Well Pump Troubleshooting at The Pressure Switch. DIY Test & Fix for No Water.

[@Mason-nm1vf]

Your videos are excellent. The way you explain things coupled with the amount of time you take to make sure we get it is second to none! Many thanks to you for taking the time to do these posts! 🙏 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@GrenshawHomes1977]

Ive dropped two well pumps,wire,seals, bladder tanks at my 2 separate lands...Ive from the inner city..never seen a well pump in my life...This guy has taught me everything I needed...I enjoy this channel and never subscribed to anyone until this guy...Support!...When I turn on the pump Im grateful for the youtubers....

[@h2omechanic]

@@GrenshawHomes1977 I appreciate the respect 🙏

[@Fireship1]

I don’t even have well water, but I still watch your videos for the meticulous troubleshooting tips and clean water system installs. If i ever move to a home with a well I’ll be all set!

[@davidstreling3690]

i have typed the same response as well

[@scottwilson8581]

Same.

[@SBRACloud]

Love the way you break everything down! Very simple processes.

[@LightSpinAngler]

You’re the man! Always learn something new from your videos.

[@lpconserv6074]

Many thanks for the tutorial. Retired and living in the Philippines. Been in a drought for 4 months here and finally gave up on the local water system. We are having a local guy drill us a well. He has drilled 2 recently within 400 yards of me. Says he expects to see a water source at around 220 feet. I watch everything you post. It lets me at least semi understand what to expect. I was a plant engineer, so I actually can design the pumps and piping systems, but the knowledge of what goes on under the ground is new for me. They would kill for a drilling rig like you have. They do it manually, and for the first 10 days, they did it with 4 men lifting the pipe with a 5 1/2" bit on it and dropping it down. Then using a scoop to pull up the spoil from the hole. Normally they have a gas motor that pulls the pipe up and drops it but it was in the shop for repairs. Just got it back yesterday, so everyone is relieved that the motor can do most of the hard work. Your info on your drilling days has been a very big help to me. These guys are literally in the stone age, but have no fear of hard work. So we have made progress although very slow. We are just over 80 feet down. Fingers crossed that we find the water like the neighbor. It is beautiful crystal clear water. Thanks again...👍

[@kylelaw7210]

Hard to believe people go two days without water because they don’t know how to change a $30 part. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@JR-vg3gg]

Outstanding!!! I wish I could have learned from you in 1982 when I bought a house with a well and had to learn by trial and error.

[@dougcope1723]

Great video and explanation of how to use a clamp-on ammeter for troubleshooting. One thing that was not mentioned is that you can also use an ammeter to check the integrity of the discharge pipe from the pump to the well head. It is not uncommon for a submersible pump to break off at the point of attachment to the discharge pipe. This is fairly common on older systems where galvanized riser pipe was used, due to repeated start/stop torque. The one thing most people do not realize is if you remove the head or back pressure from an electric pump, the pump will move more water than it is designed to pump due to lack of resistance to flow. This usually results in the pump drawing anywhere from 10% to 20%. above nameplate amps for the pump model in question. For example, if you look at the run amp rating on the pump control box and it states full load amps is 7.5A and your clamp-on ammeter is reading somewhere above 7.5 amps but not over 8 or 9 amps, there is a good chance that the pump is OK, but it had become detached from the discharge pipe where it connected to the pump. Second comment. When you went into the wire color details on the pressure switch terminals you didn't mention that today we are seeing a change in wire color with respect to 240V wiring. Traditionally when wiring a 240V circuit you used a cable with a Black and White current conductors and a third bare ground wire. Today most electrical contractors are installing cable with a Black and Red pair of current conductors and a bare ground wire when the circuit voltage is known to be 240V. So on 240V supply circuits you may see either a Black/White pair, a Black/Red pair, and in some cases even a Black/Black pair. On the well pump side of things you may see Black/White, Black/Red/, or even Black/Black depending on what cable was used. The main take away for both 240V and 120V systems is to make sure the two supply conductors, irrespective of color land on separate contact terminals. The two current carrying wires to the pump land on the remaining screw of each contact pair. Normally it is fairly easy to determine which of the four terminal screws pair to a contact by using an ohmmeter to determine which is which.

[@kenbrown3571]

Glad to see you're feeling better!

