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Shurflo Pump Nightmares, Pressure switches failing

Apw1210

Well-known member
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3,802
Location
Devon
good evening all. 

I hear from good authority that there is a growing problem with Shuflo 100psi standard pumps failing and the pressure switches are the cause. Pentair dont do customer service and they are leaving guys waiting without a pump. 

has this happened to you or anyone you know?  

 
Reading on the forum, this seems to happen mostly to those not using a digital flow controller with a calibration feature, which set correctly would protect the microswitch in the pump's integral pressure switch from the higher switching currents that are often the cause of premature failure. If this is the problem and you don't want to use a flow controller, the answer is to separate the microswitch electrically from the motor circuit and use it to operate a 40amp auto relay and let this carry the higher current needed to power the pump.

 
good evening all. 

I hear from good authority that there is a growing problem with Shuflo 100psi standard pumps failing and the pressure switches are the cause. Pentair dont do customer service and they are leaving guys waiting without a pump. 

has this happened to you or anyone you know?  


If you are buying replacement micro switches you need the 15 amp one @Apw1210.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHURFLO-pump-replacement-pressure-switch-V-15-2C26-K-Multi-purchase-discount/192879308285?hash=item2ce880adfd:g:mQMAAOSwoNVa8a6l&frcectupt=true

There is another being sold that's a 6amp.

In the early days Shurflo pumps (and a few other makes) did have burnt pressure switches. DC current is extremely aggressive on switch contacts which is exacerbated by pump cycling using smaller bore hoses.

Rather than mess on add a Spring or Varistream controller and bypass the pressure switch. Up until last month I was still using a 3.8 liter Shurflo pump with a burnt out pressure switch that is 14 years old. Its a spare now.

If you still want to use your setup you have now then @Marko067's suggestion using a 40 amp relay is a good solution. In time it may also suffer failure but they are cheap and easy to replace.

 
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Guarantee as normally happens people never read the instructions. If you are not using a Controller then add a in line fuse to protect the pressure switch.

Your van is full of water droplets from brushes which will on occasions drip onto the pump. The finger is then pointed at the manufacturer when in turn if the product was looked after then it will not fail.

Mounting the pump is also key as I have seen pumps lying on floor vans with water everywhere and then they wonder why pumps will not last.

Personally I strongly feel it is not the issue with the manufacturer but people not treating their equipment in the correct manner. I have seen loads of customers whose pumps are 4/5 years old and they treat their equipment with good care. Others where its like a bomb has gone off in the back of their van their equipment fails and then blame the manufacturer when in fact they are at fault.

 
Guarantee as normally happens people never read the instructions. If you are not using a Controller then add a in line fuse to protect the pressure switch.

Your van is full of water droplets from brushes which will on occasions drip onto the pump. The finger is then pointed at the manufacturer when in turn if the product was looked after then it will not fail.

Mounting the pump is also key as I have seen pumps lying on floor vans with water everywhere and then they wonder why pumps will not last.

Personally I strongly feel it is not the issue with the manufacturer but people not treating their equipment in the correct manner. I have seen loads of customers whose pumps are 4/5 years old and they treat their equipment with good care. Others where its like a bomb has gone off in the back of their van their equipment fails and then blame the manufacturer when in fact they are at fault.


I'm sure you have seen your fair share of the state of some vans as a supplier and installer.

We took an NVQ course in window cleaning some 7 years ago.

The course had a practical application aspect as well and they used another window cleaning company in the south of the country to provide the equipment for this. The van we were assigned to had 2 fixed hose reels, both of which leaked. The van was soaking wet inside. The course was in the cooler months and the roof inside the van was dripping condensation - an internal rain forest like Victoria Falls.

Our problems switch wise with Shurflo's was the 5.2lpm pump cycling as the flow through the 3mm jets at the pressure wasn't enough to stop the pump from switching on and off 'rapidly.' Williamson suggested that the 3.8lpm pump would be better. I purchase one of those. The pump didn't cycle as much but the switch soon failed. These were the days we were still using 1/2" garden hose on our hose reels.

As I mentioned in another post, that pump is around 13 - 14 years old and until last month was still working on the old van with a Varistream controller. The pressure switch is still broken. The pump will be a spare now.

 
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A pump running flat out with no controller will draw close to its maximum ampage,  As the pump pressure switch activates the high load can arc across the pressure switch contacts and short them out as the stored energy dissipates. A V11 pump controller correctly calibrated drops the pump into DE well before the pump pressure switch activates. This prevents the PS contacts arcing and will increase the live of the pump

For those who prefer to bypass the pump pressure switch the V11 will still manage the pump and dead end it. Although we suggest the pressure switch is left in line the V11 will happily work with it bypassed. 

 
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A pump running flat out with no controller will draw close to its maximum ampage,  As the pump pressure switch activates the high load can arc across the pressure switch contacts and short them out as the stored energy dissipates. A V11 pump controller correctly calibrated drops the pump into DE well before the pump pressure switch activates. This prevents the PS contacts arcing and will increase the live of the pump

For those who prefer to bypass the pump pressure switch the V11 will still manage the pump and dead end it. Although we suggest the pressure switch is left in line the V11 will happily work with it bypassed. 


.............. and DC current is very aggressive. I would always recommend a controller with dead end.

 
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