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Troubleshooting And Fixing A Well Pump That Is Short Cycling

14 October 2016 by Brianna Cole

If you can hear your well pump continually cycling on and off, then it is said to be "short cycling". A short cycling pump is a serious problem because it will cause your electrical bill to spike and will greatly reduce the lifespan of your pump and other well water system components. 

In order to stop your well's pump from short cycling, you need to determine the cause of the problem and also understand how to safely fix it. To this end, follow these steps to rectify this problem today:

Step 1: Check the Pressure Gauge on the Pressure Tank

The pressure tank that is connected to your water system's pressure pump has a gauge on it that shows you what the current air pressure is inside of the tank. If the air pressure is too low in the pressure tank, then the pump will continually come on and try to fill the tank with water. Check your owner's manual for the pressure pump and verify that the gauge on the tank is reading the correct air pressure. If the air pressure is too low, then use your air compressor and add more air to the tank.

If there is too much air in the pressure tank, this can also cause a problem with short cycling. So, if you find that there is too much air in the tank, then you should release some air from the tank by depressing the valve stem.

Step 2: Check Your Sediment Filter to See if it is Clogged with Silt

If your water system uses a sediment filter to remove silt from your well water before it enters the pressure tank, then the filter might be clogged. If your system has a bypass valve, you can bypass the filter and see if the short cycling stops. If this solves the problem, then you should replace your sediment filter to solve the problem.

Step 3: Check for Frozen or Leaking Pipes

If the outside temperature is very cold, then a frozen pipe can cause your pressure pump to short cycle. The pump is trying to pull water through a frozen pipe and will continually turn itself off and back on again. This will also be the case if you have a leaking pipe. So, before you give up your troubleshooting efforts and call in a professional, first verify that you do not have any frozen pipes or leaks. Frozen pipes can be thawed by running a space heater or hair dryer near them for a few minutes until their water starts to flow again.

Contact a company like Central Florida Water Treatment Inc. for more information.

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