Pressure switch on jet pump keeps burning up

[Zanne]

For more detailed info on my setup: Float lever sticking & power to jet pump problem

I have a Gould's Jet pump

It's a shallow well 1HP pump.
It has a 50/30 pressure switch (I hope that is the correct one). For some reason the switch keeps burning out. Had to replace it at least 3 times in the last year. There have been some major power surges & wires got fried a couple times, but this time the wires were undamaged & I'm not sure if it was a power surge that caused it. It used to sense when the water level in the cistern was low so it didn't try to pump but it doesn't do that anymore. Cistern's float switch got jammed (have since adjusted it to prevent that).
I patched a hole in the roof of the shed where it was leaking directly over the float switch & I patched a few other holes in the roof in different spots. Wires were dry, but when my friend took the cover off the jet pump's pressure switch, it was burnt. I don't know if the switch is just lousy (been getting them from Tractor Supply) or if there is an electrical problem.
Someone in the store suggested the foot valve at the bottom of the well could be causing a problem. I don't even know if it has a foot valve.
We just replaced the switch again. Last one was replaced about a month ago after two hurricanes. Am I using the wrong pressure switch? Should I get the 40/60 one instead?
I knew the switch was going bad because it was "chattering". Would hum on and then make a loud click as it shut off and on several times. It would run for a few seconds then click off then back on and then rapidly on and off.
Could it be that the pressure tank is bad or going bad?

So, any ideas on what the problem could be or how to prevent it from recurring? It seems to coincide with storms. It happened after the power blinked out for a few seconds during the rain.

 

[Valveman]

Surges do not burn up pressure switches. All that chattering and cycling on/off is what causes the switch points to burn. Burned pressure switch points are just the first clue you are damaging the pump, pressure tank, check valve, and everything in the pump system. If it is cycling when no water is being used, you need a need check or foot valve. if it is cycling WHILE water is being used you need a Cycle Stop Valve.

 

[Zanne]

Thanks, Valveman. It seems to only do it when water is being used- like when it needs to fill up a toilet & then it starts to chatter as it's almost done. I don't even know if it actually has a foot valve. Guess I will have to call the pump guy out to look at it.

 

[Valveman]

Post a picture.

 

[FishScreener]

A flooded pressure tank would cause the symptoms. With a flooded tank, there is a very short time between call pressure, and shutoff pressure. Which results in very rapid cycling, and the contacts on the switch burn a little everytime they open or close. Normally they will last for years, short cycling they can go in a day.

 

[Zanne]

There are a bunch of pictures in the thread I linked in the first post. There is no foot valve coming out of the cistern. I bought one and tried to get the pump guy to install one but he didn't (there was some miscommunication). He put a check valve in the wrong place. I'll have to get more recent pics of the current setup but it's going to be freezing tonight. I'm hoping the pipes won't freeze. Got nothing to warm them bc the outlets for heaters burned out.

How would I diagnose/test the pressure tank to see if it is waterlogged?

 

[Valveman]

Without a check or foot valve the pump would come right back on a couple seconds after it shuts off. Most likely your tank is waterlogged. See if any water comes out the valve stem of the Schrader valve on top of the tank? Then check to see the the tank will hold the air pre-charge as it should. With a 40/60 pressure switch you want about 35-38 PSI air in the tank before turning the pump on. With the pump off, if the air comes out an open faucet, the tank is bad. A bad foot valve, check valve, tank bladder, pressure switch, and many other problems are all caused by cycling the pump on off too much. Stop the cycling and all your problems will go away.

 

[FishScreener]

Since the receptacle for the heater also burned out, you could have low voltage problems. Have you checked the voltage when the pump is running?

Low voltage would also burn out the contacts on the pump.

Simply put: Volts X Amps = Watts. the Watts needed by the pump stay constant. So, when the Volts drop, the Amps go up. And, Amps are what burns up contacts.

 

[Valveman]

Low voltage will cause the amperage to increase. But the points in s FSG2 pressure switch can handle up to 20 amps without any problem. It is the arcing that happens when the points open or close as the pump cycles on or off that causes the points to burn. Still could have low voltage, but if the points stay closed (pump doesn't cycle) they won't arc and burn even with the increased amperage.

