Water pump short cycling diagnostic FAQs:

This article provides answers to frequently-asked questions about how to diagnose short-cycling problems with a water pump or well pump.

If the well pump runs too often or cycles on and off rapidly these diagnostic questions should help troubleshoot the problem.

Questions & answers about well pumps or water pressure pumps that run too often (short cycling)

These questions and answers about troubleshooting and fixing a well or water pump that keeps turning on and off rapidly were posted originally at SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP - home - be sure to read the procedures and repairs discussed there.

Question: water pump starts too frequently - like every 5 seconds

(Dec 11, 2014) Anonymous said:
how do I fix a water pump that starts to frequently when we use water like every 5 seconds

Reply:

An explanation and suggested solutions are in SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP. Please take a look there and then let me know if questions remain. Thanks.

Question: water pump producing surging water pressure

(July 10, 2015) Gene said:
With the water running, and right before the pump kicks in, the pressure drops significantly for a couple seconds.

Then when the pump turns on it surges. It's not much of a problem except when your in the shower you get a shot of cool water with that surge then back to normal. What could cause this?

19 July 2015 Marsha said:
This morning, my boyfriends water went off during a showere. It stayed off about 5 min. Then came back on. Jumped back in to rinse and after 5 minutes, it went off again. What would cause this with a well?

Thanks Marsha

Reply:

Gene
Perhaps a sticking pressure control switch - that in turn can be caused by debris clogging

Marsha: see WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE

Question: water keeps kicking off (or turning on and off)

(Feb 25, 2014) Kathy Kerr said:

Have well water. Water keeps kicking off. New pressure switch, correct amount of pressure in tank. What's wrong? DESPERATE!

Have not taken pump out of well. Have not checked the well at all except to look down in and saw water. Have only checked pressure switch to pressure tank and made sure there is 28# of pressure in pressure tank.

(Mar 28, 2014) cherese said:

hi, I have an artesian well. my pump keeps coming on then off every 2 mins. when we checked we have no water coming into the tank. I know it's prob a problem in the well itself but what could it be?

Reply:

Kathy & Cherese,, in the event that the problem may not be the pump (though as yet I wouldn't rule out a wiring problem) you may want to take a look at

WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING 

WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR where we begin diagnosis of a broader range of problems. The live link to that article is in the left column near the top of this page.

Cherese I'm a little confused in that an artesian well sends water to the surface without pump pressure;

Anyway, if you are no longer obtaining water from the well the problem could be in the piping

- a disconnected or leaky well pipe

- a dirt or soil clog

- a check valve failure and clog

or in the well

- dropped water level, loss of artsian flow, or a fallen or failed well spool or seal inside the well

- or something else we've not thought of

Question: the well pump runs but no water comes out, prime has not been lost

Above ground pump two line. it has water comong out of the primer plug when removed. i replace the plug and turn on the pump no water. cloged jets? - Fred 8/1/12

(June 6, 2015) shaharyar said:
my water pump is running everything is good , i filled thr pump with water but no water is comming only air is coming

Reply:

Fred, I agree that it sounds as if the problem is not a lost prime at the pump; but quite a few other problems can explain no water, such as

• a damaged pump impeller - this can look the same as a pump that lacks adequate lift capacity for your well
• a leaky or broken well pipe
• a well that has gone dry

Fred: if the pump was working OK Previously I doubt that the root problem is "weakness" in the pump, and more likely guess that its impeller was damaged or there is a partial clog. But if the pump never worked well then your well guy's suggestion sounds quite reasonable.

Reader follow-up

Well i had a well man look at it and he got us water. He said the pump was week and a cheep one. A new good one would be over $500. No charge this time. thanks for your help. - Fred

Reply:

Fred if the pump were "weak and cheap" since new, I don't understand why it used to work but now no longer does. Perhaps the pump has become damaged as I described at WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES

Question: we find water on the floor under our well pump

Our water pump is working fine (knock on wood) but there is some water on the floor underneath/next to the pump. Normally our basements leaks when a big rain storm hits, but it hasn't rained that much to warrant this much water on the floor.

I.E.: it's not drying up like it normally does. Is this a sign that our water pump is on it's way out? If so, how much does it cost to replace a water pump that is connected to a private well? - Stephanie 8/14/12

Reply:

Stephanie

First wipe off all of the wet components and surfaces so that you can see where water is coming from.

Next, when the pump is running, look for leaks at the pump assembly or piping fittings nearby; also look for leaks at or around the water pressure tank

If you don't see any active water leaks watch for condensation forming and dripping off of the piping, pump, or water pressure tank.

