Patent ID: 8134372

Claim:
A fault detector system for a pressure tank having a pressure-actuated switch for selectively energizing a pump, said fault detector system comprising: a current transformer for producing a signal in response to an electrical current, said current transformer adapted to be positioned so as to be affected by the electromagnetic field of at least one electrical conductor associated with the pump; and an electrical circuit adapted to receive said signal from said current transformer in response to the electrical current flowing through the at least one electrical conductor, said circuit comprising a timer, a data recorder, and a system status indicator; wherein a normal cycle occurs when the pump is energized for at least a predetermined amount of time and a short cycle occurs when the pump is energized for a duration of less than said predetermined amount of time, said timer being operable to measure a period during which electrical current flows through the at least one electrical conductor, said data recorder being operable to record a short cycle when said timer measures the period as less than said predetermined amount of time, and wherein said system status indicator is operable to indicate a fault when said data recorder records two or more of the short cycles.