[@h2omechanic]

@@kenbrown3571 pre-recorded video prior to covid. I'm still recovering

[@judithcook1167]

THANK YOU!!! We are in our mid 60's, and are so thankful for your videos!! It is like a mini course in Well help and troubleshooting!! My husband is very handy, and quick..but having your knowledge to help is invaluable!! We have learned so much!!

[@cad68m_m]

Excellent trouble shooting video, Good coverage of amp and volt readings,

[@bobbyclegg2065]

Very detailed explanation of the well pump system !!

[@fxm5715]

This amp reading part of this was exactly what I needed to know. Many, many thanks!

[@minouchat]

Another video with very informative details. Thanks Philip Have a great day.🍻🍻

[@tomtom6319]

Do a video on filter systems please Thank you

[@transmitterguy478]

Phillip Poseidon, the God of water! Great video Phillip, you are a hard worker who cares!😂

[@allenbrown7820]

2 days without water? I would have done watched some of your videos and made a trip to lowes or home depot! We finally have our new well drilled after waiting 7 months,. Waiting for health dept. to give us the ok for the water sample.😁 Well got struck by lightning and melted the casing to the pump. Be Safe!

[@Keith_Mikell]

Thanks phil i got my cistrine taken care of. I added more hydro cement to the bowl setup and that should hold. so far so good and we have had rains. Much love youre a good soul for finding me after i only sent you what i did. You will be rewarded with a soul like that.

[@Mtndoc75]

Excellent content. Thanks for taking the time to do this

[@kylelaw7210]

Looks like yall installed this one. I appreciate that yall write the needed psi on the tank. I would suggest also writing the install date on the tank. I know they come with a date code, but having it written on the tank would make it easier for home buyers or home inspectors determine how old the tank is.

[@rf9143]

This vid is the best vid of any video ive ever seen on YT. GOOD JOB.

[@williamutsman579]

thank you so much. I was able to get my system up because of your video.

[@h2omechanic]

Glad it worked!

[@Anomous2024]

Thank you Philip, i appreciate your awesome presentation, it's helped me greatly.

[@dog_biter]

You're so great,,thank you so much for all the help..guys like you keep the world going

[@johnauerbach1372]

An excellent procedure for diagnosis of well water system. Described concisely without extra words that fog the message. Should be a primer for anyone, pro or amateur working on a water. All of your videos are interesting, informative, and describe the logic behind each diagnostic procedure. The logic and thought processes are the most important because it facilitates the application to a wide range of system configurations, not just the system you are working on. KUDOS!

[@mikeproctor3664]

Very good information

[@fordx4n]

Great Video! I'm going to keep this one handy and save it

[@MaMa-qh4dy]

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU!!!

[@bobselby7246]

I've learned so much from you, I really appreciate you taking the time to do these videos

[@sferg9582]

Dang! Did you see that spider at the 1-minute mark??? LOL!

[@charlieromeo5340]

Good teaching

[@AnthonyMcClure-t9l]

Thanks!

[@AnthonyMcClure-t9l]

I have a brand new 25 gallon per min pump 1 horsepower my well is 138 ft deep how deep should the pump be ?

[@sen3990]

great content , explained very well lol no pun intended

[@bobbygzzz7116]

Always the best info..u guys rock...

[@davidskipperskip5403]

Excellent, we'll explained!!!!🎉😅

[@MartyMacgyver]

1:01 Spider: "No problem, here's that pressure gauge!"

[@Jeff-zk6dk]

Great information thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[@retjarhead]

Nice, good knowledge to share, thanks man..!!!

[@Caterpillar955]

Awesome, straight forward! Thanks.

[@Mason-nm1vf]

Have you ever done a video on replacing the bladder from inside one of the tanks?

[@jasonfulcher4194]

Your awesome dude thankyou for educating me .. I've been the one to help the people in interlachen fl. A lot of mobile homes and people that can't afford the plumber. So i either fix the pump or have to keep bringing them water cuz no cars....😮 ..anyway I've been learning to use my multieter and i tell people you learn this you can ealk down the road and find work for it to do .i will get another clamp meter now i gave the one i had to and individual batman billie , piano repair nan crazy .. thanks again you are the best...

[@dukeman7595]

I have a question: How much air pressure should be in a bladder tank with the water in it? I have a 30/50 pressure switch? Is the pressure different when filled with water? I have it set at 27lbs. per your directions. Thank you in advance I really enjoy your videos and have learned so much.