I would not replace the pump before you have an accurate diagnosis of what's going on. It would be a mistake to replace the pump only to find that the problem was a plumbing pipe connection leak.

Question: well pump is short cycling every 2-3 seconds and we are not finding air pressure in the bladder. I keep emptying air out and the problem remains

Good morning, I have a rubber bladder tank, water is pumped from a deep water well. We seem to have a problem, the tank was fitted but kept having to be bled monthly as air was in the tank, last week we emptied the tank and found no air pressure in the bladder, so we pressured up the bladder, and now we find its recycling all the time every 2-3 secs when running a house tap. I emptied the air out of the bladder, but re-cycling fault is still there. Help please. I am not a plumber, and there is no decent plumber here in the Philippines! - John Nieurzyla

(July 25, 2012) Lorne said:

N.E. Ontario camp. Pump recycles every second when tap is on. Pressure tank seems to be half full or more with water. Cannot measure pressure with guage most of the time. Cannot release air when depress small needle in air valve. Is the air valve and/or diaphram shot ?

Pump kicks in at 25 PSI. Runs up to 40/50 PSI, then quickly slips down to just over 30 PSI. Can't tell what pressure in system ?

(June 1, 2014) Joe T. said:

My well pump cycles on off every second when it cuts on at 20 psi but it still fills the tank and cuts off at 40 psi. I checked the pressure in the bladder and it is 18 psi. When doing this I obviously drained the tank and when I turned the pump back on it ran as normal no cycling.

After that when it cuts on at 20 psi it short cycles again on and off every second as its filling. If I turn off the breaker and let the tank run down to no pressure it will again work normally when turned back on.

No cycling. The next time you run water and it reaches the 20 psi cut in pressure it short cycles every second as its pumping up to 40 psi. The short cycling is every second a constant on and off but the tank will fill. I replaced the pressure switch but it did not fix the problem.

I turned off the breaker and ran the tank down to no pressure and again it pumped as it should no cycling. However in normal operating mode on at 20 off at 40 it short cycles every second as filling the tank.

(June 8, 2014) Chuck said:

My water pressure has surges. Can hear it surging every couple of seconds. When I look at the pressure gauge it is bouncing back and forth from about 30 to sixty, kicking the pump on and off quickly. Also, have been running out of water about once a week.

I was wondering if low water in the well, might cause the surging, or if a bad tank that is surging could be the cause of the total loss of water. Could the well have water and the tank just not be filling up for some reason or more than likely well going bad? Thanks.

Reply: Check for a water-logged pressure tank.
Figure out if we're talking about excess air or simply lost air charge in the water pressure tank

John,

Normally we want air in the water pressure tank to avoid well pump short cycling and we do not bleed that air out. And you are reporting well pump short cycling - which can be caused by loss of air charge in the water tank. So if that's what's going on with your system you should not be bleeding air out, you should be making sure that your pressure tank has the proper charge of air remaining in the tank.

See WATER TANK AIR HOW MUCH TO ADD.

If you are sure that you're really seeing excess air entering the water pressure tank, then take a look

at AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES.

Excess air entering the bladder in a water pressure tank suggests that there is a leak in the well piping that is admitting air, or the water level in the well is abnormally low and the pump is sending up a mix of air and water.

Lorne I'd like to be more helpful than I can with just your question, but my best guesses at possible causes of pump short cycling are

in WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES. If you think your tank is waterlogged, another test besides trying to release air would be to see if the tank feels heavy - full of water.

Just don't jiggle it around so much as to cause a leak. It sounds like a water logged tank. You can measure water system pressure by buying or making a simple pressure gauge that attaches to a hose faucet anywhere in the home.

Joe:

This rapid cycling can't be good for the pump nor control.

An obstruction in piping, a partly closed valve, or a waterlogged tank can all cause rapid cycling.

Can you confirm that the tank is actually "filling" - that should mean that you have a draw down of 5-15 gallons of water over 30 seconds to a minute or three ?

Reader follow-up

Yes the tank is filling and it takes a significant time to draw down. I would say the draw down is just like it always was 1 to 2 minutes. Its a 20 gal tank. Since my first post I discovered that if I
turn the breaker off and let it get down to about 17 psi and flip the breaker on it pumps up normally. If I flip the breaker at 20 psi the normal cut in point it cycles as before. If a pump is going bad is it possible that it will only kick in a very low pressure but at a higher pressure it can't get started?

Reply:

That's a reasonable guess. Also check for abnormal current draw when the pump runs. That can indicate a failing motor or bearing. Also check for low voltage.

