On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 14:45:38 -0700, Bob F wrote:
A water pump should not be pumping air. Do you get bubbles coming out of
the taps regularly? Do you get a blast of air when you drain the water
from the system?

Never any air in any line at the house or at the garden hoses.

Here are some pictures showing the pump and the copper pressure pipe.
https://i.imgur.com/Wlbr3oE.jpg pump, pressure gauge, & pressure switch
https://i.imgur.com/CoY9Xto.jpg pressure switch & plumbing
https://i.imgur.com/4S3jaDC.jpg blown out plastic plug in back of pump
https://i.imgur.com/N3zt1zN.jpg 1-inch plastic plug replaced with brass
https://i.imgur.com/EmoXlEn.jpg non-tapered holes require tapered plugs
https://i.imgur.com/BuUkS0Q.jpg tapered vs non-tapered 1-inch plugs
https://i.imgur.com/06RQp4q.jpg brass, galvanized, steel & plastic plugs

I think the one inch plastic plug overheated because the pump wasn't
shutting off except by thermal cutoff after hours of running wild.

At the same time a garden hose blew out in the middle so I think the
pressure may have gone sky high (but I don't know that for a fact).

You could try running a hose from a valve that taps off
it before the tank (that would divert air) into a bucket of water. Do
you see bubbles?

No bubbles. I think the copper pipe is "supposed" to carry air.
But I don't know that though. I wish I knew for sure.

But everything is working except the pump shutting off.

If you see air in the pumped water, you likely have a
leak in the pipes before the pump somewhere you need to fix.

I've never seen air in any water output.

Run the
hose into an full inverted glass jug in the bucket, and you can actually
see how fast air is coming out.

Garden hose?
The one connected to the house?
No air in them.
I'm positive.

Air would also likely fill the pressure tank, and gradually reduce it's
water capacity over time. That should show when you drain the tank.
(Blasts as the water runs out)

I don't think it's air in the water.

Older pumps with non-bladder tanks used to have a system that would suck
a little air in through the input line that would get pumped into he
tank to make up for air that gets dissolved into the water and pumped
away. If your system used to be one of those, that could be where the
air is coming from. The water outlet from the pump, and the pressure
valve and pressure switch are usually at the top, and the pipe to the
switch could be right where that air collects. Air is less likely to
plug the pressure switch inlet tube, so they might have chosen the high
spot on the pump to supply the switch.

Take a look at the pictures.
The main question is WHAT is supposed to be inside that copper pipe?
air or water

Which brings to mind - if the pressure switch otherwise operates
properly (turn on/off as you manipulate it), you could have rust or crud
plugging up the tubes or inlet of that switch.

Maybe. I may have to disassemble the pressure switch but I was leaning
toward just replacing it (but Home Depot doesn't have them in stock).

On 6/6/2021 5:02 PM, dan wrote:
On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 14:45:38 -0700, Bob F wrote:
A water pump should not be pumping air. Do you get bubbles coming out of
the taps regularly? Do you get a blast of air when you drain the water
from the system?

Never any air in any line at the house or at the garden hoses.

Here are some pictures showing the pump and the copper pressure pipe.
https://i.imgur.com/Wlbr3oE.jpg pump, pressure gauge, & pressure switch
https://i.imgur.com/CoY9Xto.jpg pressure switch & plumbing
https://i.imgur.com/4S3jaDC.jpg blown out plastic plug in back of pump
https://i.imgur.com/N3zt1zN.jpg 1-inch plastic plug replaced with brass
https://i.imgur.com/EmoXlEn.jpg non-tapered holes require tapered plugs
https://i.imgur.com/BuUkS0Q.jpg tapered vs non-tapered 1-inch plugs
https://i.imgur.com/06RQp4q.jpg brass, galvanized, steel & plastic plugs

I think the one inch plastic plug overheated because the pump wasn't
shutting off except by thermal cutoff after hours of running wild.

