Shock Hazards at the Pump or Well FAQs

I get shocked when touching the well casing

When I touch well casing I feel electric current but pump will not run - On 2021-10-28 by Anonymou

Warning by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Anonymous,

Watch out: Turn off the well circuit immediately to avoid dangerous or fatal electric shock. Someone could be killed by touching the well casing and, depending on the well piping material, even by touching a water pipe or pump control!

Your electrician or pump installer will perhaps test the pump circuit and may find the damaged / shorted electrical wires.

When I touch the well pump I get shocked

My well deep well jet pump stopped working thought it was the pump so I replaced it. Put new pump in its not working either. Have power to pump but when I touch the pump I get shocked.

My wires run from the house under ground to my pump house. Could I have a break in the wire? On 2015-11-23 by David Kephart

Warning by (mod) -

David

Watch out: Turn the circuit OFF immediately so that we don't kill someone.

IT sounds as if the wires are nicked or shorted.

With power off your electrician may disconnect the pump circuit at the control relay and then check the wires going to the pump to see if they're shorted together. An internal short in the pump is also possible but less likely.

Lights dim when I close the pump control switch points

There's low voltages going to my pump when the points are open when I close the points it gets higher voltage.

I have a light in well house so I can see when pump is running.

It's dim with points open gets bright when they are closed.

What should I be looking for: short or mis-wiring?

I've change the pump - they are all doing the same thing. On 2020-01-19 by Bobby

Safety warning by by (mod) - "low-voltage problem" at the well pump may be damaged wiring or control

Bobby

I can see why you think that sounds like a low-voltage problem. Often when a pump motor itself is failing it can draw high current and dim lights, but as you have a new pump I suspect the problem is in the wiring or panel or electrical service itself.

But

Watch out: a damaged, shorted electrical wire, leaking current to ground, could cause the same symptoms and worse, could shock or kill someone touching the well piping, casing, pump, controls, etc.

An electrician would

1. check supply voltage right at the electrical panel

2. check every wiring connection for looseness, overheating, arcing, corrosion, etc.

3. check circuit fusing and wire sizes and lengths

Watch out: if you are not trained in safe electrical work you could be shocked or killed. Don't fool with it.

Burned, Damaged, or Shorted Pump Wiring FAQs

What causes a submersible pump wire to burn-up?

Causes of burning of a cable of a submissible pump On 2021-09-19 by Tshuma

Answers by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Tshuma,

Lightning strike
Short circuit
Jammed impeller
Ran dry
Damaged wire
Jammed pressure control
Other

How do I fix a well pump wire that keeps getting broken in the well?

Well pump one hot leg going to motors burns up this have happen three times in a year cut and replaced wire and happens again.

I replaced the wire from pump to well cap the underground; the wire to the pump pressure switch was not replaced.

I cut back a broken burnt leg. The pump works for 4 months then it breaks the wire again pump. The pump company's tech support said the wire may be hitting up on well casing. How do I fix this? On 2015-11-09 by John

Advice by (mod) - abraded, damaged pump wire can cause fatal shock

Indeed abrasion of the wire can kill the pump or a person too. When you pull the pump to inspect it check closely the wire throughout the entire route to look for signs of abrasion.

Then read the advivce at SUBMERSIBLE PUMP TORQUE PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS 

Why is my submersible pump wire being pulled down into the well when the pump starts?

My electrical wire is being pulled into the well every time I start it, so tight can't get it back, the electric box is all that is holding it from going all the way into the well - On 2024-06-04 by Rick Evans

Answer by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - Starting torque is twisting the pump and wire: secure the pump and wires

@Rick Evans,

That sounds as if the twisting torque caused by starting the submersible pump may be winding the wire.

A combination of torque resistors and wire guides is how we solve that problem.

Your well pump installer can add those, but to do do will have to pull the well pipe and pump.

See complete details for solving this problem

at SUBMERSIBLE PUMP TORQUE PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS 

Can an electrical fire from bad pump wires in the well damage the well casing itself?