[@CarlosRamirez-zy8bm]

38

[@jim_ward]

great video

[@dentech4710]

Another good educational video…thank you.

[@lorennicholls5901]

Thank you for the information! Your videos helps me alot!

[@nmccw3245]

Philip, it's not Friday. You're messing with me. 😜

[@miltg6322]

Great video with awesome details. You said early on in the video that if you can move the tank, then the tank is good. Could you explain that a bit more? What does moving the tank tell you?

[@murky2502]

I appreciate you filming and sharing the video. What happened to the air in the pressure tank? You think it leaked from the Schrader valve and maybe reseated so it won't leak out again?

[@RiseAbove1-c9z]

Good job man. Thank you

[@toddharris3200]

Wow! You are truly amazing! The content you're uploading is so helpful and delivered in way that "Layman's" like myself can understand. Bravo to you! This morning I woke up and noticed lack of pressure in our water. The gauge said 20ish lbs or so. Normally the preasure switch would come on at 40 and build to 60 but today I'm just hearing a buzzing sound for 5-10 seconds and then a click as if it's turning off. My initial thought was bad pump but research is leading me to control box or pressure switch. Any ideas? Thanks! - Todd

[@newsield76]

Another really good video,

[@kennymelton9267]

What is the best brand for a pressure tank. Nice video. Very informative.

[@RydexTheWolf]

Also, if you open your pressure switch and only have 2 wires on one side of the switch, you have a contactor, which can be fouled up like a pressure switch. (Black/Sooty/Worn contacts) Idk how often you run into control boxes but probably 90% of the time if you have one, it's either the overloads have tripped or a bad start/run capacitor or both. I didnt know about the return voltage from testing the lines from the pump. I've always just tested resistance and if the lines were grounded out. :)

[@fmolds]

We are having severe storms out west . The power went out and our jet pump isn't working . Our system is a submersible to a 2500 gal tank and a surface pump charging the pressure tank . I'm going to start at the panel and check all the connections to the pressure switch. Now I know to check the tube and check the switch. Thanx

[@antonioheredia4948]

Young and smart. Thanks for your work. I have a new pressure tank, switch and gauge. The psi aligned with tank at 28, and switch at 30/50. All runs well during the day but when the iron filter does the backwash the switch loses the pressure and tank does not have time to refill. Air get in the pipes and water comes out with Pot-Perm residue (pink). I reset the switch lever and start working but the same happens. Thoughts?

[@Unknown-pc9yq]

That spider you reached right next to when getting the pressure gauge at the start of the video!!!! NOPE NOPE NOPE!

[@strobelightbrian]

Thanks for sharing!

[@northwoodsguy1538]

Nice😎👍

[@jkyontz]

Dang, you’re good!

[@mattshell7753]

Thank you so very much you are always so helpful with your videos Wish you were closer to the Missouri Ozarks To help me with mine

[@ZIBO2830]

Thanks for this vid, it was very informative If you have a chance can you troubleshoot 3 wire pumps?

[@andreankusnetsov7264]

Thanks for another great video. Got a situation here, i just ran out of water, switch seems a little burned and the pressure tank is waterlogged. Pressure gauge is 0. Ill run to the store tomorrow and try to change the tank and switch. My main worry, do i have a dead pump since i have power but pump does not turn on?

[@Shockeclipse]

Great video, I don't know any information about the pump in my well. Bought the place 6 years ago and I don't know the rating or the pump or anything. Do I need to call someone out for this?

[@vickikieft6108]

Milwaukee cordless air pump would be a good investment for you.

[@hairtrigger903]

I've love milwaukee but I regret buying the compressor. The regulator was poorly designed. When it fails, it's useless until it's disassembled and cleaned/oiled

[@glenodell4885]

Do you ever work on shallow wells with the pumps in the basement and well pipe going through the floor?

[@h2omechanic]

@@glenodell4885 occasionally I run across them. They are getting more rare in my area

[@HeatherBirkenfeld-b5v]

Do you have an email I could send an issue I have going on to ? I’ve found your videos to be the most helpful and I’m clueless on what to do about my current problem.

[@georgegoins6512]

that switch is labeled for line voltage and load, if you wire it correctly, it will last much longer. line will be your power and load will be your pump

[@makitaman60]

What about the black widow on the tool pouch when he reached for the pressure gauge?