At the same time a garden hose blew out in the middle so I think the
pressure may have gone sky high (but I don't know that for a fact).

You could try running a hose from a valve that taps off
it before the tank (that would divert air) into a bucket of water. Do
you see bubbles?

No bubbles. I think the copper pipe is "supposed" to carry air.
But I don't know that though. I wish I knew for sure.

But everything is working except the pump shutting off.

If you see air in the pumped water, you likely have a
leak in the pipes before the pump somewhere you need to fix.

I've never seen air in any water output.

Run the
hose into an full inverted glass jug in the bucket, and you can actually
see how fast air is coming out.

Garden hose?
The one connected to the house?
No air in them.
I'm positive.

Air would also likely fill the pressure tank, and gradually reduce it's
water capacity over time. That should show when you drain the tank.
(Blasts as the water runs out)

I don't think it's air in the water.

Older pumps with non-bladder tanks used to have a system that would suck
a little air in through the input line that would get pumped into he
tank to make up for air that gets dissolved into the water and pumped
away. If your system used to be one of those, that could be where the
air is coming from. The water outlet from the pump, and the pressure
valve and pressure switch are usually at the top, and the pipe to the
switch could be right where that air collects. Air is less likely to
plug the pressure switch inlet tube, so they might have chosen the high
spot on the pump to supply the switch.

Take a look at the pictures.
The main question is WHAT is supposed to be inside that copper pipe?
air or water

Which brings to mind - if the pressure switch otherwise operates
properly (turn on/off as you manipulate it), you could have rust or crud
plugging up the tubes or inlet of that switch.

Maybe. I may have to disassemble the pressure switch but I was leaning
toward just replacing it (but Home Depot doesn't have them in stock).


You could try removing the copper tube on the switch by loosening th nut
on the switch end of it, and try starting the pump for a moment to see
if water comes squirting out, it nothing comes out, something is plugged
up ahead of that that would need to be fixed.

Again, try adjusting the nut on the big spring of the switch to a lower
pressure cutoff to see if that solves the problem. Your pump clearly can
barely make it to 53 PSI, and the 50 PSI switch might just be a little
above that just from age, or the pump is not pumping as strong as it
used to. Both the pump and the switch have tolerances and adjustment is
the way to fix that quickly.

On 6/6/2021 9:39 PM, Bob F wrote:
On 6/6/2021 5:02 PM, dan wrote:
On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 14:45:38 -0700, Bob F wrote:
A water pump should not be pumping air. Do you get bubbles coming out of
the taps regularly? Do you get a blast of air when you drain the water
from the system?

Never any air in any line at the house or at the garden hoses.

Here are some pictures showing the pump and the copper pressure pipe.
https://i.imgur.com/Wlbr3oE.jpg pump, pressure gauge, & pressure switch
https://i.imgur.com/CoY9Xto.jpg pressure switch & plumbing
https://i.imgur.com/4S3jaDC.jpg blown out plastic plug in back of pump
https://i.imgur.com/N3zt1zN.jpg 1-inch plastic plug replaced with brass
https://i.imgur.com/EmoXlEn.jpg non-tapered holes require tapered plugs
https://i.imgur.com/BuUkS0Q.jpg tapered vs non-tapered 1-inch plugs
https://i.imgur.com/06RQp4q.jpg brass, galvanized, steel & plastic plugs

I think the one inch plastic plug overheated because the pump wasn't
shutting off except by thermal cutoff after hours of running wild.

At the same time a garden hose blew out in the middle so I think the
pressure may have gone sky high (but I don't know that for a fact).

You could try running a hose from a valve that taps off
it before the tank (that would divert air) into a bucket of water. Do
you see bubbles?

No bubbles. I think the copper pipe is "supposed" to carry air.
But I don't know that though. I wish I knew for sure.

But everything is working except the pump shutting off.

If you see air in the pumped water, you likely have a
leak in the pipes before the pump somewhere you need to fix.

