Well Pressure Switch Keeps Opening & Closing

Safety Considerations

• Before messing around with the pressure control switch on your well pump, you should take all the necessary safety precautions. Failure to do so could prove fatal. The Inspectapedia website makes note of the inherent danger of working with electrical devices around water. Doing so will increase the potential for electric shock. After shutting off the power supply, use a voltage tester to double-check and verify that there is no electricity feeding into your well pump.

Sensor

• One possible reason that your well pressure switch would cycle off and on intermittently is due to the amount of sediment in your water. People that live in areas with a high level of water sediment may experience a clogged sensor from time to time. If the sensor is clogged, it can cause the pressure switch to malfunction because it will not be able to properly read the amount of water pressure in the well pump system.

Other Sources

• It is possible that sediment will build up in other areas of the well pump system as well. Buildup in any of these areas can adversely affect the reading that the water switch sensor receives, causing it to turn off and on in an erratic fashion. Possible sources of buildup include the filter and any of the inlet or outlet valves where water flows from one part of the system to the next. These small openings can easily become clogged, preventing the proper level of water flow from taking place. You may also experience changes in pressure due to a leaking water tank. It is also possible that the air pressure charge in the well tank could be less than what it needed, or it may be overcharged. In either case, the sensor may read this as the need to adjust the water pressure, causing the pressure switch to either open or close accordingly.

Replacement

• If the water pressure switch itself is the malfunctioning piece of equipment, chances are that it will need to be replaced. The same is true of the water pump itself. However, before jumping to that conclusion, always check the other parts of the well pump control system for debris to determine whether or not poor pressure readings are causing the perceived malfunction. This could save you time and money.