Forum (coming soon)

Submersible Pump Wiring?

I am in the process of installing a submerisble pump into my well, but I have a few questions I'd like answered first.

The pump is a 1HP, 230V pump with 8.2amps and KW 0.75. It is rated at 12/2 w/ ground.

1) Is there any reason I shouldn't install a 230v wall mounted switch to turn this on/off if I want to kill the power. For now a pump start will control it for my irrigation system, this would just be in addition if I ever wanted to shut things down and not have to rely on using the breaker, which I understand shouldn't be used as a switch.

2) What about installing this on a plug, so that I can plug it into a receptacle vs. hardwired. (*I'll explain my reason later)

3) My understanding is 12gauge wire is rated for 20amp, but it looks like the owners manual calls for a 25amp fuse. Should I use 20amp or 25amp?

*The reason I ask about the switch and the plug is because I plan on using some wiring that is already in place. I already have 12/2 w/ground installed in the location of the pump start. It is currently wired for 110v as it was placed there for a 3/4hp jet pump I planned on installing, but ended up going with a cased well instead, so I figure why not utilize the existing wire, but switch it to 220 instead of 110. Basically, swap the 20amp 110v switch out for a similar rated 230v switch and replace the receptacle with a 230v receptacle and just plug this pump in.

I question the use of the plug because I thought I had read somewhere it was ok to use one, but when unpacking the pump last night, I thought I read never to install it on a plug, so now I'm unsure. Why would they not want it on a plug? I guess it's not a big deal as I can always run wire into the j-box, but I hate using pigtails if I don't have to.

Thanks for any info on this...heading to the parts store in a while to grab the fuse and anything else I need.

Pump On Timer With Switch Override

HI all,

I have a rain barrel system with a pump (110v) and I ran a 3way switch to my patio and one by the pump (in a shed). My wife now wants the pump on a timer (to water the garden).

So...I could just add a timer to the switched outlet, but I want to be able to override the timer with the switch (at the patio or shed), without interfering with the pump timer operation.

I've drawn up a diagram showing my proposed setup.

Question: can I rig up the pump with two power cords and plug one into the timed outlet and one into the switched outlet and not burn down my shed in the process?

Ejector Pump Suddenly Tripping Gfi

OK, I'm an electrical dummy ...

I have finished basement w/a bathroom. We have an ejector pump off the bathroom that has been plugged into an outlet w/gfi since I've owned the house (10 years). There is also a booster fan for my electric dryer plugged into the outlet (has been the same for 10 years). The only thing that has ever tripped up that outlet is using a hair buzzer in another outlet within the bathroom (but once you hit the reset its fine).

This morning I realize the ejector pump was not sucking down the water from the drains. I looked at the outlet and realized it needed to be reset. When I reset it, the pump would run for a few seconds and the outlet would trip up again. Tried this a few times. Thought maybe it was an issue w/the outlet altogether. Neighbor suggested maybe it was an issue with the pump. Went thru various scenarios and bottom line is when I plug the pump into other outlets it works totally fine and once I do that and reset the outlet it was on, the booster fan works fine and the outlet does not trip. So, basically this outlet is tripping when the pump is on it but the pump is not tripping other outlets and the outlet works fine as long as the pump is not on it.

What could be causing this? Why would an outlet that housed the two things on it all of a sudden continue to trip when the pump is on it but the pump is fine on its own in another outlet and the outlet is fine on its own w/o the pump?

Electrical Wiring For Steam Shower Installation

Hello,

We're installing a steam shower unit & need to run new electrical wiring. We have a few questions & hope someone can help!

We have three power cords (water pump, heat pump, steam generator) & none of them currently have plugs. The specs are as follows: 3000W steam generator 110v - 30 amp GFCI breaker, 12 v lighting, 1.2 hp water pump 110 v - 30 amp GFCI breaker, & a 1500W heat pump 110v 12.5 amps. It says you can run the heat pump off the same circuit as the rest of the unit.

Ok, so.. we're wondering what the easiest & cheapest way of going about this is. We want it to be SAFE first & foremost, but also want to keep expense at a minimum.

Thank you for any advice you have!