Reader follow-up:

I'm drawing about 5.5 amps on each leg.
It's a Grundfos 1/2 hp 230v pump.

Question: Rapid on and off cycling at the low-end of a 30/50 or 40/60 pressure switch setting; why cycling at the low-pressure end?

The article is good. I have a rapid on off cycling problem at the specific low setting of the pressure switch, 30 lb when I used a 30/50 and 40 when I replaced it with a 40/60.

Water pressure tanks, and pressure and filter between pump and tanks (have 2 pressure tanks) are checked and perfect. Have large reserve tank and will check foot valve and try to test for draw side air leaks, but that is buried and not easily remedied. why exactly at low pressure setting does it rapidly recycle? - Graham

Reply: check for a clogged water filter or closed valve or stuck tank bladder

Graham, I am GUESSING that the reason you are seeing the well pump short cycling around the low pressure setting value is simply that that's the cut-on point for the pump, AND that you've got a clog or blockage somewhere downstream from the output end of the water pump.

I've seen this problem when there was a clog or closed valve between the well pump and the water tank (such as valves around a water filter being shut off and then the water filter itself being shut off). If the pump can't push water into the pressure tank, as soon as the pump comes on it reaches the cutoff pressure

and BANG it turns off the pump; at that point, anything that allows the pressure to bleed down even a little bit (say a valve that is shut but not totally shut) drops the pressure.

Since the pump cut on at the cut-in pressure, say 30 psi, and immediately reached the cutout and stopped, it doesn't take much volume of water bleed down to quickly drop the pressure to below the pump cut-in pressure.

A similar problem can happen if the pressure switch is not able to properly sense water pressure due to clogging in the small diameter pressure switch mounting tube or within the switch itself. Even if you swapped out the switch, if the switch mount tube is clogged you could have this problem, so be sure to check or swap out that little tube or pipe too.

Question: The well pump was going on and off every 30-40 seconds

Thank you! your info has helped me try to figure out why my pump keeps coming on so often. the pressure in the house has never been to strong but not bad, a little stronger wouldn't hurt. my concern was my electric bill because of the pump going on and off like ever 30 to 40 seconds when im outside watering some flowers. now if i can change it to a longer period then i would. any advice would help. - zisa300@gmail.com

Reply: how to fix short cycling well pumps: diagnose cause, add water tank air if needed, adjust the pressure switch if needed

Thank you for the nice note Zisa300. We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible: we very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles.

At SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP we explain why a well pump starts to turn on and off too frequently. A common cause is loss of the air charge in the pressure tank, but there can be other causes as we explain in that article.

Once you have made sure that your air charge in the water pressure tank is correct (see WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD) the frequent pump cycling problem will be reduced and should be eliminated if nothing else is wrong.

In a separate article WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH and articles listed there we discuss WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS - that may help.

Watch out: Just don't set the pump cut-off pressure so high that the pump cannot achieve it. Doing so would mean the pump would never shut off and you'd ultimately burn up the pump motor.

Question: well pump comes on every 1-2 minutes and goes off in less than 2 seconds

We have a captive air tank and a deep well submersible water pump in a shallow well (about 25 feet). Over time the pump has been coming on more and more often even when no water seems to being drawn. It is now coming on every 1-2 minutes and going off in less than 2 seconds. I plan on replacing the tank but wonder but am afraid this might not solve the problem. Can you give me an educated guess as to what the problem might be. - Pat

Reply: waterlogged pressure tank may be the problem, but also check for water system leaks

Pat you are describing a short cycling well pump - the cause might be elsewhere but I'd start by looking into a lost air charge at the water pressure tank.

Start at SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP
or
see WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD

But your question sounds to me as if there is probably just one cause (a waterlogged pressure tank) but there could be two problems:

The rapid shut-off of the pump can be caused by a blocked water filter or a water-logged pressure tank.

The fact that the pump comes on every 1-2 minutes, with a water-logged pressure tank would be "normal" IF water is being run somewhere in the building - say a filling toilet or a sink or tub faucet on.

But if you think that no water is being run in the building, then there is also a leak somewhere or a bad check valve or foot valve. Diagnosis of those problems begins

at INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS.

Question: well pump turns on every 20 minutes or so even with no water running in the house and no visible leaks

My pump turns on about every 20 minutes with no water running in the house and no visible leaks. also my brine tank which is usually 1/4 to half full is completely dry. i checked my water tank with an air gauge and it read 45psi and appears to be full of water. I changed my water softener to bypass and the pump has not turned on since doing so. any ideas? thank you. - Anon

Reply: intermittent well pump cycling causes & cures

Anon,

Intermittent cycling well pumps as you describe can be caused by a bad check valve or foot valve or a well piping leak.