[@kirkholmes9316]

So getting out of the shower two days ago I noticed the water pressure dying off pretty fast. Went to basement and saw breaker was off. I had been doing electrical work day before and thought maybe I had flipped off that breaker by accident and not noticed. I flipped it on and it stayed on. I went to tank and pressure guage was low so I learned from you about pressure. I added air to tank and we saw increased pressure at sink nearby and upstairs and increased on guage. Pump never kicked on however. I did the pressure switch cover trick and tested for power and there was power and no apparent issue with contacts but I didn't get any arcing. (Kind of an aside I'm confounded on is the romex I have going from control box and breaker power never registers with electricity tester but contact points of wires and junction box do test hot when hot. Don't understand why as all other romex I run tests hot when I tap tester to them) back to main issue, sorry, I opened up the control box and looked it over and noticed that the motor capacitor cap (where we have a black dot vs a white dot)was actually 'blown' off the capitol. I kind of figured it was dead seeing that but pushed the cap back on so round toothed clamps thing was re engaged. Still getting nothing from pressure switch. All the while here the pressure switch contacts have been engaged with wire harness leads., fyi. Eventually watching more videos from you and others I realized too that the pressure tank itself was bad as when moved it had water sloshing around inside and did not make a lovely hollowish sound when knocked on. Also fyi the wires were alternating white and black not black one side white other side. Since then I have now replaced the tank and fittings, pressure switch and control box. We couldn't afford the exact same make/model of tank (had maxtrol 20 gallon 125 max psi tank and replaced with water works 32 gallon max 100 psi tank. Control panel is a qd box. I have now watched all your pressure switch, tank and testing videos and gotten to when you use a clamp meter (I now know about this test AND own a clamp meter) on the wire in the pressure switch and I get a amp reading of zero. The wires in the top of well column housing read hot. I have not checked those wires with the clamp meter yet. I'm assuming I need to pull my well pump and troubleshoot, likely replace the pump itself. I am go8ng to watch your well pump troubleshoot now and how to pull a pump. Just a note, I already know I can't afford the higher end pumps, am I ok going with one from home depot?? Not sure what their brand is, but they only have one based on logos on boxes I glanced at. Hoping to hear from you any thoughts and/confirming to best of your ability from my short story if I have correctly diagnosed that it's my well pump.

[@johncoyne7004]

I’d hire you in a second.

[@fmolds]

Great video! Excellent explanation and detail. Thank you.

[@1976Datsun]

4:20 A bicycle tire pump will work. For the guy on a budget doing a one-time job. It's a work-out but not too bad.

[@Anthony-sx4cj]

What pump and set depth do you recommend for a 440' deep well with a 115' static water level and 50 gpm output? We plan on having a 5 bdr, 4 bath, with an inground pool and hot tub.

[@robertmalis4493]

Hey Philip, would it be OK if I could reach out to you? I have some questions.

[@aperson9495]

You should look at Ridgid's 18v Digital inflator - much smaller and lighter, and would likely do the job nicely.

[@larrycleeton]

The spider by the tool bag at about 1 min!

[@BrooksPatterson-o8q]

I have an issue with my system not maintaining pressure and my pressure switch kicking out. With the tank pressure tank full and the pump off normally you can use any water in the house (single draw at a time) without issue, but I have a separate line 3/4" line going out and with it running without restriction the pump does not maintain pressure. I replaced the pump approx. 11 years ago and have not had this issue in the past. Everything I see points to the pump going bad but thought I would get your opinion before I pull the pump.

[@nymustang5084]

What would cause one leg of of the pump (240v) to be 6amp and the other 2amp? Any advice for sizing a well pump? Or how to determine size of a unknown pump?

[@ohokayofficial]

Sean O’Malley and H2Omechanic need to be on a podcast together… just so we can hear the *voice comparison*

[@jpete5977]

Ha ha ha such a random thought, but I love it! I would watch that podcast!

[@anontimothy8]

How do things change when you have 3 residences running off a single well? I happen to be the highest and farthest from the well setup, pressure is low and i only have water half the time

[@joshg1244]

I’m pretty sure our pump will need to be replaced in the next few years. If we use a lot of water (hose on for 20min+) it will start to pull higher amps as the water level drops in the well and will kick off on thermal for 2 min then back on for 1min. I can watch it on my power monitor and graph it. Usually keep it off when that happens for about an hour and is fine after. Previous owner had the pressure switch modified to 55-70 psi and I think caused premature wear. Only 1.5gpm well too..