I've never seen air in any water output.

Run the
hose into an full inverted glass jug in the bucket, and you can actually
see how fast air is coming out.

Garden hose?
The one connected to the house?
No air in them.
I'm positive.

Air would also likely fill the pressure tank, and gradually reduce it's
water capacity over time. That should show when you drain the tank.
(Blasts as the water runs out)

I don't think it's air in the water.

Older pumps with non-bladder tanks used to have a system that would suck
a little air in through the input line that would get pumped into he
tank to make up for air that gets dissolved into the water and pumped
away. If your system used to be one of those, that could be where the
air is coming from. The water outlet from the pump, and the pressure
valve and pressure switch are usually at the top, and the pipe to the
switch could be right where that air collects. Air is less likely to
plug the pressure switch inlet tube, so they might have chosen the high
spot on the pump to supply the switch.

Take a look at the pictures.
The main question is WHAT is supposed to be inside that copper pipe?
Â* air or water

Which brings to mind - if the pressure switch otherwise operates
properly (turn on/off as you manipulate it), you could have rust or crud
plugging up the tubes or inlet of that switch.

Maybe. I may have to disassemble the pressure switch but I was leaning
toward just replacing it (but Home Depot doesn't have them in stock).


You could try removing the copper tube on the switch by loosening th nut
on the switch end of it, and try starting the pump for a moment to see
if water comes squirting out, it nothing comes out, something is plugged
up ahead of that that would need to be fixed.

Again, try adjusting the nut on the big spring of the switch to a lower
pressure cutoff to see if that solves the problem. Your pump clearly can
barely make it to 53 PSI, and the 50 PSI switch might just be a little
above that just from age, or the pump is not pumping as strong as it
used to. Both the pump and the switch have tolerances and adjustment is
the way to fix that quickly.


By the way, your pump probably ran till the water in it boiled, and that
over-pressured your hose, and blew out the plastic fitting, which looks
like it's outer end was stretched by the hot pressure before the plug
blew out.

Also, however you end up fixing it, you should make sure the pressure
switch setting is at least a few PSI lower than the pumps maximum
pressure capability. Otherwise, tolerances may repeat the problem over time.

On 6/6/2021 9:53 PM, Bob F wrote:
On 6/6/2021 9:39 PM, Bob F wrote:
On 6/6/2021 5:02 PM, dan wrote:
On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 14:45:38 -0700, Bob F wrote:
A water pump should not be pumping air. Do you get bubbles coming
out of
the taps regularly? Do you get a blast of air when you drain the water
from the system?

Never any air in any line at the house or at the garden hoses.

Here are some pictures showing the pump and the copper pressure pipe.
https://i.imgur.com/Wlbr3oE.jpg pump, pressure gauge, & pressure switch
https://i.imgur.com/CoY9Xto.jpg pressure switch & plumbing
https://i.imgur.com/4S3jaDC.jpg blown out plastic plug in back of pump
https://i.imgur.com/N3zt1zN.jpg 1-inch plastic plug replaced with brass
https://i.imgur.com/EmoXlEn.jpg non-tapered holes require tapered plugs
https://i.imgur.com/BuUkS0Q.jpg tapered vs non-tapered 1-inch plugs
https://i.imgur.com/06RQp4q.jpg brass, galvanized, steel & plastic plugs

I think the one inch plastic plug overheated because the pump wasn't
shutting off except by thermal cutoff after hours of running wild.

At the same time a garden hose blew out in the middle so I think the
pressure may have gone sky high (but I don't know that for a fact).

You could try running a hose from a valve that taps off
it before the tank (that would divert air) into a bucket of water. Do
you see bubbles?

No bubbles. I think the copper pipe is "supposed" to carry air.
But I don't know that though. I wish I knew for sure.

But everything is working except the pump shutting off.

If you see air in the pumped water, you likely have a
leak in the pipes before the pump somewhere you need to fix.

