Ok... Here it goes!

First of all - Thanks for having a site like this. I have read and read and read posts similar to mine... but most of them go off on tangents.
SO... I thought I would start my own.

I have a Well Breaker that Trips - intermittently.

My setup: Submersible pump in a FREEZING COLD rural area. On Thursday, the wife called and said "We have no water". I instructed her to turn the breaker off to the well and water heater until I got home.

Changed the house filter, cleaned the nozzle on the water softener and reset the breaker.
Water began flowing immediately!
COOL - its FIXED!!! Or so I thought.

2 loads of wash, 2 showers, dishes and ??? Toilet flushes later (approx. 20 hours) we had no water again.

KNOWING that the pressure tank and pressure switch is in our VERY wet crawlspace (been through 3 switches in 8 +/- years due to moisture) I set out to replace everything.
Installing EVERTHING in our VERY small laundry room to prevent the moisture.

Installed - New 35gal Tank, New 40/60 Switch, and misc wiring and piping.

Started it up (2 small leaks - not bad) and filled the tank. All was good. I hoped in the shower, wife did SEVERAL dishes - about a total of 6 cycles.
FInally, as the wife did the FINAL load of dishes, I was standing in the laundry room - watching as the needle went down... 50, 40, 35 - CLICK, 30, 20, 10.....

So, it ran for several cycles but when it needed water as I was watching it, the breaker tripped instantly.

BTW - the system sat for about 20 minutes before the last trip. Meaning, the pump wasn't (or at least shouldn't have been) HOT.

In house - 2 adults and a teenager. 8 minute "shower rule"...

Not sure how old the well pump is... but we have been in this house for 8 years - and we have had no problems with it.

ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated! BUT, ideas involving me needing a new well pump will NOT be appreciated!

LOL

I know just enough about everything to make me dangerous!

Have you checked the amperage that the pump motor is pulling? How often is the breaker tripping?

Secure the Main power breaker. Check ALL wiring connections outside of well for proper secure connection / corrosion / signs of overheating.

Submersible pump 240 volt ---- has any other wiring circuit in house had any problems with power supply etc. (would indicate problem with one of the two 120 volt electrical power leads/supply to house). If familiar with electrical work, rule out PUMP 220 volt panel breaker by replacing/or temporary change out.

""I know just enough about everything to make me dangerous!""
Seriously ---
(Do NOT attempt if not familiar/aware that main power panel ALWAYS is partly hot even with main breaker off - unless meter is pulled.) If in ANY doubt get a electrician.

quote; (Do NOT attempt if not familiar/aware that main power panel ALWAYS is partly hot even with main breaker off - unless meter is pulled.)

I hope you are referring to the connections TO the main breakers, otherwise that makes no sense.

"Do NOT attempt if not familiar/aware that main power panel ALWAYS is partly hot even with main breaker off - unless meter is pulled."

Of course this applies to ANY work within the main power (service) panel and was directed at replacement of the PUMP breaker. If OP -- "I know just enough about everything to make me dangerous!" (or anyone) does not know/understand that --- they should NOT be doing ANY electrical work within a main power panel.

Explanation: Unless the meter is pulled, the power panel will have two "live 120 volt wires" going to/attached to the main breaker (even when main breaker is "Off".) These exposed connections can be accidentally touched while working on OTHER parts of the panel. --Not good. Experienced tradesmen/women know this - but others may not and should be cautioned/reminded and made aware.

I'm guessing that its chaffed wiring that shorting out and tripping the breaker.

Well...

I went out and bought another breaker and swapped them out. I then - pulled the top of the well off and THINK - I may have found the problem.

The screw's had broke off - except for one - and it was loose. Upon pulling off the top there was a TON of frost - around the hot wire. Like the wire nut was embedded inside the frost.

Tried to unscrew the wirenuts and they would NOT budge.

Cut the nuts off - stripped back some wire. Then took some sand paper and polished the ends up. Replaced the wirenuts with new nuts... and SO far - all is good!

Pump has cycled 3 times so far as I did a load of laundry, dished and toilet flushes.

I would appreciate if this post was left open... I will give it a while and post back either way.

Thanks again to all!

Well... all was good!
Then - today (after I swapped out the water heater for an unrelated problem and it was filling the heater tank) the breaker tripped again - Immediately as the pressure switch made contact.

Then, as I sit in the quite on my computer doing "office work" at 1:33am - I heard a "click" out in the garage. I went out - and guess what... YUP!!! The breaker tripped again - and the pump was NOT running this time!

I am lost...

Underground wire???

wire going to the pump itself???

I'll bet pressure switch. If the breaker tripped right as it made contact it may be arcing. Probably happened the same way at 1:30 am, except since you were upstairs you only heard the breaker not the pressure switch.

Not that I doubt anything anymore - but the pressure tank was reading 52 and the well was not running...

Nothing was on to make water run...

Ok, there's definitely a short somewhere.

I turned the breaker back on and stood in the garage waiting for the tank to fill back up. About 45 seconds into the pump running - I heard the short "humming/buzzing" of the wiring.

Yikes!

All that I have for testers is a Analog Multimeter - GMT-318

Sorry you still have not ID'd your problem.

In OP you did not want ideas involving needing a new pump.

However:

As previously posted by m&m now you may want to check your pump motor amperage. Last resort may be your pump motor OR wiring within well to the motor. Because your problem is "intermittent" hopefully it is not the actual pump motor.

Also - "IF" you have any aluminum wiring that can be a big problem. ANY copper wire connected directly to aluminum wire - not good. "IF" you do please advise for additional info. (Aluminum wire was often installed in homes built in the 60's and early 70's.)

A cheap home owner CLAMP-ON meter is available from Harbor freight.
Search -- Multimeter -- (for a Digital CLAMP-ON aprox $13)

Bright side -- A excuse to get additional tools is not all bad.

Borrowed a friends voltage meter.

Getting 110 at the well head... 110 at the pressure switch... 220 at the breaker.
Disconnected the water heater power - jumped over to the pressure switch - fired back up. 220 at pump!

Replaced the wiring from the panel to the pressure switch... now getting 220 all around!

Thanks for all your help and support!



Edited 1 times.

comment on 40-60 switch.. not related but you may want to consider changing it to what I call a 30,40-60 switch, (low pressure cut off ) if you don't have already... it may never be used as such, for the extra 4$ id consider it.