[@davidhalcomb1536]

Can a pressure tank be wired for 110?

[@Gardensnj5]

I just bought a 25 yr old house with a well only. I occasionally get a sulfur smell and Black goop into my tub and toilet. The next door neighbor says they have no such issue. I guess we are at different depths? Any ideas or recommendations?

[@AnthonyMcClure-t9l]

I have a brand new 25 gallon per min pump 1 horsepower my well is 138 ft deep how deep should the pump be ?

[@phillipmcgoldrick8913]

How do you determine which wires are which? I have four wires, all black, and they come all through one source-unlike yours that comes from 2 sides…does that make sense

[@DanielJackson-jx8gc]

Hey man, is it possible to call yall/you for a question

[@robertpeters9438]

Aparently new wiring color code rules are in effect.

[@mountaingoatoutdoors1645]

I have one leg read 140 volts coming back from the pump. What's that all about?

[@timdenney83]

I have a booster pump to boost my city water I live on a hill. But when the city water is out for a broken line on there side and I have not water going to my pump they run dry and burn up . Is there any thing that I could do to prevent this. I have had to replace 3 booster pumps so far.

[@daver681]

Help, yesterday I lost water pressure to a trickle and we replaced the pipe on the pressure switch because it was stopped up and rusty, no good 1/2 HP pump was pulling about 5.8 amps, this morning we pulled the pump to check things and all pipe and fittings looked good, turned the pump on and it sounded kind of rough it was 25 years old so I replaced it and we had good pressure for about 1 1/2 hours then we lost it again, what do you think?, Thanks Dave

[@shanascontrino5737]

have you recovered from covid cool

[@panchosoto3767]

I did that and i changed the switch and it work for one day and now is not working again the tank pressure is fine the gage psi is in 0 all that time included when it was working i do not know what is the problem 😊

[@hippogod13]

See that spider at the 1:01 mark?

[@charle902]

what if contacs are stuck together

[@h2omechanic]

Replace the switch and make sure the nipple is clean under the switch (or Replace it too.

[@brucehobbs1734]

Segregating those colors, hmmmm😅. Nuff said.

[@jessecrouse232]

What if my pump starts at 6.4 and slowly drops down until it eventually stops running? Time to replace the pump?

[@h2omechanic]

@jessecrouse232 not necessarily, 6.4a is good. Under load it does go down in amps slightly. But if it stops & the water quits, you might have a wire failure or a wore out pump impeller stack.

[@jessecrouse232]

@h2omechanic it will drop down to about 5.3 and hold there and It won't build any more pressure. I figured either bad pump or well drying up? Either way thank you for responding I appreciate it

[@h2omechanic]

@jessecrouse232 correct! It can be a dry well, if its been common in the past. Id check for a leaky toilet. But if its 10 years old, definitely can be a worn out pump too.

[@jessecrouse232]

@@h2omechanic actually the pump is 22 years old lol I'll be doing a pump this weekend. Btw Ive watched probably 30 of yours videos in the last 2 days and now I feel confident to tackle this. Thank you for everything 👍

[@markb.1259]

Snakes aren't the problem. It's those damn black spiders you nearly picked up when reaching for your air gauge... 1:01!!! Hate Spiders!!! haha

[@melissap.9404]

I changed my switch and my pressure gauge (the gauge was stuck at 30 psi). When I turned it back on, I still have the same problem. I now get a burst of water pressure, then only a trickle. Just enough to run the sink and toilet, but not enough to run the shower. The sound of the pressure tank sounds ok (it rings like a bell as you say). No water came out of the air valve, and I set the pressure per your instructions. Any ideas? The pump control box was changed a few years ago, but has a small dent like something may have hit it. Should I try changing it, or could it be something else?

[@Drvanosdrand]

Hey, Love the video's ! I'm with Greenshawhomes1977 below , I've done all sorts of repairs but would have never thought about replacing the well pump until The H2o tech showed me how, TY What are your thoughts on a Cycle stop vale ? The logic behind it makes sense to me but i'd like to hear from someone in the field .