Well pump trips its breaker
Breaker trips point to a short or overload: damaged drop cable in the well, a seized or failing motor, bad start components in the control box (3-wire submersibles), a pressure switch with burnt contacts, or a frozen line that stalls the pump. Pulling the pump is contractor work, but the topside checks narrow it down.
Before you start
- 240 V circuit: turn off and lock the breaker before opening the pressure switch or control box.
- Do not reset the breaker repeatedly; repeated resets on a shorted motor can damage wiring.
- Control-box capacitors can hold a charge; discharge before handling.
Diagnostic steps
Unlock all 5 steps with expected values
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