Outside Sump Connection

I'm trying to figure out how exactly this should be redone... right now there is a NM cable going from the panel though the rim joist and outside straight down into the ground and out about 2 ft into the sump well then it jus dangles there with a female plug end connected to that which the sump pump then plugs into... well this actually shorted out the other night and created a wonderful noise and sparks...

how should I redo this? right now its not even GFIC... just straight into a 20 amp breaker...

I was thinking put an outside receptical on the side of the house run that straight thorugh the back of it into the rim joist and to the panel... have the outlet on that a GFIC outlet then run a underground line from that to the pump using UF cable with a similar female plug end inside the well (the well is about 11 ft deep and the plug is about 1 ft from the top right now... then that would just plug into the GFIC outlet on the side of the house... that outlet would of course have one of those clear enclosures around it that is water tight...

suggestions? comments? code violations?

Poll Pump.

I had a previous thread about bonding my inground pool. I had it done yesterday. I set up all the plumbing for my filter and I am going to wire it up tomorrow.

This pump was wired up once before and it is being moved. All the wiring was removed when the contractors were breaking up the concrete. It has a 25 amp breaker that I am going to replace with a GFI 25 amp breaker. I am going to wire it from the breaker box to a switch (1 foot from the box) to the receptacle about 45 feet away. I am going to use 12 gauge solid wire. I am not sure which would be better. Should I use 12/3 romex and use one as the ground or use 3 separate wires colored white, black and green. Also they had the green wire going to the ground bar in the breaker box. I guess I will attach the green(ground) wire to the ground bar and then run it to the green lugs on each receptacle. Also which types of boxes would be best to use metal or plastic. I am going to be using plastic pipe to run the wires.

Well Pump Wiring Code Question

Getting ready to replace my well jet pump with a 240 volt model (currently I use a 120 volt pump. Currently I have a 20 amp, 120 volt circuit that runs from the house to the pump house about 60 feet. I use that circuit for the pump, a light and a receptacle. I want to replace that circuit with a 20 amp MWBC using 12/3 UF cable from the sub panel in my detached barn to the pump house (about 20 feet).

Question: Can I use 1/2" seal-tite to run from the sub panel to a a junction box prior to going underground with the 12/3 UF? The seal-tight run would be about 30". (I have a bunch of seal-tite, connectors and #12 THWN that I bought cheap at a storage unit auction.) The seal-tite would be run in the stud bay and along side the ceiling joist to get from one side of the barn to the other.

Question: Can I use an unfused air conditioning disconnect at the pump house to disconnect the 2 ungrounded conductors of the MWBC.

I can find nothing in the NEC that would bar either of these items, but I am a code novice.

30amp Socket, 15amp Compressor

I have a 30amp wall socket in my garage, connected to two 20amp fuses in my garage sub box. I bought a 60 gallon air compressor rated 230v 15amp (non-reversible???). I am under the impression that I can use this compressor with the socket I have. The compressor did not come with a plug but did have the wires. One red, one green, one white. The plug I bought to the match the socket has instructions for one black wire (hot) one green (ground) and one white (neutral) I guess my question is, would the red wire be my hot wire? Does everything else sound ok?

Well Pump Wiring Question

I live in the bottom unit of a 6 unit bldg. We have the filters and everything in a room off of our unit. We also have a breaker on our panel for the pump. I haven't tested it yet by shutting off the breaker (mainly due to long hours at work lately and nobody is awake when I am home), but is it possible/probable that the pump for the whole bldg is running off of our meter? There are 6 total units and 6 total meters outside, so there is no obvious meter for the pump circuit (plus the breaker is on OUR panel).

Generator - For Sump Pump

I have a 1/3 horse sump pump. I've read it uses 1300-2900 starting watts (or I guess that means surge watts)

The generator I can get is for $140 and has 1400 peak watts and 1200 continuous. Now this will only be used to power the sump pump when power goes out.

Is it powerful enough? I have no way of testing it out prior to buying.

Its this brand, but a lower end model.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...AdIdZ357888894

the above model is sold out.

thoughts?

120v Service To 230v Pool Pump?

motor #1 came back from servicing and was told it was shot (he said it was grounded). i have another motor #2 that im going to see if hell mount (if it runs). however motor #2 is designed for 230v. what needs to be done to wire this back up considering it is a 120v service. (i believe motor #2 was hooked up once before on this service so i know the power is there)