# Pump keeps Cycling Every 2-5 Minutes



## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

We thought it was because of the leak from the faucet outside-been a slowly developing constant ooze for years that last week kept running as if the faucet was turned on no matter how tight we turned it to "off". We were starting to lose water pressure. The plumber fixed the leak, but said the pump was too loud, and that it sounded like it was near to failure. Its a 50 ft well and most of the neighboring 40 ft wells went dry, necessitating neighbors to dig 70 ft wells. Plumber does not sell wells, BTW, so he has no $$ stake in this. Plumber thought we might have a leak under the slab. Cement block house, plumbing may predate 1984. I am leaning toward well running dry, GFB thinks it would run constantly and not shut off. I think it must have an "interrupt" so it doesn't run constantly.
Ideas? It kept waking me up last night.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Is there a pressure gage on the system? A look at that would clear up the cause.


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## pinemead (Jan 18, 2003)

Happened to me and it was the pressure tank.


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

Sounds like the pressure tank to me, too. Seems like we have to replace the pressure tank every 5 years or so.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

How long has it been since you topped up the air in your pressure tank? Some tanks need repressurizing when the air has been depleted. You add the air through a small valve on the side of the tank using an air pump or pig that you would use to add air to a tire.


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## Daddyof4 (Jan 5, 2004)

We had the problem twice. The first time we had plenty of water and figured out it was the pressure switch. The pressure switch is in that black box that hangs off the back of the pump and has the plug wire going into it. The water pipe leading into it got partially clogged with sediment and we had to replace the tube and clean the rubber disc to make it flex properly. Sediment caked on the rubber disc and caused it to be too stiff to flex and the sediment in the water pipe also hindered it. The best thing to do is just replace the whole pressure switch if it is old. But cleaning the tube and the disc it is a sufficient quick fix until you can get another switch.

The second time this happened it was the way we had the pump set up. We had originally set the pump up for a shallow well of 25 feet. It worked fine with the water table which wasn't even 20 feet to the top. But when the water table dropped to nearly 40 feet that caused the pump to work too hard as it was set and it constantly shut on and off and eventually burned out before we figured it out. You have to set your jets a certain way and use a foot valve at the end of the pipe to make it pump deep water, particularly if the water is over 40 feet down. 

Check those two things first as they are primary causes and the least expensive to fix. In other words grab the low hanging fruit before you climb into the tree.

One other helpful hint is to make sure you have a pressure gage installed. This helps you determine if it is cutting on and off with the correct pressure. Ours is set to cut on once it falls below 40 lbs. and cut off at 50 lbs.


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## HopeFarms (Mar 7, 2008)

Same thing happened to us. Then, it just wouldn't stop running and there was no water. The impeller was bad (inside the pump)....

now we have county water, I miss my well water!!

Good luck!


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## Gailann Schrader (May 10, 2002)

Do you have a slab house? My break is a broken line INSIDE the slab.

You are pumping a low-water table anyway and drawing the well dry...

Turn off your pump when it's not being used.

You can burn up your pump if you don't.

I turn my pump on, get about 10-20 minutes of low water, then turn it back off. Fill up your livestock waterers (if you have livestock), 55 gal drums, etc. while you have water and rotate your watering methods. 




Been using this method since last August/September. Hopefully my new lines will be run in another month.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

Thank you everyone. 
Convinced GFB to turn it off last night and this morning pressure never came back. We have a round pressure gauge but all it does is show psi. reprimed 3 times, had to borrow water from neighbors to sponge bath and make coffee..
GFB got a well/pump man out today. The 50 ft well has the "foot" and plenty of water. Apparently the 30 plus year old pump just wore out, replacement now installed...
There is a large mysterious tank at the back of the pump house that the pump pipes lead to, then into the house from there. Would that be the pressure tank? The whole thing was incredibly rusty and all connections securely sedimented shut according to what I heard...
Thank you for all suggestions and will start looking for instructional materials to learn what is what..retirment is approaching and would like ability to do preventive maintenenace by self.


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## BobK (Oct 28, 2004)

if the large mysterious tank is galvanized it probably is a old-style pressure tank wich are prone to waterlogging.....once the tank is waterlogged it will cycle off and on repeatedly until you recharge the tank with air or replace it with a bladder-style tank...

good luck and if there is a danger of the well running dry an investment into some pump protection is in order to save the pump from damage!


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## Gailann Schrader (May 10, 2002)

My old water pressure tank is BURIED. *shudder*

So when it failed my well-guy didn't dig it up. He said it would work as a passive storage for some years yet. I now have a brand new lovely blue pressure tank in the house. Works much better and I can hear it cycle on and off better.

Sorry it was more costly than what you were hoping!

And yes, it's probably the pressure tank...


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