Is it possible for burnt cable wires (10/3 yellow pump cable) to create a spark/fire in my water well that later created a rip in the casing that allowed clay and sand to disable the pump?

Could the burnt wire be weather-related such as a lighting strike? On2016-04-25 by DRGO

Well casing inspection suggestion by (mod) -

I'm reluctant to say that it's not possible for an electrical failure to damage a well casing that in turn leaks sand and ruins the pump, but a lightning strike is more likely to cause such trouble.

Run a well inspection camera down the well bore and inspect the area of damage. If you see lots of rust and exfoliation and thinning of the well casing, then those are old, long-standing conditions that at the very least, contributed to the problem.

How does the electrician know that the pump was burned out before fixing the damaged wires?

I was told that my electric wires that run the well pump shorted and burnedout the pump. How do they know this if they haven't fixed the electrical wires? On2016-04-16 by Anonymous

Answer by (mod) - check for wires shorted together; check pump wiring connections for dead short.

Anon:

It is possible to measure for conductivity between two wires that should not be connected: if an ohmmeter measures low or zero resistance then the wires are shorted together.

The pump may or may not be involved, depending on where the short occurred.

I'd remove the pump and wires, fix the wires, test the pump and replace it if needed.

Pump Wiring Test FAQs

How do I Test my Pump with a multimeter?

My 2 wire with ground well pump is running but we just get low water pressure.

How do I test my well pump with a multimeter? On 2022-09-03 by Talltony1959

by InspectApedia-911 (mod) -

@Talltony1959,

In our article WATER PUMP WIRING REPAIR you will find

HOW TO TEST a PUMP WIRING & MOTOR - basic tests

and

And wiring details are at 2-WIRE 240VAC PUMP WIRING DIAGRAMS

Also in that article we give live links to these pages that give detailed motor test instructions:

DMM DIGITAL MULTIMETER HOW TO USE

ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE - home

ELECTRIC MOTOR TESTS

There are multiple tests one can make including looking at the circuit's voltage, its current draw when the pump is running, a test for current flow when the pump is off (a short circuit), and more.

For example, to measure current draw in Amps you need an ammeter or an electrical test tool that can measure amps.

In the photo I'm using my Sperry Digisnap multimeter in AMPS mode (the dial is set to the 40A AC mode) and the circuit I'm measuring is drawing 0.11 Amps.

Typically the tool includes a clamp that is placed around ONE of the two wires to the pump and the meter reads the amperage of the circuit under load.

Watch out: if you're not familiar with safe and proper electrical wiring and testing you could be shocked or killed.

Also take a look at

DMMs VOMs SAFE USE OF

Watch out: as you will read at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS there are quite a few other reasons that your pump system could be giving poor water pressure; many of them have nothing to do with the pump's electrical properties; so be sure to read that article. -- Daniel

Which wires do I use to measure the current draw for my 3-wire Pump?

I would like to measure the current on my 3 wire pump , which has a rated current of 6 - 6.5amps, using a clamp meter.

Which specific wire(s) on the pump do I measure, ie., the common, the start and/or the run, to get the measurement? Any advice would be most appreciated. On 2022-11-04 by Andrew W

Answer by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Andrew W,

You measure the run current if you're interested in the current drawn as the pump is running,

You'd measure the start current if you're diagnosing a motor start problem and want to see the current drawn as the motor is starting.

To identify which wires are used to make these tests you need to identify the individual "hot" or live wires bringing power to the pump and the pump circuit grounding conductor.

You can see which wire is which by comparing the wires you see at the pump and their connections with the wiring details and the wires identified

at 3-WIRE 240VAC PUMP WIRING DIAGRAMS

See detailed procedures for measuring amps at

AMPS MEASUREMENT METHODS

by Andrew W

@InspectApedia-911

Many thanks for your advice!

