Well presure adjustmet

[Paddy]

I had a well pump replaced a few years back. They also replaced the presure unit. The pump kicks out at 45 psi and on at 28 psi. Before I start adjusting I will make sure the bladder tank in presurized at 30 psi. When I pull the cover of the presure unit, there are two lock nuts on a shaft with springs, one large and one small. I assume the large is the upper end shut off.

I could just turning the nuts and see what happens or...ask you folks. To increase the total range, say to 60/40 psi, do I tighten both? Loosen one tighten the other??

thanks

 

[Jimbrown]

Tain't quite that simple. I would have to go down to my well house and look at one. Most have the instructions right on the inside of the cover. But one of them I don't recall from memory raises both the turn off and turn on at the same time. and then you adjust the other one to set the turn on pressure. I never had much luck didiling with them. If you want a 60 psi pressure just go buy a 60psi switch they are about $15 or less most places.

 

[HomeBrew2]

As with Jim, I don't remember without looking either and also haven't had much luck with large changes in pressure. Small changes, yes. The thing that caught my attention was your pre-charge of the bladder tank. I was thinking, for my tank anyway, that you pre-charge to 2-3psi less than your desired kick-in pressure ...

 

[LarryD]

HomeBrew2 is correct on the precharge setting, and the tank needs to be empty to correctly read the psi on the bladder.

Here is a link for adjusting your pressure and some information on short cycling your pump.

Solar Water Pumping - Adjusting Water Pressure to Reduce Energy Waste

 

[thingy]

You can adjust a square d brand pressure switch,,one,the center one I think,adjusts the range,by turning clockwise,you increase both cutoff and cuton equally,,the other one,,by turning clockwise,,widens the difference between cut on and cut off,,,you just gotta play with them a little,letting your pump cycle on and off a few times to where you get it to where you want it,,,,than,,adjust your air pressure tank to about 2 lbs less than cut on,,,but like the others have said,,,you want to go up a good bit,,so,,you might have to get a new 60/40 switch,,,,but you could play with the old one first and see,,maybe it will get close to what you want? If you put a new switch in,get that little 1/2 or1/4 nipple too,,its not that big a job,,turn electic off,undo wires,[draw you a little sketch,first of the wires],,unscrew old one,,and put on new one,,might want to use a little teflon tape,,but be carefull with it,,don't let any get inside pipe,,,,,thingy

 

[Raddad]

The big nut is the upper number and the small nut is the lower kick on number

 

[GaryQWA]

The air pressure with no water in the tank should be 1-2 psi less than the cut-in switch setting. I.E. 30/50 gets 29-28 psi with no water in the tank.

With the iar pressure higher than the cut-in, you get no water for a few seconds as the tank empties before the pump comes on.

The tall nut CW raises both cut-in and cut-out and the short one increases/decreases the cut-out only. You should not have less than 20 psi differential between the cut-in and cut-out. More is OK but you can go too much and it will make the pressure fluctuation more noticeable.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

 

[Paddy]

Wow, thanks for all the input. Since I need to shut off the water to confirm bladder presure, a $15-20 new switch may be be best. My current one is so low, it may not have the adjustment range.

 

[thingy]

play with it first,,it may do what you want,,,ain't got nothing to lose,,,thingy

 

[scott_vt]

Evenin Paddy,
All good suggestions on the thread, but Im thinkin that if you have a 20/40 switch your not gonna be able to adjust it to 30/50 . You can only get so much variation out of the lower pressure switch.

In any event sounds like your on the right track. BTW I keep a spare down in the cellar just incase