Signs It’s Time for Well Pump Repair

Even if you’ve owned your home for a long time, it’s pretty likely you have never had to work with a well pressure switch. In fact, you might not even know it exists, until something goes wrong—that is, when suddenly you’re without water.

Here’s some information about your well pressure switch and some signs that could indicate you need well pump repair in Hillsborough County, FL.

About well pressure switches

A well pressure switch is the piece of equipment that tells the well pump when to start or stop pumping water, depending on the pressure readings inside the water system. These pressure switches have two primary pressure settings: cut-in and cut-off. These numbers are on the actual switch, and usually read 40-60, 30-50 or 20-40 in units of psi (pounds per square inch). The lower number of the range is the pressure at which the pump will begin operating so it starts filling up your water tank. The higher number of the range is the pressure level at which the pump will stop operating. You can adjust these numbers according to your water supply needs.

The pressure switch will often be located outside your house, but could also be in your basement, your garage or a pool housing, depending on where and how you have your well system set up at your property. Well systems that have a submersible pump, for example, will have a switch placed in a different location than the pump, usually on a pipe that goes to the pressure tank. If you have a jet pump, however, the pressure switch will likely be attached directly to that pump on its side.

What causes pressure switches to fail?

Each pressure switch contains a set of springs that set the pressure of the device, as well as electrical wiring that sends the signal to the pump to turn it on and off as needed. These springs can loosen over the time, causing the switch to fail, or the wire could become corroded, causing an electrical failure. A buildup of rust or debris can prevent proper functioning of the system.

So how exactly do you tell if your pressure switch is failing and needs to either be repaired or replaced?

There are three most common issues that arise with problematic pressure switches:

• There is no water, and the pump does not come on to pump more water into the system
• The pump continues to work without stopping its cycling process
• The pump works, but the water pressure is weak and you are not getting enough water

There are other problems that could be causing these issues aside from pressure switch problems, but only a professional well pump expert can say for sure. So if you are experiencing any of the above problems, the pressure switch could be the problem (or part of the problem). For more information about setting up an appointment for well pump repair in Hillsborough County, FL, we encourage you to contact our team today at Advanced Pump & Well Service.

Categorised in: Well Pump Repair