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john(MI) 
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: SE MI
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 Topic: Difficult Well Problem
Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 7:05pm |
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I changed out the bladder tank. Good to go! I turn on the breaker and it trips. Decided it has to be the breaker or the pressure switch. I go to HD and get a new switch and breaker. Changed them both, same problem. If I disconnect the well side of the switch it does the same thing. If I disconnect the breaker side the breaker doesn't trip. New switch is bad? I put an old one I had in and it does the same thing. Three bad switches? I only had a little leak to start with. Any thoughts on this?
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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JW in MO
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Joined: 16 Feb 2010
Location: South KC Area
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 7:13pm |
Did you try bypassing the switch? Remove the wires from the switch and tie them together then try the breaker.
Next, is it a submersible pump and if so, 2 or three wire, makes a difference how to attack it.
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john(MI)
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Location: SE MI
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 8:15pm |
It's a submersible pump.
It's a two wire. 240v 1 phase.
With only the power from the breaker connected to the switch it trips the breaker. The well side not connected. If I disconnect the breaker side wires, the breaker doesn't trip. Sounds like a bad switch?
If I give up who do I call? Plumber, Well Co. or electrician?
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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JW in MO
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Location: South KC Area
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 8:41pm |
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Very unusual for the switch to be grounded unless something came apart on the moving contacts but I have seen that before. To be clear, are you connecting both wires from the breaker to the switch? If so lets just number the 4 screws on the switch 1 to 4 from left to right. The wires from your breaker should go on terminals 1 and 3, the two wire going to your pump should go on 2 and 4. If you put the two wires from the breaker together on one side or the other it will be a direct short phase to phase and thankfully your breaker trips.
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shameless dude
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 8:41pm |
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well company
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john(MI)
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 9:30pm |
Got it. Its what you said. I was hooking it up wrong. My trusty ohm meter straightened me out. I could swear that's how I took it apart. Oh well!
Thanks for the help!
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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JW in MO
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 9:38pm |
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Glad that got it. With your pressure switch closed, no damage to it at all either. I spent many years training employees and basically had to do tech support over the phone, (without face time like today), got pretty good at imagining what they were seeing by how they described what was happening.
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john(MI)
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Posted: 23 Jul 2020 at 10:16pm |
 JW in MO wrote:
Glad that got it. With your pressure switch closed, no damage to it at all either. I spent many years training employees and basically had to do tech support over the phone, (without face time like today), got pretty good at imagining what they were seeing by how they described what was happening.
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I did too. Problem is I was working in electronics. I should have caught that sooner. Anther problem is there were three black and one white wires. When I took it apart it looked like both from the breaker were on the same side.
Getting old sure sucks. I should have built a table and relocated everything off of the floor. Would make it a damn lot easier to work on. I almost got caught in corner a couple times and thought I was gonna have to call for help.
Anyways it's all good now.
Thanks for your help JW.
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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allisorange
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Joined: 27 Mar 2010
Location: perkins, michig
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Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 6:51am |
Maybe taking a picture with cell phone before you took it apart would of helped.
J Carlson
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