Pump Circuit Breaker or Fuse Wiring FAQs

Any time I put on my water pump, the circuit breaker trips

Hi, i need help, anytime I put on my water pump, the cicuit breaker Trips, what could be the problem? On 2020-04-30 by Dave

Causes by (mod) -

Dave

Two common causes of a circuit breaker tripping when the pump turns on are

- a short circuit anywhere in the well pump wiring - those issues are discussed above on this page

- a seized or frozen pump motor - details are at ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE inspectapedia.com/electric/Electric_Motor_Diagnosis.php

but

Watch out: if you're not familiar with safe electrical wiring and practices, don't fool with these tests yourself as you could be shocked or killed.

Your electrician can do some simple tests, measuring resistance, to get a clue about what's happening.

If the pump is a submersible unit, in the well, it may have to be pulled in any case, as the problem is either the wiring or the pump or its control switch.

How do I wire my Pumptec submersible well pump to the NEW Control Box ?

I just installed a new 1 hp submersible pump with a Franklin control box. It turns out I have a low flow well one half to one gal. Per minute so I bought a pumptec pump saver.

I need to know how to wire my pumptec to my control box and my float switch.

The way I have it wired now there is still one twenty going to the pump in all three wires even though the pumptec turned off the pump there is no water coming out of the well. Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance. On 2021-07-29 by Dave -

by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - temporarily bypass the Pumptec pump safer switch

@Dave,

I would start by checking that the pump works properly by running it directly, BRIEFLY, temporarily bypassing the Pumptec pump saver.

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water-Pump-Control-Switch-Manuals.php WATER PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH MANUALS

gives us

Franklin Electric, PUMPTEC-PLUS PUMP CONTROL & PROTECTION SYSTEM INSTALLATION GUIDE [PDF] (2013) Franklin Electric, op. ci

that has some nice wiring illustrations.

Also for other readers we provide:

WATER PUMP & TANK I&O & REPAIR MANUALS

Submersible pump trips circuit breaker after running a few minutes

our sumersable pump starts but a few minutes it trips On 2020-11-12 by june

by (mod) -

June

If your pump is tripping the circuit breaker the usual causes are a failing pump motor or possibly damaged electrical wiring. As the pump runs for a few minutes before the breaker trips, that could point to an overheating pump motor (perhaps a bad bearing).

What causes repeated pump circuit breaker tripping over and over?

What are the causes of continue tripping off of over load switch on residential submersible pump On 2020-10-28 by Chiboka Stephen

Answer by (mod) - cause of repeated breaker tripping for your pump

Stephen

The most common cause of repeated breaker tripping for your pump would be a failing pump motor; that may be due to a bad bearing, running the pump dry thus damaging its impeller and bearings, or less common, low supply voltage or damaged electridal wiring.

Why does my new bigger well pump keep tripping the circuit breaker

My pump seized. I was advised to buy a much bigger pump. Installed the bigger pump to my old motor both with 0.75kw.

When I turn on power, it pumps water for 3 minutes, then the relay switch breaks, it automatically turns on after a minute, then breaks again in 2 minutes.

Is it a motor problem or I need a much bigger circuit breaker?

Diagnostic advicve by (mod) -

Bush:

Let's diagnose this problem of why your well pump keeps tripping the circuit breaker:

1. What is the ampacity or AMPS number on the circuit breaker? Is it 15A, 20A or something larger,
and
is the breaker a single pole (one switch 120V) or double pole (two switch 240V)

2. Now take a look at the data tag on your water pump; is the pump 120V or 240V (some pumps can be wire to either voltage so if that's the case, how is your pump wired?
and
what is the AMPS rating of the pump - from the data tag

Now if the pump AMPS is greater than the circuit amps, that alone would trip the circuit breaker;

3. About the prior pump motor seizing: that may occur if the pump is allowed to run "dry" for an extended period; IN turn that would mean that your well is out of water or nearly out of water and has a terrible recovery rate.

