Reconditioning a Well Pump Start Relay?

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Recently our submersible well pump has been quiting after a few seconds
and pumping only 1-2 gallons water. The pump control box has a light
that goes on when the pump is running but has also not been working. I
opened the control box and tested the bulb contacts when the motor was
started. The AC voltage was ~0.

As a result am guessing there is a problem with the start relay.

Appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Thanks

Gene OHara

PS Is there any way to post or attach a drawing of this circuit?

 

[James Sweet]

Recently our submersible well pump has been quiting after a few seconds
and pumping only 1-2 gallons water. The pump control box has a light
that goes on when the pump is running but has also not been working. I
opened the control box and tested the bulb contacts when the motor was
started. The AC voltage was ~0.

As a result am guessing there is a problem with the start relay.

Appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Thanks

Gene OHara

PS Is there any way to post or attach a drawing of this circuit?

What triggers the relay? You'll have to do some more troubleshooting before
anyone can give you much help, the idea, as obvious as it sounds, is to
narrow down the defective part and replace it.

 

[Ross Herbert]

Recently our submersible well pump has been quiting after a few seconds
and pumping only 1-2 gallons water. The pump control box has a light
that goes on when the pump is running but has also not been working. I
opened the control box and tested the bulb contacts when the motor was
started. The AC voltage was ~0.

As a result am guessing there is a problem with the start relay.

Appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Thanks

Gene OHara

PS Is there any way to post or attach a drawing of this circuit

Are you sure the relay is the problem or the pump itself?

If your pump was properly installed with the electrics done by a
competent electrician your system should have a suitable DOL Motor
start contactor complete with overcurrent protection and the control
solenoid of this contactor will be driven by the pump control relay.
If the insulation within the submersible pump or wiring to it is low
then the overcurrent detector on the contactor will cause the
contactor to drop out even though the control relay is still operated.

 

[Wayne Tiffany]

You may want to check to see if your pressure tank has become waterlogged.
If that happens, the pump will come up to pressure and within just a very
short time, will see full pressure because the air volume is greatly
reduced.

WT

 

[carneyke]

The pressure switch has a piece of tubing that goes into a manifold,
sometimes this tubing gets clogged with iron. Follow the tubing to the
manifold, loosen the flare / compression nut, clean out the tubing end
and insirt a nail or something into the manifold to clear any clogs.
MAKE SURE YOU SHUT OFF POWER TO THE PUMP AND DRAIN THE TANK !!!! When
you open this flare nut and clean out the manifold residual water will
come out if it is clogged. This may not be your problem but my
manifold gets clogged every 3-4 years resulting in low pressure and
pump cycling on / off. I have an AWFUL problem with hard water (iron).
GOOD LUCK

 

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James, Ros, Wayne, and Carneyke

Thanks for your responses! Will try to answer all your questions.

Before posting I checked the pressure switch: OK, drained the tank to
check if this made any difference: No, and then used a short hose to
run the well pipe outlet directly to a 5 gal bucket and measured ~1-2
gal output before the pump shut off.

There is an on-off switch next to the pump control box. I am thinking
that the contacts may have become bad because sometimes when I have
jiggled it when switching it on the control box light will come on and
the pump will run until the pressure switch shuts it off.

Sometimes during recent startups there is a vibrating noise from the
control box which was mentioned in a posting I read as a relay noise
indicative of a Bad relay.

Gene

 

[Wayne Tiffany]

Sounds very likely that you have found your problem. Can you run with the
cover off that switch and watch the action of it? Remember, safety first.

WT

 

[jakdedert]

Sounds very likely that you have found your problem. Can you run with the
cover off that switch and watch the action of it? Remember, safety first.

WT

New to this thread...have you actually opened up the box and checked?
Pitted contacts will be very apparent upon inspection. It could be as
simple as a loose wire....

jak

 

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Removed the on off switch. It is a Hubbell 15A 120-277V AC only. Do
not know who did the original job because the circuit breaker is 20A
240 so would assume that the on off switch should at least be a 20A.
Am wondering if there is any significant life expectancy for this
switch if went to a larger one, like 30A?
Did some quick checking and a 20A double pole single throw is ~ $6.77
while a 30A is ~ $10.47

Gene

 

[carneyke]

Did you try cleaning the pressure sense tube in the manifold ? It runs
from the pressures witch housing into the manifold. Taping the pressure
switch and having it start indicates the switch may be bad or the tube
is clogged.