 

[Birkoff]

Not a plumber, but have burned up a few pumps. After $4,000 of septic tank testing expense, it turned out the drain field pipes were clogged and need to be cleaned out. I had the same problem with another house that had pine tree roots clog the pipes. Just a possibility to consider.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Speaking of short cycling pumps, my last house had a well, and when I moved in the pump was cycling literally every two seconds.
Bang bang bang bang.
I knew nothing about wells, but by a hunch I put a tire pump on the air valve of the old galvanized tank, and pumped it up for awhile.
The pump eventually got to about a minute between cycles, good enough for me.
The kicker is, the former owner was a well and pump installer!
This is the way he turned it over to me!

 

[Zanne]

Had a busy day today so didn't get to take pics & brain is exhausted. There is no valve on top of the pressure tank. I will have to get pictures later. My best friend who usually helps me with stuff like this had a stroke & today I took him to the ER. Took 7-1/2" hours (not including hour trip each way). I'll have to ask him about how to test stuff when he recovers. No loss of strength or mobility-- just went blind in his left eye.

 

[Valveman]

Speaking of short cycling pumps, my last house had a well, and when I moved in the pump was cycling literally every two seconds.
Bang bang bang bang.
I knew nothing about wells, but by a hunch I put a tire pump on the air valve of the old galvanized tank, and pumped it up for awhile.
The pump eventually got to about a minute between cycles, good enough for me.
The kicker is, the former owner was a well and pump installer!
This is the way he turned it over to me!

Very typical. Being a well driller and pump man myself, I can talk crap about them. Lol! As a profession you won't find any worse than pump installers when it comes to being adamantly sure they know what is best and actually knowing very little about how pumps work. I would say there is far less than 1% of pump installers who really understand pumps. The rest are just parts changers, who just keep changing parts until something works. Best to educate yourself like on this forum so you can decide if your pump man is full of crap or not. Most are! I would say Lol, but it is not funny if your dealing with someone who thinks they know everything, but actually understands very little.

Plus, buying a house from a pump man is problematic. He will have used old parts he saved from all other installs to put on his own well.

 

[Valveman]

Had a busy day today so didn't get to take pics & brain is exhausted. There is no valve on top of the pressure tank. I will have to get pictures later. My best friend who usually helps me with stuff like this had a stroke & today I took him to the ER. Took 7-1/2" hours (not including hour trip each way). I'll have to ask him about how to test stuff when he recovers. No loss of strength or mobility-- just went blind in his left eye.

So sorry to hear about your friend having a stroke! Post some pictures and maybe we can help without you having to bother him.

 

[Zanne]

Ok. Will need to try to get some tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be raining again.
What sort of pics do you need? I have pics of the pump I think it's equivalent of Gould's J10 1HP.
Pressure tank is some garbage fiberglass thing. It's much larger than the old Gould's metal tank.
Pump guy installed a check valve on the wrong side of the pump I believe. Bc of a miscommunication (me not realizing he was there bc my brother didn't bother to inform me even though he was supposed to) I didn't get to show him the foot valve & other things I wanted installed. I'm not happy with the current setup, but it functions somewhat for now.
My wiring is a clusterf**** and I will need to figure out which wires are actually hot & mark them.

 

[Valveman]

Just an overall picture of the system. Also any wiring you want help with.

 

[Zanne]

So, the float lever jammed again. The rod keeps turning sideways instead of going straight up. I don't know if there is too much resistance from the sensor that prevents it from going up or what. We've tried moving it. I'm thinking of putting something over the top that gives the rod less wiggle room so it will have to go up instead of sideways. But the result was the cistern overflowed & flooded the shed. Fortunately, I heard one of the pumps running so I checked and fixed it. I've been going out and checking periodically. Last time it shut off on it's own. But I didn't want to get my phone near all the water. I really need to put some sort of cover over the top of the switch, but the covers that came with it won't fit with the wires.
I'm trying to motivate myself to get up and go out in the cold to take the pictures.

 

[Zanne]

Ok. I was wrong. There is a cap on the tank. I never noticed it until I went to take these pictures.
Float switch. Pvc was the mount for the old switch.

Pump that fills the cistern

Pipe from pump to cistern

 

[Zanne]

I had to post the pics from my phone at a friend's house to use WiFi bc my Internet is throttled.
The inlet side pipe coming out of the cistern doesn't have a shutoff. The check valve is on that side but shouldn't be. I'm thinking of raising the pump up higher and moving it over or something. Really need to build a new shed.

 

[Valveman]

The best place for the check valve is on the suction side like it is. However, the high spot where the check valve is could trap air and cause the pump to loose prime. The pump should be the highest point in the suction line, so air and get through. I would do away with that type of float switch and use a tether style instead. You just need something in the tank to zip tie the float bulb as needed. See drawing below.