If that's the case then running out of water happens even faster with a new bigger more-powerful well pump; Now if the new pump includes a pump protection feature, that could be turning off the pump.

SO unless there is a wiring or ampacity error you need a plumber or well service company to open the well and inspect its condition and its water level and perhaps its flow rate.

In the ARTICLE INDEX you'll find articles on how to test the well's flow rate or recovery rate.

Pump circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong?

The circuit breaker won't reset on well pump ? is it a bad breaker or bad pump ? 2016-08-24 by 1953ram

Warning by (mod)

I can't say from just your e-text, ram.

Yes a lightning strike can damage a well pump, wiring, or even the well casing.

Bottom line:

Watch out: when the circuit breaker won't re-set that suggests a dead-shorted pump wire - which could kill someone if you force electrical power on.

Your electrician might disconnect wiring at the breaker, then see if the breaker will re-set.

Or try using a different breaker of proper size and rating. If the breaker resets when not connected to the pump circuit but trips when connected that's a rather strong indication of a shorted circuit or pump motor.

Where are the well pressure tank and pump circuit breaker?

We have not had water for 3 days. Went under the house looking for tank or circuit breaker for well can not find them. Could they be underground? On2016-01-23 by Stephanie

Answer by (mod)

Your well may be connected to a pressure tank and pump and controls in a well pit. They won't be actually buried.

Well line blew fuse, I changed the fuse type; what's an FRN fuse?

One of my 20 amp FRN-R-20 heavy duty fuses blew. I bought a two pack of the wrong replacement and used a general purpose NON 20A in place of the blown heavy duty one and watched that sucker spark a quick fireworks show.

I then moved the existing FRN-R-20 fuse over to the side that blew and put the one remaining general purpose fuse in the side that was fine and it didn't blow.

I'm getting 110v power readings at the pressure switch and on the wires coming in to the control panel from the fuse box. I'm not getting any readings coming out of the control panel box 3-wire run that connects to the junction box on top of the water well casing.

Could the wrong 20amp fuse keep the pressure switch from turning on the pump? I picked up the correct fuses today but I was just curious. Thoughts? On 2017-07-18 by Tom

Answer by (mod) - FRN type fuse is a delayed response fuse intended to tolerate a very brief moment of high current draw

Tom

Watch out: The situation you describe makes me nervous.

A FRN type fuse is a delayed response fuse intended to tolerate a very brief moment of high current draw that some electrical equipment uses, like compressor motors or large milling machines.

If you use a non FRN type fuse, the fuse might indeed blow at equipment startup even if otherwise it could carry the running load of the equipment it serves.

But when you get repeated fuse blows including the FRN-R-20 fuse that you moved to the troublemaking side of the panel it sounds to me as if there is a short or defect in the equipment.

I would have left such equipment OFF, have an electrician inspect the equipment and measure its current draw for proper and safe operation before trying to get it going with the right time-delay fuses.

A wrong fuse that is "wrong" only in missing a required time delay to tolerate a startup load might luckily (or because it's defective and unsafe) survive for a few motor starts in a panel. But that would not explain a pump motor that wouldn't start.

What would explain it would be

- one side of a 240V circuit is dead or its fuse blown, so the pump is getting just half its voltage

- a seizing or failing pump motor

- a bad pump start/run capacitor

Electrican direct-wired our pump: no circuit breaker!

Hi we just had a new electrical panel installed. The electrician marretted the red wire off inside the panel for the well pump, he hasn't said why.

I couldn't get it to turn off with the any of the breakers, so I messaged him to ask why.

What I would like to know is would this wreck the well pump? Thank you On 2023-04-19 by SAM

Warnings by InspectApedia Editor - If NO circuit breakers will turn off your pump then something is certainly wrong and unsafe

@SAM,

Watch out: If NO circuit breakers will turn off your pump then something is certainly wrong and unsafe. The risk is a house fire or an electric shock.

