GardenBanter.co.uk - New pump turns on every 57 seconds.

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I just recently installed a new irrigation pump for my lawn. It is a
one hp irrigation pump using a 30/50 pressure switch. Everything
seems to be working with one hitch. The pressure switch kicks in
every 50 seconds or so even when there is no command from the timer to
water. It only kicks in for a couple of seconds and then shuts down.
Just before it kicks in again I can hearing a faint clicking and it
gets faster just before kicking in. It is like it is losing pressure
constantly. I don't know if this has anything to do with it but I was
told I didn't need to replace the air tank since I was only using it
now for irrigation and not to get water for the house. Do I have a
defective pressure switch, is the missing tank the problem, or did I
wire something wrong? Any help would be appreciated. Also if you
could cc a copy to I would see the answer sooner.

Thank you.

Dennis

It sounds like you have some pieces of an irrigation system and some pieces
of a household system. They have different design considerations and don't
work well together. An irrigation system uses low pressure and constant
flow; a household system uses a higher pressure pump and the pressure tank
is to provide intermittent flow on demand. The two sets of components don't
mix well together.

If your pump is controlled by a pressure switch you should have a high
pressure pump and a pressure tank, AFAIK. It sounds like you have a low
pressure high volume irrigation pump intended to be operated by the
irrigation system's timer and starter solenoid, not a pressure switch and
that the pressure switch should not be in the system.

You could install a pressure tank, but I wouldn't recommend it. You could
set the pressure switch low enough to come on and off and charge the tank,
it won't be a satisfactory solution and is likely to cause pump damage when
the switch becomes finicky and you're not around.

I think you have two choices -- (a) remove the pressure switch and replace
it with a starter solenoid operated by the irrigation controller, or (b) add
a pressure tank, set the pressure switch at 30 - 45 psi, and expect a short
pump life.

I have exactly the same problem right now resulting from taking over an
irrigation system that was installed by someone unaware of the differences
between an irrigation system, which is low pressure/high flow , and a
household system, which is high pressure and intermittent flow. The system
I inherited has an incompatible irrigation pump and pressure tank and has
nearly self-destructed several times. Once it gives up I'll take the
pressure tank out of the system and go with a standard irrigation pump
configuration controlled by the irrigation timer..