I've never seen air in any water output.

Run the
hose into an full inverted glass jug in the bucket, and you can
actually
see how fast air is coming out.

Garden hose?
The one connected to the house?
No air in them.
I'm positive.

Air would also likely fill the pressure tank, and gradually reduce it's
water capacity over time. That should show when you drain the tank.
(Blasts as the water runs out)

I don't think it's air in the water.

Older pumps with non-bladder tanks used to have a system that would
suck
a little air in through the input line that would get pumped into he
tank to make up for air that gets dissolved into the water and pumped
away. If your system used to be one of those, that could be where the
air is coming from. The water outlet from the pump, and the pressure
valve and pressure switch are usually at the top, and the pipe to the
switch could be right where that air collects. Air is less likely to
plug the pressure switch inlet tube, so they might have chosen the high
spot on the pump to supply the switch.

Take a look at the pictures.
The main question is WHAT is supposed to be inside that copper pipe?
Â* air or water

Which brings to mind - if the pressure switch otherwise operates
properly (turn on/off as you manipulate it), you could have rust or
crud
plugging up the tubes or inlet of that switch.

Maybe. I may have to disassemble the pressure switch but I was leaning
toward just replacing it (but Home Depot doesn't have them in stock).


You could try removing the copper tube on the switch by loosening th
nut on the switch end of it, and try starting the pump for a moment to
see if water comes squirting out, it nothing comes out, something is
plugged up ahead of that that would need to be fixed.

Again, try adjusting the nut on the big spring of the switch to a
lower pressure cutoff to see if that solves the problem. Your pump
clearly can barely make it to 53 PSI, and the 50 PSI switch might just
be a little above that just from age, or the pump is not pumping as
strong as it used to. Both the pump and the switch have tolerances and
adjustment is the way to fix that quickly.


By the way, your pump probably ran till the water in it boiled, and that
over-pressured your hose, and blew out the plastic fitting, which looks
like it's outer end was stretched by the hot pressure before the plug
blew out.

Also, however you end up fixing it, you should make sure the pressure
switch setting is at least a few PSI lower than the pumps maximum
pressure capability. Otherwise, tolerances may repeat the problem over
time.

Just had another thought. Could the air noise you are hearing be from
the conduit carrying the power wire from the power box nearby? If so, it
could be air pushed through the conduit from the motor cooling fan.

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:39:03 -0700, Bob F wrote:
You could try removing the copper tube on the switch by loosening th nut
on the switch end of it, and try starting the pump for a moment to see
if water comes squirting out, it nothing comes out, something is plugged
up ahead of that that would need to be fixed.

That's a good idea. With the pump running I loosened the top copper nut.
Water squirted out, clearly under pressure within a few turns.
So that pipe is definitely carrying water under pressure.

Interestingly at the same time I _removed_ the dial gauge (to clean it).
There is NOTHING coming out of the dial gauge hole. Not air. Not water.
Even when the pump is running for a few minutes.

Again, try adjusting the nut on the big spring of the switch to a lower
pressure cutoff to see if that solves the problem. Your pump clearly can
barely make it to 53 PSI, and the 50 PSI switch might just be a little
above that just from age, or the pump is not pumping as strong as it
used to. Both the pump and the switch have tolerances and adjustment is
the way to fix that quickly.

I plan on replacing the switch but you have a point that if it's not the
switch, at least playing with the adjustments can pinpoint if that's the
problem, or if the pump can't get up to cutoff pressure (it may have
overheated).

I hadn't thought of the problem being the pump until you mentioned that.

I will look up HOW that switch works because there are three or so different
adjusting locations and I'm confused since I haven't looked at that yet.

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:53:28 -0700, Bob F wrote:
By the way, your pump probably ran till the water in it boiled, and that
over-pressured your hose, and blew out the plastic fitting, which looks
like it's outer end was stretched by the hot pressure before the plug
blew out.