And if the pump never stops, there's risk of damage to the pump motor or impeller or a burst pipe and flood water and mold damage to your home.

If you turn off the MAIN breaker the pump should stop. If not then it's getting power from some other source that needs to be found and turned off.

Let me know what you find./ee/do

Followup by SAM - Pump circuit is "live" even with the breaker turned OFF but pump doesn't work.

@InspectApedia Editor ,

He won't tell me why he did it, but as I said he didn't connect the red wire in the panel, he just placed a marret [a twist-on wire connector- Ed.] on it.

So the darn pump is always showing hot. The breaker even turned off, it shows that it's connected. Pump is not able to work as it doesn't have enough power.

I am asking if this would break the pump. The well guy refused to come out until the panel is labeled and the pump can be turned off at the panel, (I don't blame him)

by InspectApedia Editor - an experienced electrician or one with any sense would have labeled each wire in the panel individually

@SAM,


If it's a 220VAC pump and you're only 1 of the two legs then yes you can damage the pump. You need to turn it off.

It's a mistake to ruin your pump because you don't know which breaker turns it off.

Simply switch off each breaker or 220V breaker pair one by one until the pump stops.

Then you will know which breaker operates the pump.

I wanted to add that if the breakers in your old electrical panel were labeled, then when the new panel was to be installed, an experienced electrician or one with any sense would have labeled each wire in the panel individually so that when the wires were connected to new breakers in the new panel, their connection position and breaker would be known and thus could be labeled on the panel's list of breakers and their use.

Pump Pressure Switch Wiring FAQs

What caused my well pump pressure control switch to burn up like this?

My water pump keeps shutting off. I noticed a wire was charred and when I started the pump again saw a spark. Will insulating the wire fix the issue or should I take another course of action? Please advise. Thank you.

Wire on well pump charred. Water shut off and when restarted saw a spark. Can I just insulate? How do I fix this please?

(See picture. It’s the burnt wire on the right)

Wire fried on well pump. Water stopped working. Then wire sparked when turned back on. How can I fix it please?(far right wire see image) - Valerie

Moderator reply: burned wiring probably means shorted wires or damaged / failed water pump

Eric

The burned wiring tells us that there was (probably) a short circuit in the wiring and/or a seized pump motor.

It is of course unsafe.

I worry as well that no fuse blew nor circuit breaker tripped.

Do not just insulate and turn power back on.

Leave the circuit off to avoid a fire and shock hazard - sorry I know that's not exactly convenient.

Your repair tech or electrician will do some tests to find out if the problem is a seized pump motor or shorted wires - that's when we will know what repair is needed.

You will need at least a new pressure control switch (notice the overheated, burned contacts not just the wires), and perhaps some new wire and most trouble, perhaps a new pump).

If the pump motor is seized (or overheated and failed) that in turn can be caused by a variety of problems such as well running dry or pump running constantly.

Do keep me posted.

Reader follow-up: my pump was cycling on and off alot

Thank you so much for your quick response Daniel. My water pump cycles a lot.

Do you think the two are related. Over used/overworked system?

Just curious. Hope to have a specialist come out today. Will definitely keep you posted. Thanks again.

Moderator reply: pump short cycling can cause well pump damage and / or pressure switch burn-up

Yes - if you search InspectApedia.com with the on page search box you will find our articles on WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - home

Often the cause is a water-logged pressure tank.

But prolonged rapid on-off cycling might indeed burn up a pressure control switch. If that was the cause you will be so lucky because the fix is pretty easy and all above ground.

Replace the switch and any burned wiring and correct the air charge in your pressure tank.

Search InspectApedia.com for

WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD

and also see

WATER TANK AIR HOW MUCH TO ADD

Your pressure control switch is damaged and should be replaced. More details are

at WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES - home

and

WATER PUMP SWITCH INSTALLATION MANUALS

Watch out: don't try electrical wiring yourself if you're not trained as you could be shocked or killed.