Please see INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS for suggestions on how to track down and fix a pump running for no apparent reason.

The rest of your question sounds like a water softener issue. Perhaps the brine float is stuck?

Question: freezing pipes, no water delivery, pump is short cycling

Had a new pump installed 3 weeks ago. no water today. 2 below zero last night, might have frozen pipe from well head, so I put a 100 watt bulb next to it, and an hour later, water began to run (weakly) then pump started to short cycle. I cleaned the house filter, I have some water flowing, but none to upstairs bath, and pump is still short cycling.

In fear of burning out pump, I hit the breaker to turn it OFF. Is this the right thing to do, or do I risk freezing by not letting water run. I've called the well people 4 times today and have not heard, so I'd greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you - Barb

Reply: diagnose & cure freezing pipes before changing the pump pressure control switch setting

Barb:

Yes turning off a well pump that is rapidly short cycling or that won't turn off on its own is a way to protect the pump from overheating and damage, and to catch one's breath before launching into diagnosing the trouble.

Watch out: In an emergency, if the pump is delivering water OK but won't shut off, and while you're waiting for the plumber to arrive, in order to have some water in the building you can turn the pump on long enough to repressurize the water tank and then shut it back off again. But if the pump is running without any increase in water pressure you should leave it OFF.

Your comments indeed sound like a frozen water line because when you added heat you started to get water. Often if we can get any water flowing at all and if we can keep the pump running without damage, the flow of water through the piping will finish the thaw-out and recover the system. Of course if the piping and equipment are not protected from freezing the problem will recur.

When the pump wouldn't shut off it may be because it was unable to draw water from the well sufficient to reach the cut-off pressure at the pressure tank. You could set the cutoff pressure lower

(WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS)

but if the root cause is a water flow rate problem at the well or through frozen piping, adjusting the pump control switch may be barking up the wrong tree.

Question: My water pressure booster pump cycles on and off and won't build up pressure

My boaster pump is on and off frequently,and it will not build up a pressure,this pump is pressure tank bladder type /pressure switch equipped with,it will work normal, but after 3 to 4 days it will come back to the problem again how can i fixed this type of trouble to our pumping system thanks. - Maximo Genese

Reply:

If your problem is a water pump not reaching cut-off pressure and it's intermittent, I suspect that the water source is intermittently low. If it were a damaged pump itself, I think its pressure troubles would be more constant.

Question: Water leak damaged the pump controls. Could a water leak cause well pump short cycling?

I have a summer place that has a outside community well, and I had a water leak last winter, which caused the controller on the well to go out, and the association is saying it was do to the problem that I had with my place causing the well to short cycle. I have talked to other well companies and my plumber, and they say my problem had nothing to do with this happening. What is your opinion - Ron

Reply: Short cycling is a separate problem from a water leak but here's how they might be related

Ron, in general, running water continuously would not damage the control switches for the equipment nor cause a well to short cycle. Short cycling of a well pump is caused by a loss of proper air charge in the pressure tank (or other problems as you can read in our articles here).

If the water pressure tank on your community system uses an internal bladder it should not run out of its air charge and that would be the end of this question.

If the water pressure tank on your system does NOT use an internal bladder and if the water was kept running for days or longer, it is conceivable that because of the volume of water that was run out of the system the air charge in the pressure tank was lost and the well pump then began short cycling, which could burn up points on a pressure control switch, for example.

But for the air charge to be lost in a bladderless tank we need a second defect: the air volume control device that should have been installed and should have been working to maintain the air charge in the pressure tank must also have been absent or broken.

If the air volume control device was absent or broken, it's not at all likely that that defect was caused by your running water - the chances of that multiple fault are just too small - it would have been a pre-existing condition.

Therefore the short cycling well pump may have indeed happened and burned up a control because your property had a water leak, but behind the damage was either a defective bladder-type water pressure tank or a defective or missing air volume control on a bladderless water pressure tank, or there was another problem that caused the loss of air charge in the water tank.

Question: Water flow stops when filling the clothes washer traced to sudden changes in water pressure

I recently replaced my old water pressure tank with a new Red Lion 20 gallon tank. Also replaced the 30-50 pressure switch.

My problem started with low pressure when the clothes washer was being filled (and the bath tub). The washer would fill normally (large load setting) to about a third capacity then the water flow would stop for about 20 seconds and come on again for another 20 seconds and stop again and repeat this process until the washer started its cycle.

