Well pump frequent cycling OT

Gary Mitchell · Dec 18, 2016

For the past 4 or 5 days our water has spurted a little when you turn it on after a period of non-use, especially the hot. Last night after my wife took a shower the pump started to cycle on for about 5 seconds then off for about 10 seconds. This continued for a few minutes until I decided to turn off the juice to it. I's been cold here in Osceola, MO. but I didn't think cold enough to freeze the pump house yet. Last night I hung a different heat lamp in the well house and left the pump power off for the night. This morning the cold water seemed to work ok when I restarted the pump and it seems to be cycling normally although it spewed a bunch of air and then brown water out of the tap before clearing up when I tried the hot side. Things seem to ok at his point. Can someone tell me what I have going on here? It has me REAL nervous. Thanks, gm

Geo-TH,In · Dec 18, 2016

May want to add to bladder tank or install a new tank.

bruster · Dec 18, 2016

I would think if the bladder was failing, the same problem might still be there. But it could be, when running the water for a while ( like taking a shower) that the air pressure in the bladder might need bumped up (add air pressure) to stop quick cycling!

John B. · Dec 18, 2016

Sounds like your bladder tank is bad or out of air. Check the air pressure in it. Also if your water faucet is spittin air you may have a leak between the pump and your house. This would also cause the problems you're speaking of...just my thoughts. Watch your pressure gauge.

Gary Mitchell · Dec 18, 2016

The pressure does seem down a little maybe.

dpendzic · Dec 18, 2016

do you have a bladder tank?? if so pressurize it to 2 psi lower than the cut in pressure

Geo-TH,In · Dec 18, 2016

Gary,
Asking questions like yours if like calling a Dr and asking what's wrong with me? We aren't Dr's, we are guessing at possibilities.

If you turn all faucets on and pump doesn't short cycle, good chance then it's not the pump, it's your bladder tank.

Every good well I've seen that short cycles is caused by the bladder tank being water logged, defective bladder. If adding air fixes your problem, it will only be a short term fix. Time to get a new tank or keep air compressor next to tank.

If your water heater is making air, good chance it full of lime and making air bubbles. Just my guess.

geo

Case e · Dec 18, 2016

Your pump is getting bad.....get it fixed quick, I would have your well man out, they can diagnose in short order. In the mean while you are going to have a big electricity bill from the frequent cycling. Went through the same thing this summer. The pump was 20+ years old and pumping about 1/4 the pressure. I did also replace the pressure tank while they were there as it was 36 years old. I figured that was more life than I should expect. Cost around $2100 but what do you do....about $100 a year for service. Good luck, I dont envy you.

old · Dec 18, 2016

Your system is water logged and you need to add some air to your tank. I have to do that 3-4 times a year to my system and with ti being cold it is worse then if it was warm out

Texasmark1 · Dec 18, 2016

+1 on waterlogged (air absorbed into water leaving mostly water), very little air head in tank, or leaking bladder if water is separate from air. Air cushion is what gives you the cycle time. More air, longer time between runs.

Gary Mitchell · Dec 18, 2016

Thank you all. gm

Deutz Lover · Dec 18, 2016

Gary,
You did not say what kind of well you have. Is is a deep well with one or two pipes of a shallow well? More than likely it is a water logged tank, but the type of well and pump will determine fault diagnosis. You probably have a deep well with a submersible pump, but at this point it could be a number of things. The first thing to do is turn off the water at the tank to see if the pressure holds. The rest depends on the type of well.

Types of propblems causing pump cylcling.
:
1. Water logged tank
2. bad foot valve
3. pin hole in well pipe
4. leak in water line or in house plumbing.

Any time the water is turned off for a while rusty water usually comes out when you first turn it on.

Spook · Dec 18, 2016

(quoted from post at 06:29:10 12/18/16) For the past 4 or 5 days our water has spurted a little when you turn it on after a period of non-use, especially the hot. Last night after my wife took a shower the pump started to cycle on for about 5 seconds then off for about 10 seconds. This continued for a few minutes until I decided to turn off the juice to it. I's been cold here in Osceola, MO. but I didn't think cold enough to freeze the pump house yet. Last night I hung a different heat lamp in the well house and left the pump power off for the night. This morning the cold water seemed to work ok when I restarted the pump and it seems to be cycling normally although it spewed a bunch of air and then brown water out of the tap before clearing up when I tried the hot side. Things seem to ok at his point. Can someone tell me what I have going on here? It has me REAL nervous. Thanks, gm

I had a similar problem a couple months ago. I had replaced the pressure tank, but the problem persisted. I had a well guy out, the well was leaking internally, at the pitiless adapter. Since he was there, I had a new pump put in, a 3 inch Grundfoss, same capacity as the 4 inch, but able to get it out of the well, if the casing fails.

Well pump frequent cycling OT

Gary Mitchell

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Geo-TH,In

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bruster

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John B.

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Gary Mitchell

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dpendzic

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Geo-TH,In

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Case e

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old

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Texasmark1

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Gary Mitchell

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Deutz Lover

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Spook

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