Stuttering Galley Maid Water Pump

[GJH]

Well, after solving the problem in my prior thread; I am right back to my original one that led me to replace my old GM pump. Rather than run in one continuous motion when delivering water, it goes into a rapid staccato, machine gun on/off routine. I replaced the check valves and the accumulator tank reads 26 psi with no pressure in the system. See "Freshwater Pressure, as in None" for further details. I have another pump in the system, a Craftsman Shallow Well 240v that works perfectly, off the same brand new tank-side check valve (in addition to its own) and same accumulator tank. The Galley Maid also has its own directly mounted brand new check valve.

Now what?

George

 

[MikeP]

Sounds like it might be a problem with the pressure regulator as opposed to the pump itself. Open up the regulator (turn power off) and check the contacts on the solenoid. They may be arcing and need cleaning with a fine abrasive file - remember [ignition] points files? You can also use fine wet or Dry sandpaper. After that a shot of contact cleaner will ensure that the contacts aren't the problem. Also be sure the spring that actually controls the pressure setting isn't broken.

 

[GJH]

I'll take a look, but they are supposedly brand new.

Thanks,

George

 

[REBrueckner]

An accumulator tank often has a rubber bellows/diaphram inside and is pressurized to the water system pressure, typically 20 or 25 lbs or there abouts...The accumulator tank doesn't do all that much during build up of pressure, but helps reduce cycling when faucets are in use...

I forget if it's supposed to be set at cutout or cutin pressure, the former I think....IF one pump works just fine with the same accumulator tank and one pump doesn't, I'd check the pressure regulator as Mike suggested. "New" doesn't mean crapola all too often these days...Trust nothing!!!! That would be my first guess as most likely also....If the pressure regulator is ok, could you be getting air in the pump that's staacato?

Once the pressure is built up, does it hold? that is, as you don't have a leak on the pressure side of the system I assume as one pump does work....BUT if the pump outputs are isolated from each other by check valves, a leak might be present that affects only one...

 

[Canuck Dennis]

If the system is fairly small and the piping between the pump and acc. tank is short, this can cause pump stutter, if your pressure reg is mounted remote from the pump, re mount it on a syphon, this will stop the water hammer that is coming back into the pump reg and causing false readings in the reg thus creating the stutter. Otherwise, I have no other suggestions , but looking for corks might help. LOL..

 

[GJH]

Pump outlets are tee'd together. System maintains pressure when all outlets closed. I verified no obstruction in line from GM pump to rest of system (or the "cork test" as we now fondly call it). The accumulator tank, common to both pumps via about 8 feet of line reads about 26psi. This tank, a "Welltrol" looks about 3 gallons, does not have an incoming and outgoing line, rather just one line tapped into the overall system.
The GM does build pressure to about 30psi and shuts off when a load is removed. When a load is put on, it chatters away. The chatter/stutter is most pronounced as it dances close to its 30-35psi shutoff or when under load. For instance when I took pressure out of the system to measure the accume tank pressure, then turned on the GM (with no outlet open), the motor ran briefly but constantly up to 30 psi, then stuttered for a bit and stopped.

I am beginning to be more suspicious of the accume tank, but then as may be obvious, I have no idea what I am doing..

George

 

[Thomas W Peavy]

Sounds to me like you have a faulty pressure gauge and an accumulator that is full of water. If the accumulator is actually working the pressure will build up to the cut of pressure then slowly decrease as water is used to the cut-in pressure. If the tank is full of water the pump cuts on and off rapidly as described since water has no compression. Home water sytems that have a well and pump have a large accumulator tank that actually holds water and air. The air provides pressure for the water while the pump is off and also prevents "hammering" of the pump during cycling. The system typically has a small sniffer valve that lets air into the system during a low pressure point in the cycle.

 

[GJH]

Since there was no water hammering, and the 240v pump worked just dandy, the accumulator tank was falsely suspected.

Once I had eliminated everything up and down stream of the pump, I did what now seems obvious. I tried adjusting the cut in pressure down a tad and the cut out pressure up a tad, exactly what I had done to get the old worn out pump halfway working. Well wadda ya know.. we be pumpin like a charm!

I suppose I could have done that a long time ago on the new system, but two things came in to play, one, I assumed (always a bad thing) it came preset properly from Raz (to whom I will be giving some good natured razzing tomorrow; he was extremely helpful in the entire process). Second, I have now become intimate with the whole system and cleaned everything up, and my plumbing skills have improved four fold (still pretty low, though).

Alls well that ends well! Thanks to all for their advice.

Now let's uncork a nice big Zinfandel... or maybe just a Cutty on the rocks with a water chaser..

George