If you’re having issues with your well pump not starting, not starting consistently, or starting too often, the first thing to check is your pressure switch. With the power OFF, take the lid off to do a visual inspection. To ensure the power is off, be sure to check it with a volt-meter first.

-Check/clean contact points
-Tighten all screws

Tip: Always use forked wires to connect to the terminals instead of bare threaded wire. If stranded wire is your only option, make sure that the wire is wrapped around the terminal in a clockwise direction.

If you have sediment in your water or pull water from a lake, it’s a good idea to check the nipple that connects to the bottom of the pressure switch for debris. For jet pumps you’ll want to check the copper/plastic tubing. Debris can get lodged inside the bottom of your pressure switch and “blind” it from reading the pressure, which can cause the pump to run intermittently and sometimes not at all. Before you unscrew this pipe, you’ll need to verify power is off and drain all the pressure from your system. If there is a lot of sediment visible in the diaphragm of the pressure switch you can try cleaning it out, however, I would recommend you just purchase a new one since they’re cheap and it can be a pain to clean out.

Finally, check that the contacts are opening and closing properly by turning on the system. For example, the contacts will close at 40 PSI and open at 60 PSI on a 40/60 switch.

That’s it! If you still have questions on troubleshooting be sure to check out our videos on our YouTube channel or give us a call at 855.329.4519.

Click here to see RC Worst YouTube Video "How to Adjust a Pressure Switch"