So,I crawled under the house and noticed that the pressure gauge would drop to nearly zero psi, then I could hear a gush of water flow to the tank where the pressure would rise to 30 psi and then quickly drop to zero again as the washer was filling up. For some reason, when the pressure drops below 30 psi, the pump will kick in but only increase pressure back up to 30 psi.

Shouldn't it be reaching the 50 psi cutoff point? The pressure switch is set for 30 - 50 and the air charge is 28 psi. I was told that my control box may be the problem?? Same issue was occurring when the bath tub was filled. The water would flow normally for a while, then stop altogether, then flow again, etc. Any suggestions? Water seems to work fine at the faucets although since I replaced the tank with a new one, the pressure is a little less than what it used to be. Any help would be greatly appreciated. - Kevin Andrews

Reply: Check the pump relays and switches

Kevin: it sounds as if your system uses a submersible pump (in the well) so you can't see nor hear it running; all you might hear is the pressure control switch clicking on and off and maybe, if your pump uses one, a separate pump relay.

If your system uses a separate heavy duty relay to run the water pump, the pressure control switch is serving as a light duty switch that in turn activates the heavy duty switch that powers the water pump on and off. When you replaced the pressure control switch you probably never touched the actual pump relay switch.

If the pump relay switch has dirty or burned contacts it might be sticking and causing the problem you describe.

Verify that you have a separate pump relay, turn off (and confirm off - SHOCK HAZARDS) all electrical power to the system, inspect the pump relay contacts for evidence of arcing or burning; the switch may need to be replaced though in an emergency sometimes we can carefully clean the relay contacts to keep going.

The other sort of problem that can cause intermittent pump operation is clogging in the pressure sensor of the pump pressure control switch or its mounting tubing.

Question: water pump continuously runs on and off when the water tap is turned on

How do you fix The pump from continuously running on & off when tap is on? - Brad

Reply: Short cycling well pump is not the same as a low-flow well and pump system

Brad depending on the water outflow rate at one or more plumbing fixtures it's normal for the well pump to cycle on and off. But if the cycling is rapid, say every few seconds, then the water tank has probably lost its air charge.

Take a look at the diagnostic discussion for well pump short cycling in WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES, and if it looks like a saturated water pressure tank (lost air charge) try recharging the air using one of the methods we describe.

On if the pump keeps running when you're running a single water tap, it may be that the pump (or perhaps pump and well) simply can't keep up with the water flow rate being used in the building. A well with a poor flow rate might be paired with a pump and controls that are set to never exceed the flow rate of water entering the well - that prevents pump burnup.

See WELL FLOW RATE if you suspect this problem.

Question: How do I install a filter on the well water system?

How do I install a well water filter? Michael

Reply:

Michael:

see WATER FILTERS, HOME USE to see details on water filter types and where they are installed on the system. It's usually pretty simple plumbing to install a filter near the point where water enters the building.

Watch out: a clogged water filter is a common cause of poor building water pressure and flow as well as well pump short cycling

Question: why does water come out of the air fitting at my water pressure tank?

What causes water to exit the air fitting when fitting is depressed? - Georgewilk

Reply: Water coming out of the air inlet valve may be normal or it may indicate a saturated water tank or a burst internal tank bladder

George,

If the air inlet/adjustment valve is located high on or near the top of a water pressure tank, under normal conditions air will be released if you press the pin in the center of that valve.

If an air valve in that location on a water pressure tank squirts water then the water pressure tank has become filled with all-water: it has lost its air charge. If it's a bladderless type tank the "fix" is to add air back into the tank.

See WATER TANK AIR ADD AT AIR VALVE

If this is a water pressure tank with an internal bladder and you're seeing water at the air inlet valve, the bladder has probably burst.

See WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR.

An air valve on a typical well and pump system is designed to allow air to be pumped into the water pressure tank when the air charge has become lost in a bladderless water tank. If this valve is located on a water pipe (typically near the pressure tank bottom but possibly even on the tank itself) and if that pipe is filled with water, not air, then pressing the pin in the valve center will send water squirting out.

See WATER TANK AIR INLET VALVE for details.

Some air valves used on submersible well systems are actually a snifter valve that is designed to automatically allow air to enter the well piping at the end of a pump-on cycle. Working in concert with a vent or drain inside the well, this system attempts to maintain the air volume in the pressure tank automatically. These valves too will squirt water if the pin is depressed.

See SNIFTER & DRAIN BACK VALVES for details.

Question: Air comes out of my water lines? How do I fix it?

How do I get the air out of my water lines? - Tony

Reply:

Tony, take a look

at AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES for a guide to correcting air discharge at plumbing fixtures. Typically excess air in the water piping system will purge itself through fixtures but if you keep seeing air discharge at plumbing fixtures then there is a source of excess air in the water supply system - that will need to be tracked down and corrected.

