor

Humming in the well as you describe suggests to me that the switch is ON and the motor is seized.

Your electrician can confirm that the switch is sending power to the pump and can measure current draw to hint at whether the pump is running normally, running dry, or seized.

Watch out: turn off power to the pump immediately. Leave it off until your plumber or electrician has repaired or replaced the pump.

If the problem is NOT a seized pump motor then take a look at WATER PUMP DIAGNOSTIC TABLE

 

Multiple Pressure Control Switch Installation?

Add a separate pressure control switch to a pump with a built-in switch?

Can I install a separate in-line pressure control switch with my automatic pump with built-in pressure switch? On 2020-02-01 by delfinodi777

Warning by (mod) - bad idea

Del

I can't recommend that; it'd be useful, however, to take a look at the installation manual for the specific model of your Shimge brand pump.

See this SHIMGE WATER PUMP MANUAL [PDF] Models: SQm、QB、WZB、AWZB、PW
-

Shimge Pump Industry Group, Ltd. [a Chinese pump manufacturer] , ref. 2020/02/02 original source: https://www.cn-shimge.com/upload/179/20190215095807801299.pdf

On 2018-06-23 by (mod) - find the correct problem - before replacing the control.

We need to start with the statement of what the problem is. For example if the pump runs but doesn't deliver water that's a completely different direction of thought than the pump not turning on at all.

For a shortcut to finding out where the "no water" problem lies, start by checking out the diagnostics

at NO WATER PRESSURE

If the pressure switch doesn't respond to changes in water pressure by turning the pump on or off when it should, that's a good reason to replace a switch.

But if the switch closes (to try to turn on the pump ) when pressure in the system drops to or below the CUT IN pressure (typically 20 psi or 30 psi) then the switch is working and we need to check

- for power to the pump

- that the pump is running

- that there's water in the well

- that well piping is connected

This diagnostic table is helpful: WATER PRESSURE TABLE 1: PUMP WON'T RUN, WON'T STOP, or CYCLES

Pump Switch Installation Basics

Do I need to drain the water tank to replace the pressure control switch?

Do you need to drain water when changing or cleaning the deep well pressure switch? On 2017-11-28 by Anonymous

Answer by (mod) - remove water pressure; emptying all water from the system is not necessary.

To change out a water pressure control switch you would typically remove water pressure from the system, though a plumber would probabably not drain the system entirely.

Otherwise when you remove the switch from its connection to the tube or pipe nipple that conducts water pressure to the switch bottom sensor port water will squirt all over the place.

Turn off power to the pump and open a nearby faucet or tap and let water run until it stops. Then you can remove and replace the pressure control switch with minimum mess.

by Anonymous

What do you mean empty?

by (mod) -

Empty means no more water pressure so no water: remove all water from the entire system: pipes, tanks.

That's not normally necessary simply to replace a pump pressure control switch.

When you remove the switch the procedure includes disconnecting at the pressure switch the small tube that conducts water pressure to the sensor in the bottom of the switch. So a bit of water may dribble out of that little tube.

But if you fail to remove water pressure from the system then water may squirt out, making a wetter mess and making reassembly more unpleasant.

Where do I find a Varem pressure switch?

Can you help me find this '' Fresh water pump, pressure switch, VAREM, pressure switch

Range 1 to 5 bars 220-240V is urgent and give me the price.

My contact is +237 6744 95692 or email: dontsop_dongmo@yahoo.caOn 2015-07-06 by Roger

by (mod) - Varem components - contact information

Roger you can find Varem components at www [dot] varem [dot] com

To protect reader trust InspectApedia.com does not sell any product nor service.

Contact Information
Varem S.p.a.
http://www.varem.com
varem@varem.com
Tel. +39 049 8840322
Fax +39 049 8841399
P.Iva 01010270286

Bovolenta
Registred Office and Factory
Via Sabbioni, 2 - 35024
Bovolenta Padova Italy
45° 16’ 02.49” N, 11° 55’ 51.49” E

Limena
Headquarters and Factory
Via del Santo, 207 35010 Limena Padova Italy
45° 27' 43.93" N, 11° 15' 12.44" E
by car: exit highway A4 Padova Ovest, way to Trento/Bassano, first exit to Limena