I think you're right when I look at the distorted plastic plug.

At first I thought it was two different threads, big and little.
But now I realize it blew up like a balloon until it finally failed.

That's probably why the pinhole in it which is the failure from heat.
Somehow, eventually, it worked its way out - maybe from the water pressure
on the pinhole "spinning" it out (if that's even possible) as these things
are in there really tightly.

The inner end was likely confined by the threads in the pump.
So the outer end was ballooned only.

I didn't think of this until you said it and I 100% agree with you.
It must have been HOT.

Also, however you end up fixing it, you should make sure the pressure
switch setting is at least a few PSI lower than the pumps maximum
pressure capability. Otherwise, tolerances may repeat the problem over time.

I hadn't thought of that but it's a good idea to lower the set pressure.

Unfortunately when I REMOVED the stuck gauge with the pump running NOTHING
came out (I was trying to determine if it was clogged and I was trying to
tell if it sensed water or air). There was some gunk (not much) in the hole
of the pump and no gunk to speak of in the gauge hole.

I find it odd that the side of the pump with the guage (which looks EXACTLY
like the side of the pump with the copper hose (they seem symmetric) has
NOTHING coming out of it at the same time that the copper side has water
pressure when I loosened the bolt.

My tentative conclusion is the gauge side is blocked somehow - or - since
the gauge never worked - maybe it isn't designed to have pressure???????

I need to buy a water pressure gauge that goes on the end of a garden hose.
I do know that when the bladder shows only about 25 psi the water pressure
in the house is ok and when the bladder is at about 30 psi the water
pressure in the house is fine.

Could it also be the air pressure in the bladder being too low?
(I'll pump it up today when the pressure drops down again.)

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:57:01 -0700, Bob F wrote:
Just had another thought. Could the air noise you are hearing be from
the conduit carrying the power wire from the power box nearby? If so, it
could be air pushed through the conduit from the motor cooling fan.

You are probably right. The hiss may be from my imagination since it's
really hard to hear given the pump is running - and the air that I can feel
is very little - like the puff you do with a baby before you dunk it into
the water (to get it to close its mouth).

The constant puff of air I can feel at the bottom of the pressure switch is
probably just air from the motor running.

The problems I can fix now a
|1| I can pressurize the bladder to 28psi when the pump is off and no pressure.
|2| I can watch the operating of the pressure switch when the pump goes on.
|3| I can lower the low/high pressure to something like 30/40 psi.

The mysteries that have been solved a
|1| The distorted plug probably ballooned from pressure & heat.
|2| The bad gauge never moving is because there is no pressure on that side.
|3| The copper pipe to the pressure switch definitely has water in it (not air).

The mysteries that remain a
|1| Why does the pressure gauge side of the motor have nothing coming out?
|2| Is it lack of pressure or a bad switch preventing the motor from turning off?
|3| Was the plastic 1-inch plug originally there as a safety valve?

On 6/7/2021 5:15 AM, dan wrote:
On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:39:03 -0700, Bob F wrote:
You could try removing the copper tube on the switch by loosening th nut
on the switch end of it, and try starting the pump for a moment to see
if water comes squirting out, it nothing comes out, something is plugged
up ahead of that that would need to be fixed.

That's a good idea. With the pump running I loosened the top copper nut.
Water squirted out, clearly under pressure within a few turns.
So that pipe is definitely carrying water under pressure.

Interestingly at the same time I _removed_ the dial gauge (to clean it).
There is NOTHING coming out of the dial gauge hole. Not air. Not water.
Even when the pump is running for a few minutes.

Again, try adjusting the nut on the big spring of the switch to a lower
pressure cutoff to see if that solves the problem. Your pump clearly can
barely make it to 53 PSI, and the 50 PSI switch might just be a little
above that just from age, or the pump is not pumping as strong as it
used to. Both the pump and the switch have tolerances and adjustment is
the way to fix that quickly.

