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Bob F Bob F is offline
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Default Water pressure pump keeps turning on

On 6/7/2021 10:34 AM, Bob F wrote:
On 6/7/2021 9:30 AM, dan wrote:
On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 07:01:52 -0700, Bob F wrote:
The obvious first thing to do is adjust the switch to a lower pressure.
Instructions are in the switch cover usually. I believe you loosen the
nut on the bigger spring.


I agree. Completely. And therefore I will do that next!
https://youtu.be/1VNSv7xVzzU?t=400

BTW, this morning I increased the native pressure of the bladder to 28psi
(when the water level was a dribble so I assume that's as low as it gets)
as it had started at about 22 psi a couple of days ago & needed air.

After pressurizing the bladder to 28psi I let the pressure pump run to
see
if it would cut off, and the pressure (at the top of the blue tank)
went up
very quickly (within a minute) to 35psi and then within another minute
to 50
psi but even after ten minutes of the pump running it never exceeded
52psi
(and the pump never turned off).

So that's one mystery of why the pump doesn't get higher than 52psi as
measured at the top of the blue bladder tank. The other (perhaps
related?)
mystery is why the pressure at the gauge on the pump is literally zero
(no
air, no water).

I removed the gauge and let the pump run and NOTHING came out. Huh?

Given the pump /can't/ get higher than 52psi, then lowering the pressure
switch shutoff may prove that everything /else/ is working (but the
pump).

Therefore I agree the next thing I should try is lower the shutoff
pressure.

I don't have instructions on the cover but they are here & you are right.
https://youtu.be/1VNSv7xVzzU?t=65

That video says if the 20# range is set to 30:50, then loosening the
big nut
on that large center bolt will _lower_ the 20# range (say to 20:40).

Each full center nut rotation is 2 to 3 psi change of the 20# range.
https://youtu.be/1VNSv7xVzzU?t=85

Loosening the smaller nut lowers the high-end cutoff only (about
2psi/turn).
https://youtu.be/1VNSv7xVzzU?t=98


So the smaller spring adjustment lessens the top of the range, the
difference above the turn on setting determined by the bigger spring.

What's a good range and high end? I don't know.
The video says to play with the 20# range if you need to lower pressure.
It says to play with the high end cutoff only if you specifically need
it.


The manufacturer usually says to use a 20# range. If you adjust the
larger spring, you will keep the 20# range, but your lowest pressure of
the cycle will be a little lower. If you adjust the smaller range
spring, the lowest pressure will remain the same, but the pump will
cycle a little more often.


I will probably drop it lower than I really need to just to debug.
Then bring it up later as close to the 30:50 as I can get it.


It can (carefully, with a socket wrench) be adjusted while the pump is
running at it's maximum pressure and the pump should stop when the
setting is down to the pressure the pump is providing. Then turn it
another turn to get 2-3 PSI below the pumps limit.


If you set it too close to the limit the pump can provide, You will
likely end up with the failure again sooner than later. That's why I
suggest the extra turn.

Your readings are always questionable with tire gauges or any other
gauge. I have several tire gauges, and they vary by several PSI when
checking the same tire. It would really be worth fixing the gauge on the
pump so you can glance at it once in a while as the pump turns off and
see that the shutoff PSI is not inching upwards.



When I change the cutout pressure point I have to measure the results.
Is the pressure at the top of the blue bladder tank an accurate pressure?


It is as accurate as your gauge, but lets a little air out each time you
do it which will need to be replaced at some point.

I will add to the idea of having water pressure in the system when you
probe to clean out the gauge passage. Have some pressure in the tank,
but the pump turned off so the crud will not get pushed around by the
impeller, but instead will go with the water pushing it out the gauge
hole. Have enough pressure to make sure a bunch of water is there to get
it all out as you probe.