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Photograph of Photograph of a water pump pressure control switch with the cover offWater Pump Pressure Switch Q&A

Water Pressure too high? ruined pump? Irregular pump operation? How to turn OFF the Pump

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to adjust or set the Water Pump Pressure Switch - how set the water pump cut in and cut out pressures

More water or well pump pressure control switch FAQs:

Second set of questions and answers on how to adjust the pressure control switch for a water or well pump.

This article series answers commonly-asked questions about  how to adjust a well pump or water pump pressure control switch. We provide pump pressure setting advice, procedures & questions & answers about adjusting the pump switch.

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FAQs on how to set the water pump pressure switch cut-in and cut-out pressures

Photograph of Photograph of a water pump pressure control switch adjustment instructions

Watch out: SAFETY WARNING OF FATAL SHOCK HAZARD: if you remove the cover of the pump pressure control switch you can get access to the two nuts that adjust the operating pressures of the water pump.

But watch out! There are also live electrical contacts exposed in this area. If you touch them, especially being near water piping, there is a serious risk of death by electrocution.

Watch what you touch, or have a professional plumber or electrician do this job for you.

[Click to enlarge any image]

These questions were posted originally

at WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS - be sure to see that article if you need to adjust the settings on your pressure control switch for your water pump or well pump.

Common Pump Control Switch Problems & Solutions

The individual well pump control switch repair article links below explain exactly how to set the water pump pressure switch, where the adjustments are located (the large and small nut found under the switch cover), which way to turn the nuts to increase or decrease the pump cut-in and cut-out pressures, and other pressure switch troubleshooting and repair procedures

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.

Also take a look at PUMP NEVER STOPS

Followup:

Thanks for the reply Dan,

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.

Question: Pressure set too high: Reverse Osmose system installed, need more house pressure - RO works at 39 PSI

Great site! I installed an RO system to replace an old RO that failed because of pressure (new permeate pump booster). After I did this I wanted to increase house pressure, thought I'll boost the air tank from 30 psi to 50 psi, then I pulled the pressure line on the jet pump to clean. What a nightmare! water everywhere, crud from the sensor, got it all back together, turned it on a start-stop cylcling!

Turned out the water tank pressure was too high without adjusting the pressure switch. After all the helpful info here I just started dropping the tank pressure down to 39 and the problem was solved! Thanks guys, next I might try raising the cut in cut off. - Alan McKee 8/17/11

Reply:

Alan, glad our water pressure articles were helpful. Indeed the pressure tank air charge is not what determines house water pressure - that's controlled by the pressure control switch, as you observed.

Irregular pressure switch operation or pump on-off operation FAQs

Question: pump runs out of water, recovers in 5-10 minutes, gauge and switch kicks on/off at pressures different than our switch settings

My well is not quite a year old, we have always had plenty of water and pressure. we have been watering trees in yard, now for some reson our pup runs out of water. It recovers with in 5 to 10 min .

The guage kicks on at 40 ps and should kick off at 60 or so. It kicks on fine but kicks out at 50 , is it the pressure switch? If I hold the switch down manually it pups and kicks out at 60 or 65 - Shaun Aden 8/4/11

Reply:

Shaun the pump might still be actually going off at 60 if the gauge is clogged with debris and reading inaccurately. Else if no one "adjusted" the switch and it's cutting off early it's time to replace it.

Question: changed water filter, various confusing symptoms

After changing a water filter for the first time, my tank emtied out b/c I had turned off the wrong valve and never turned back on. After a week the tank empties out and the pump started over pumping.

This was noticeable but I was having another problem with a hole in another line so did not associate the second problem.

Eventually are was lost and I had to turn off the pump. The pump lost pressure prior to my turning off. The only water lost was from the pressure change, but, after steam had started to escape. Now, I need to restore the pressure Flotec 4022-10. I was told to tighten the bolt more but want to know if anything else and what to expect. - Sera D 8/18/11

Reply:

Sera D, I'm sorry but I don't understand your question. Buty it's possible that the same crud that was clogging your water filter has clogged the pressure control switch or its sensor tube.

About steam escaping I'm totally baffled. Water well pump and tank systems don't normally have anything to do with steam, which is produce by heat - unless your water supply is a hot water natural thermal spring such as is common in Iceland and in some other parts of the world.

Question: Pump Turns Off Randomly; pressure switch clicks clicks then finally turns on

We have a relatively new well at our hunting camp/farm, about the same time the pressure switch went bad and needed replaced, ever since it was replaced (almost 2 years now) the water will go off for no apparent reason,

then someone has to go to the basement and flip the switch off (water can be heard flowing at this point) then flip it back on and the pump begins to run again. It is fine for several hours and again the same thing happens. Is the low pressure cut-on set too low? - Anon 12/6/11

It is a new switch doing this and the old switch had been suffering from the same problem. "click,click,click,click, then it finally sticks or maintains contact and the pump fills up the tank and stops.

My tank is in my house (pier and beam) and about 40-50' from the well so meaning my water tank is probably 3' above the level of my well if that has anything that could be a problem.

I think the switch is sensing pressure surges and shutting on and off sporadically. I know this will eventually wear on the contacts much less possibly do damage to the submersible motor. Anon 7/20/12

Reply:

Check for a clogged pressure sensor or tube feeding pressure to the switch

Question: new well and pressure switch 2 years ago, now water turns off for no reason;

We have a relatively new well at our hunting camp/farm, about the same time the pressure switch went bad and needed replaced, ever since it was replaced (almost 2 years now) the water will go off for no apparent reason, then someone has to go to the basement and flip the switch off (water can be heard flowing at this point) then flip it back on and the pump begins to run again.

It is fine for several hours and again the same thing happens. Is the low pressure cut-on set too low? - Gene Doverspike 12/6/11

Reply:

Check for a debris clogged pressure sensor;

check for a thermal overload problem with the pump motor.

Check for a bad pump switch relay

Question: pressure seems to cut out entirely, usually right in the middle of a shower, then takes 1 to 2 mins to cut back in

My pressure seems to cut out entirely, usually right in the middle of a shower, then takes 1 to 2 mins to cut back in. I tried making the cut-in pressure higher, but it did nothing.

My pressure also seems to go too high, around 70 psi. But nothing I do seems to help. Do I just need a new switch? - Jeran 5/20/12

Reply:

Jeran I'd start by checking for a pump switch that has a clogged sensor port or pipe - clogging can slow the pump switch's response to an actual pressure drop in the system

Question: how to turn off the well pump if the tank has no water?

how to switch off a motor pump if the cistern tank has no more water ? - Roselle 8/11/11

Reply:

Roselle every pump circuit should have a manual service switch installed for manual cutoff.

If there is no electrical switch to turn off the pump, ask your electrician to install one at next electrical work. In that case,

if someone wired the pump directly with no local on-off switch that would be unusual but in that case you'd have to

If you are asking how to prevent the pump from running when there is no water available, ask your well or plumbing supplier about a tailpiece that prevents the pump from running or running dry when the water level falls too low in the well or cistern.

Question: Genesis pressure control switch pressure adjustment

moved to GENESIS Pressure Control Switch Adjustment

Water Pump Turns on Immediately When we Run Water

and

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

Both of these topics are now discussed at

WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD


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