I plan on replacing the switch but you have a point that if it's not the
switch, at least playing with the adjustments can pinpoint if that's the
problem, or if the pump can't get up to cutoff pressure (it may have
overheated).

I hadn't thought of the problem being the pump until you mentioned that.

I will look up HOW that switch works because there are three or so different
adjusting locations and I'm confused since I haven't looked at that yet.

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:53:28 -0700, Bob F wrote:
By the way, your pump probably ran till the water in it boiled, and that
over-pressured your hose, and blew out the plastic fitting, which looks
like it's outer end was stretched by the hot pressure before the plug
blew out.

I think you're right when I look at the distorted plastic plug.

At first I thought it was two different threads, big and little.
But now I realize it blew up like a balloon until it finally failed.

That's probably why the pinhole in it which is the failure from heat.
Somehow, eventually, it worked its way out - maybe from the water pressure
on the pinhole "spinning" it out (if that's even possible) as these things
are in there really tightly.

The inner end was likely confined by the threads in the pump.
So the outer end was ballooned only.

I didn't think of this until you said it and I 100% agree with you.
It must have been HOT.

Also, however you end up fixing it, you should make sure the pressure
switch setting is at least a few PSI lower than the pumps maximum
pressure capability. Otherwise, tolerances may repeat the problem over time.

I hadn't thought of that but it's a good idea to lower the set pressure.

Unfortunately when I REMOVED the stuck gauge with the pump running NOTHING
came out (I was trying to determine if it was clogged and I was trying to
tell if it sensed water or air). There was some gunk (not much) in the hole
of the pump and no gunk to speak of in the gauge hole.

I find it odd that the side of the pump with the guage (which looks EXACTLY
like the side of the pump with the copper hose (they seem symmetric) has
NOTHING coming out of it at the same time that the copper side has water
pressure when I loosened the bolt.

My tentative conclusion is the gauge side is blocked somehow - or - since
the gauge never worked - maybe it isn't designed to have pressure???????

I need to buy a water pressure gauge that goes on the end of a garden hose.
I do know that when the bladder shows only about 25 psi the water pressure
in the house is ok and when the bladder is at about 30 psi the water
pressure in the house is fine.

Could it also be the air pressure in the bladder being too low?
(I'll pump it up today when the pressure drops down again.)

On Sun, 6 Jun 2021 21:57:01 -0700, Bob F wrote:
Just had another thought. Could the air noise you are hearing be from
the conduit carrying the power wire from the power box nearby? If so, it
could be air pushed through the conduit from the motor cooling fan.

You are probably right. The hiss may be from my imagination since it's
really hard to hear given the pump is running - and the air that I can feel
is very little - like the puff you do with a baby before you dunk it into
the water (to get it to close its mouth).

The constant puff of air I can feel at the bottom of the pressure switch is
probably just air from the motor running.

The problems I can fix now a
|1| I can pressurize the bladder to 28psi when the pump is off and no pressure.
|2| I can watch the operating of the pressure switch when the pump goes on.
|3| I can lower the low/high pressure to something like 30/40 psi.

The mysteries that have been solved a
|1| The distorted plug probably ballooned from pressure & heat.
|2| The bad gauge never moving is because there is no pressure on that side.

Rust or crud is blocking the passage. You could try probing into the
gauge hole with a screwdriver to see if it you can knock it loose. I'd
do that with some water pressure in the system, so the crud that breaks
loose gets flushed out (in your face?) rather than stay in the pump and
maybe damage the impeller inside. Otherwise, you will need to
disassemble the impeller end of pump a bit to clean it out.

Also, check that the hole in the end of the gauge is not plugged while
you have it out

|3| The copper pipe to the pressure switch definitely has water in it (not air).

The ell on the switch and the switch itself could still be plugged, so
you could check those too. You should be able to loosen the electrical
conduit and motor nuts in the switch box and rotate it to where you can
see with the copper tubing disconnected.


