Well pump problem

[galute]

I've got a well pump problem I need help with. It seems to be overheating and shutting itself off. It is a 3/4 horsepower submersible. If you start from zero pressure and turn it on it will pump up about 20 psi then shut off, points on pressure regulator still contacted. After about a minute it will kick back on and pump from 20 to 40 psi and kick off again, pressure switch still contacted. Another minute and it will kick on again and go from 40 to 60 psi and kick off, this time kicking out at the pressure regulator.

I know it's not running out of water so that is not the problem.

It is a 230 volt pump. It has two 8 guage stranded hot wires run 340 feet from the panel to the regulator. Aparantly there was not enough of this wire available to run the ground so they ran 3 12 guage solid copper wires for the ground twisted together. I know thats not the correct way to do it but will that work? Could that be my problem? I checked with my multi meter and get 244 volts across the hot leads without the pump running and 234 with it running at the pressure switch. Could that ground be the problem? I just hate to pull all that wire out and re run it if thats not the problem not to mention I just don't have time to do it any time soon. Should I just **** it up and pull the pump and replace it?

Sorry for the long winded post, just thought more info would be helpful. Thanks for any help.

 

[csp]

You need to see what kind of amperage you're pump is drawing. It sounds like you might have an intermittent short or possibly a bad motor. You have to disconnect the underground wiring at the well head to determine which it is. You can't immediately discount a problem with the control box either.

I just went through this same thing and ended up replacing the motor and pump. My motor was completely locked up. Hope your well isn't as deep as mine. There was no way I was going to attempt to pull 320' of pipe with water in it.

 

[kbs2244]

One thing you do not have to worry about is the pump motor overheating.
It is under water and pretty well cooled.
It may have other problems though.

But you are discribing a thermal overload problem.
I would check any kind of controls you may have.

 

[STINEY]

Sounds more to me like your pressure tank is bad. Check the air bladder with a tire guage and let us know what it reads.

This can cause short cycling, which also has symptoms like yours.

 

[galute]

Thanks everyone for the help. The pump quit coming on at all today. Nothing. I finally got ahold of the guy that drilled the well and he came by and checked it out. It's getting full voltage down into the well but it is drawing practically zero amps. He thinks the motor is fried or possibly a broken wire from the well cap to the motor. He's gonna pull the pump tomorrow and fix it for me. Thanks again for the help.