Question: My water pump runs ok but won't come back on on its own

My water pump is giving trouble, when its turn on and you are using the water everything is okay but it comes off it's not coming back on unless you turn off the switch and then put it back on. What is the cause off that? - Shane

Reply:

Shane if your water pump is not turning on when it should the pressure switch may not be working properly. A common cause is burned contacts or debris in the switch mounting pipe nipple or in the switch pressure sensor opening.

Also see WATER PUMP PROTECTION SWITCH - which requires manual reset.

Question: My water pump runs, gets hot, won't turn off. Can I adjust it to stop when it should?

I have two Grundfos pumps, one for backup. I had to replace one last week, it stopped pumping, I tried to get it on. but nothing, so I installed the back up, primed it, but it wouldn't start right away. It took me about 6 times to finally get it going, but come to find out it stopped too. The pump was hot. I let it cooled down and tried it again, finally I got it going, but discovered, it wouldn't shut off. So I turned the main electric switch off, then I turned it back on, it would still continue to run.. Is there an adjustment to where I can adjust it to stop when it's suppose to? - Ernie

Reply: Check for lost prime and maybe a bad check valve or foot valve before re-setting the pump pressure switch

Ernie,

I can't be sure with so little information, but your question sounds as if your well system is losing prime. If the pump motor runs but doesn't deliver water, especially if it's a new pump, I suspect loss of prime.

Under WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS you 'll find articles describing how to prime the pump WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE

and under WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES you'll find articles on bad check valves or foot valves that might explain the loss of prime.

See  CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY, DRAINS, PUMPS and see FOOT VALVES, WELL PIPING

Question: tic tic tic noise from the pump

(Oct 9, 2011) summer said:

Hi i recently replaceds pump and tank. And switch ever since when the pump turns on you can here the pump tic tic tic tic then stays on and when it shuts off it goes tic tic wondering what could be the cause of this help would be very grateful

Reply:

If your well pump is not starting when it should, making a noise instead, the pump motor or pump assembly could be jammed or defective, or your system may need a motor start/run capacitor.

Question: our pump seems to be coming on when no water is being drawn in the house

We have a captive air tank and a deep well submersible water pump in a shallow well (abt 25 feet). Over time the pump has been coming on more and more often even when no water seems to being drawn. It is now coming on every 1-2 minutes and going off in less than 2 seconds.

I plan on replacing the tank but wonder but am afraid this might not solve the problem. Can you give me an educated guess as to what the problem might be. - Pat 12/15/11

Reply:

Pat you are describing a short cycling well pump - the cause might be elsewhere but I'd start by looking into a lost air charge at the water pressure tank.

Start at SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP or

see WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD

But your question sounds to me as if there is probably just one cause (a waterlogged pressure tank) but there could be two problems:

The rapid shut-off of the pump can be caused by a blocked water filter or a water-logged pressure tank.

The fact that the pump comes on every 1-2 minutes, with a water-logged pressure tank would be "normal" IF water is being run somewhere in the building - say a filling toilet or a sink or tub faucet on.

But if you think that no water is being run in the building, then there is also a leak somewhere or a bad check valve or foot valve. Diagnosis of those problems begins at INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS.

Question: can power transformers near a building cause too much air pressure that damages our well pump

The electrical company has three transformers going to our building, two were down and one was working. Can this cause a back feed to the bladder causing to much air pressure breaking the bladder and causing our pump to run. - Sandra D. LaMothe 12/16/11

Reply:

No, Sandra, electrical power transformers near a building don't have anything to do with a well pump nor pressure tank. If your water tank bladder has too much pressure and has broken the root cause would usually be a bad pressure control switch.

Question: our backup water pump and storage tanks work backwards and lose their water

At work we have a backup pump and storage tanks next to our office trailers that we have to use on occasion. We're having a problem with the pressure tank. When the pump builds up pressure and shuts off, the pressure tank decides to backcycle and empty all of the water out of it forcing it back through the pump into the water storage container making some horrible noises until the pump decides to kick back on. Any suggestions. - Chris 1/1/12

Reply:

Chris it sounds as if your system has a foot valve or check valve that has failed, or there could be a leak in the water piping itself.

Question: our Goulds shallow well pump boosts pressure from a municipal supply - day time pressure is too low

I have a Goulds shallow water pump model BF03S fitted with a furnace pressure switch (cat. no. 69ESI09048U) series C. The pressure setting on the switch is 20-40. Our water supply comes from a municipal water supply tank. At night, when the water demand is low, the pressure is around 30 psi.