The mysteries that remain a
|1| Why does the pressure gauge side of the motor have nothing coming out?
|2| Is it lack of pressure or a bad switch preventing the motor from turning off?

Adjust to test that.

|3| Was the plastic 1-inch plug originally there as a safety valve?


That is a very good thought. You might consider that to be a reason to
replace it. You could also also add a thermal switch on the pump case to
activate an alarm, cutoff relay, or ever a garden sprinkler valve to
vent water outside.

Getting the pressure switch working properly should mostly solve that
problem for a long time

On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 06:55:04 -0700, Bob F wrote:
Rust or crud is blocking the passage.

It must be that because otherwise why would there be zero anything?
It must have been plugged for many years as I've never seen it move.

You could try probing into the
gauge hole with a screwdriver to see if it you can knock it loose.

When I opened it up I cleaned out what I could.
There wasn't much and it was gooey (not hard).
Not even a teaspoon full.

The threaded hole isn't deep so the passageways must be to the side.
I don't think I can get to them.
It might be difficult to take apart this part of the pump mechanism.
It may not be worth it just to get the gauge working.

do that with some water pressure in the system, so the crud that breaks
loose gets flushed out (in your face?) rather than stay in the pump and
maybe damage the impeller inside. Otherwise, you will need to
disassemble the impeller end of pump a bit to clean it out.

Also, check that the hole in the end of the gauge is not plugged while
you have it out

The gauge is stuck at 40 psi now (before it was around 60psi or 70).
If it's plugged it's not in the first 1-1/2 inches as a paperclip goes up.

I don't mind replacing the gauge with an oil filled gauge if I can find one.
But if there's no pressure in the hole the gauge isn't going to matter.

One question is how accurate is the pressure measured at the bladder?
That's EASY to measure.

But is that the true water pressure?
I don't know.


|3| The copper pipe to the pressure switch definitely has water in it (not air).

The ell on the switch and the switch itself could still be plugged, so
you could check those too. You should be able to loosen the electrical
conduit and motor nuts in the switch box and rotate it to where you can
see with the copper tubing disconnected.

I agree with all of your advice as you are logically sound.

I had loosened the short bolt 3/8th inch nut by 5 turns (which should lower
the high end cutoff by about 10 pounds) but the pump still ran on forever.

So if the 20# range was previously at 40 to 60, now it would be 30 to 50.

The mysteries that remain a
|1| Why does the pressure gauge side of the motor have nothing coming out?
|2| Is it lack of pressure or a bad switch preventing the motor from turning off?

Adjust to test that.

After adjusting the upper end smaller bolt, I lowered the whole range by
five turns (loosened big bolt nut) so if it was 40 to 60 originally, and if
it's 30 to 50 now, then it would be 30 to 40 now. (I don't know what it was
set at prior so I'm just giving examples.)

With the range lowered by 5 turns and the upper end lowered by 5 turns
I'm hoping to test what will happen. I will respond back when I find out.


|3| Was the plastic 1-inch plug originally there as a safety valve?


That is a very good thought. You might consider that to be a reason to
replace it. You could also also add a thermal switch on the pump case to
activate an alarm, cutoff relay, or ever a garden sprinkler valve to
vent water outside.

Given EVERYTHING else around it is built like a Sherman tank, I have to
wonder if the plumber who put that plastic plug in knew what he was doing.

Then again, the motor says it has a safety thermal valve so the motor
"should" have shut off - but maybe the pump was cooled enough by the water
to prevent the motor from overheating even as the pump may have overheated.

Something pretty major had to happen for that plug to blow out like a
balloon (which you noticed before I did) and to still keep the threads which
were inside the pump seemingly intact.

Getting the pressure switch working properly should mostly solve that
problem for a long time

Yes. It may be that the pump just can't get past 52 psi which if that's the
case I'm fine with the pressure switch turning it off around 40 psi.

What kind of pressure do people normally have in their house anyway?