Oh Well !!!!

[freedomrules3]

woke up this morning to no water in the house. plumbing isnt my strong suite but i gotta fix it myself. first thing i see is a leak at the connection going from the pump to the cpvc line. gotta fix that first but i dont think my problem is gonna be that easy. pressure switch was stuck open which in turn heated the pump and it wouldnt pick up or the overheat (if it has one )set it off.
i waited about an hour and turned the breaker back on. it started and picked up water but wouldnt shut down at 60 lbs. i either got a bad pressure switch or the diagram in the tank got a hole in it somehow not shutting off the pressure switch. wish me luck i may need it . going under the house with all my spider buddy's.

[Rock Chuck]

I think it has to be the pressure switch. A leaky diaphram will just let the tank fill with water. As long as the air doesn't escape to the outside, the pressure will build as long as the pump runs...or until something blows. Only the pressure switch or a blown breaker can shut off the pump.
Old tanks didn't have diaphrams. They just filled from the bottom, compressing the air in the top. All the diaphram does is separate the water from the air chamber. That prevents the tank from rusting out or leaving rust in the water.

Dick

[freedomrules3]

I think your right about the pressure switch. it is turning on fine but wont shut off. it also only reaches 59 lbs and wont go beyond that. it runs till the overheat i guess shuts it down, takes about an hour before it runs again. i may try adjusting the upper pressure spring to a lesser shutoff pressure. if i cant get it shutting off that way then a new switch it is. the switch looks pretty bad got some rust everywhere, i suppose i should just opt for the new one, but I'm cheap and broke , a deadly combination . thanks for the info Rock, now to figure out which is the high pressure and which way to turn it .

[Rock Chuck]

It only goes to 59lb but the pump is still running? I wonder where the water is going. Maybe you'd better spring for a new guage, too. I have a feeling that this one is stuck. I suspect that your pressure is going a lot higher than that.

Dick

[freedomrules3]

ahhh the sweet sound of a pump shutting off. here is the scoop.
i fixed the leak with a new fitting, changed the pressure gauge and the pressure switch. once this was done guess what? it still wouldnt shut off. obviously at just under 60 lbs my well starts drawing air in from the checkvalve side. i tripled the clamp to the incoming hose but it still wouldnt get to 60 lbs. i resorted to adjusting the shutoff at 57 lbs and now it shuts down every time. i thought about messing with the system to see why it wont go over 60 lbs or to 60 anyway, but figured i would just let that dog lie. i'm not losing the prime and i can live with 57 instead of 60 lol. i just hate it though when i know something isnt right. i will probably have to fight this fight another day in the future. thanks for the help.

[Rock Chuck]

Somewhere in your system do you have a pressure relief valve (like on a water heater) that empties into a sewer? It might be popping at 59 lb and dumping the excess water down the drain.

Dick

[freedomrules3]

i have a prv on the water heater but it empties into a pan. i would know by now if it had blown. i'm not sure why but it tops out at 59 lbs. i'm thinking at that point air gets through either where the line meets the checkvalve nipple or on the other side of the checkvalve. makes me wonder why at 59 lbs and then why doesnt it mix air in the water if it is leaking in air. i have no air surges happening once the initial air is out. think maybe it needs more air in the tank to push the diagram more? i can live with it at 57 no problem but it does bother me that it wont go to 60 or above. just happy to get out from under the house, last time i went under there first thing i see is a big blacksnake skin at the entrance .

[Rock Chuck]

I forgot about the tank. It should have an air valve to add air, probably on the top. You'll have to find out how to check it (full or empty) and how much pressure it's supposed to have.

Dick

[freedomrules3]

from everything i have read in the last 2 days , the tank has to be empty or mostly drained and you need a small compresssor to add air, seems it takes more air than you would think to build it up. i will see how things go with it the way it is, just glad its semi fixed. although this does make me wonder if the air in the tank is escaping somehow if it keeps going i will have to add more air. the tank is only 5 years old since my old galvanized one got a hole in it and shouldnt be going bad already. i'll keep an eye on it and see what happens.