But during the day, it is sometimes too low, around 10 psi, and so the pump keeps recycling constantly. Even worse, when we operate our washing machine, which recycles too often, so the pumps goes crazy, recycling too rapidly.
How do I fix these 2 problems ? - Yousef Ali aby001@yahoo.com 1/27/12

Reply:

Rapid cycling of your water pressure booster pump means that either you don't have a pressure tank installed at all - a big mistake - or your water pressure tank is waterlogged and has lost its air charge.

See SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP

Question: my well cycles on and off, on at 70 off just under 100 psi, and the water tank is full.

My well cycles on and off. Turns on at 70 psi and stops just before 100 psi. My tank is completely full of water but it not use to be this way. It use to only fill up just above half way or even two thirds. Does this change in the winter versus summer and how can I diagnose the problem. The tank being completely full is my main concern. - Jack 2/28/12

Reply:

Watch out:  your well and pump system are operating at a dangerous pressure risking a burst water tank or pipes and injury to anyone nearby. Turn off the pump and call your plumber for proper repair. It sounds to me as if

- you are missing a pressure relief valve safety device

- your water tank is waterlogged and has lost its air charge

- your pressure control switch is improperly set to too high an operating pressure range, or your pressure gauge is inaccurate

Question: well pump won't turn on

pump wont tune on - anon

Reply:

Check for power to the pump and pump relay; check that the pump relay is responding to a drop in water pressure by first seeing if manually turning on the relay causes the pump to run; you may need to replace the pump switch.

Question: our Gould well pump runs for about 30 seconds then shuts off regardless of water pressure.

I have a deep well with a submersible Gould pump. Pump seems to run about 30 seconds and shut off of its own accord, regardless of pressure state. Checked preassure switch and it is kicking in and out properly at 30/50. What happens is, when switch triggers pump turns off in 20~ 30 secs even if it has not hit 50.

It then turns on again about a minute later, then off again, then on, etc., until the pressure switch kicks at 50 PSI.

Under high water demand, house preassure settles to zero eventually, since pump spends too much time off. I checked electricals and even though the pre assure switch contacts are closed, there seems to be no current across the switch contacts when the pump has short-cycled off -- suggesting that the circuit has been interrupted somewhere other than at the switch. Could this be the pump kicking itself off for some self-protection reason? How can I diagnose? Thanks for your thoughts. - Jeff 5/16/12

(Dec 14, 2012) Mary said:

My water pressure is weak then gets normal, and when it does this it goes from hot to cold.

Reply:

Jeff, the usual event that turns the pump on and off is the pressure switch - barring odd loose wiring etc. If the switch is not properly sensing pressure it will behave badly. Sometimes crud in the water supply or rust clogs the sensor port on the switch bottom or in the attaching tube or nipple that conducts water and pressure to the switch sensor port. Try replacing those.

Question: can you put a submersible pump too deep into the well getting it stuck on the bottom?

Can you theoretically lower a submersible pump too far into a well casing and get it stuck on the bottom of the well? Or is there a prevention method in place for this? Mine is running out of water at the height I have it set at, and I am going to lower it, but don't know how far I can go without causing harm. - Matt 5/20/12

Reply:

Matt:

Usually the pump is kept 5-10 ft above the well bottom not because it gets stuck so much as to avoid picking up silt and mud. If your pump is much higher than that off the well bottom you can drop it a bit to increase the volume of static head water available to it - but if the change is only a few feet it doesn't buy much = about 1.5 gallons per foot in a 6-inch diameter casing.

If the well pump has gotten stuck on the bottom there are a variety of tricks well drillers use to try to free it up and retrieve the well and its piping. But you'd be best off calling a well driller or pump installer for that service, as they have the necessary equipment to pull the well piping and pump without dropping the whole shebang, losing it all down into the well.

Question: short cycling well pump problem

Having a problem with short cycling. Just prior to the pump shutting off after, the pump will short cycle 5 or 6 times. I can isolate the water pressure tank and the pump still short cycles. In fact, I have a valve on the water supply line before the water pressure tank. If I shut this value while the pump is on, instead of the pump immediately shutting off, the pump will short cycle 5 or 6 times. Any suggestions? - Jeff 5/21/12

Reply:

Jeff: when a pump rapidly short cycles on and off right around the cutoff pressure the problem could be a clogged pressure sensor on the switch or the pipe that feeds it, or perhaps dirty burned switch contacts.

About the effects of closing the water supply valve on the line that feeds the building from the water tank, the state of this valve should make no difference to the pump cutoff AS LONG AS no water is being run in the house. Normally the water supply piping between water pressure tank and individual fixtures remains full of water all the time.

That leads me to wonder if your water tank is waterlogged - has lost its air charge. If the pump always turns on quickly when you start running water, that's a clue for a waterlogged tank.

Question: water filter clogs

We have a problem with our well water system filter getting clogged frequently (less than a month after replacing we loose water pressure) After removing filter we notice lots of slime and dirt. Please tell me what I can do to fix this problem. - Sharon Martinez 5/21/12

Reply:

Sharon: if your water supply has high levels of silt or mud, a typical cartridge type filter won't handle it and will clog quickly. I'd talk to a local water treatment company, ask them to take a water sample and report to you on its level of sediment, debris (or other problems); If the root cause is high levels of silt, mud, debris in the water supply, and presuming the debris source is not something that can be fixed at the well, a larger capacity sediment removal system may be needed.

Question: water runs out when we run a lot of water for plants and lawn

pressure switch kicks in at 30 and stops at 50 as it should. problem is that when running a lot of water [watering flowers, showers, washing machine etc. the tank runs dry when pressure drops to 40 and then starts up again at 30. is there an easy fix for this? Jack Holleran 5/30/12

Reply:

Jack,

I don't understand the question. Tank runs dry??

The pressure tank is filled by the well pump, contains air and water, and is intended to act as a buffer or spring to smooth the delivery of water and to allow the pump to cycle on and off less frequently.

If you are running out of water when using a lot of it, you are more likely exceeding the well recovery rate.

Question: our well used to water the lawn leaves water running out of a pipe

I use my well to water the lawn. I have 3 stations that run in 45mim. at a time. After the cycle is done
all the water runs out of a pipe. I don't understand this reason. Also if i use the water hose from the tank
it has a rapid on off cycle. Can you help with any ideas? - Kim 7/4/12

Reply:

I'm not sure what's going on, Kim. Do you live in a freezing climate? If so the lawn watering system may have been designed to drain dry after a lawn watering cycle so that you avoid freeze damage to the system.

Question: my well is only 50-100 ft deep, I have great water pressure but it goes away for 3-4 days

i am told my well was only drilled 50 to 100 feet,i have great water preasure when it is on. it will stay on for about 3 to 4 days ands stay off for about the same,what will make it do this? - John 7/15/12

Reply:

John, the well depth has nothing to do with water pressure in the home.

But a shallow well has a small reserve of water inside the well itself - the water supply depends on the rate that water flows into the well - the recovery rate. If your well has a poor recovery or flow rate, then it may stop providing water or if a special tailpiece was installed in the well it may keep providing water but only at a much slower rate.

I'm not sure what is "staying on for 3 or 4 days" so I don't know what else to make of your question. If you mean that the well is running out of water and takes 3-4 days to recover again, that is an inadequate well and you need to look at ways to increase the well yield.

Take a look at How Much Water is In the Well? to understand the question of well flow or well yield. Then see How to Get More Water From a Well.

Question: surging water at the fixtures, almost as if there were air in the system

Can you tell me what the probable trouble is with my well pump. When I run the water or flush the toilet, the water surges, almost like there's air in line? Does it when flush the toilet as the water is filling up the bowl etc. when you run the water runs and surges, weak and strong. What could be the problem and solution. I do not have city water, only the well pump, please and thank you. enorris@rssins.com -work email or cell 423 902 0070. Thank you in advance. - E.N. 12/24/2013

Reply:

Just a guess since we've got no other info for your home: take a look at SHORT CYCLING CAUSES - [the article beginning at the top of this page] - your well water pressure tank may be waterlogged - that's where I'd start.

Usually the air charge in the pressure tank acts as a "spring" that smooths out the flow of delivery of water at the plumbing fixtures. If we have no air in the tank, as soon as you open a faucet or flush a toilet the pressure in the water supply piping system drops almost immediately (depending on just how much air remains in the pressure tank)

- which turns the pump on. But since the pump can typically deliver water faster than you're running it (at one fixture) it will quickly push pressure up to the cutoff point and will be shut off. You'll cycle back and forth between those two states - how rapidly depends on how much air remains in the pressure tank.

If you had air in the water piping system, which is a rather different problem, you'd see actual air spurting out of faucets. That topic is discussed separately at AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES

...

Continue reading at SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP - topic home, the home page for this water pump topic, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING - pump runs when no water is being used
• WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - home
  • WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH CHATTER
  • WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
  • WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE
  • WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - PIPE LEAK
  • WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLE STOP VALVE

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

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