Repeated pressure switch failures traced to pump circuit short circuit

I have a 2hp Franklin pump with Franklin subdrive 150 and keep having to replace the pressure switch/sensor.

The tech just replaced the pressure switch and noticed the top of my well (the metal pipe) has 30 volts to ground.

He believes there is a short in the well pump or the wiring in the pump even though it is working and the pressure is 60psi.

Could this be a defective pressure switch or improper grounding? On 2025-04-19 by Tracy R

Safety warning by (mod)

@Tracy,

Yes, a current leak or short could damage a well pump pressure control switch if it contributes, for example, to arcing and burning of the contact points.

But other worries raised by your question are more urgent:

Watch out: you describe an electrical shock hazard that, depending on where the short occurs, could kill someone.

During the time that the pump is running and the well casing is energized (with 30VAC by your report), someone touching the pump or the well casing and standing on damp ground could get a nasty or in some cases even a fatal shock.

A current leak or short circuit should be tripping a circuit breaker or blowing a fuse for the pump circuit. Now I understand that a current "leak" which draws less current than a dead short, will not trip a circuit breaker or blow a fuse as quickly as a dead short. Instead, the way circuit breakers work is that the smaller the current leak the longer it needs to run before the breaker trips or the fuse blows.

So if the pump's "on" time is relatively short, even though there is a dangerous sort circuit or current leak that could shock or kill someone, it may not be enough to trip the breaker.

For safety my advice is to turn off the pump circuit and get help from a licensed electrician to find and fix the problem. If you explain that it's urgent as you'll have no water and there's a public safety concern (a stranger who happens to touch the well casing) you may convince your electrician to attend this problem quickly.

Please keep me posted.

Daniel Friedman

Pump Control Box Wiring FAQs

I don't understand the pump wiring in my pump Control Box

Am having issue on with my calendar control box. I tried to pump water but it refused to pump when i open the box, iIthen discover that the current is running in both negative and positive wire. On 2022-11-08 by Bestman Yima

by InspectApedia (Editor)

@Bestman Yima,

What you describe about which wires are alive at your water pump control is not necessarily a problem. F

or example a 220 volt pump will have two hot wires feeding the motor.

Watch out: there's live voltage in that control and if you touch something you could be shocked or killed.

If you post a photo of the identification data tag or model number for your water pump control we can be sure to point you to the proper instructions for it.

How to wire or diagnose a Franklin pump control box running a McDonald pump

Sir:

I have installed a brand new Franklin control box and 1/2 HP McDonald pump 230 v single phase, every thing is new and doesn't work at all.

240 v across, 120 v 3 amps on one leg and the second leg is 120v zero amps which is very unusual from my prospective. I have been through everything in triplicate.

Does any one have any obscure ideas?

Thankyou On 2024-06-07 by Rezled

Diagnostic question by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@Rezled,

What's the pump model?

Some models can be converted to run on 120v or 240V AC.

If so, it may be miswired for 120V.

This PDF download should give you specific step by step help with your Franklin pump control box

• Franklin Electric, PUMPTEC CONTROL BOX & PUMP PROTECTION DEVICE IO MANUAL [PDF] Franklin Electric, 400 E. Spring St., Bluffton, IN 46714 USA Tel: 260-824-2900 Web: www.franklin-electric.com

Pump Wire Size & Color Identification FAQs

What kind and size of wire do I need to wire my pump through conduit?

When I replace the wire it will be in conduit. Maybe I need three separate wires that are direct burial so there is no bleed over? Just need to know what kind and size of wire that will perform without problems. On 2021-11-24 by Guy Priano

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - long-electrical-wire run question

@Guy Priano,

I don't think the problem is bleed-over; the problem is running a too-small wire size over a very long run that causes an excessive voltage drop.

Please find your question repeated along with a detailed reply and our suggestions for wire sizes and an alternative, now found at

SE CABLE & WIRE SIZES FOR LONG RUNS

Be sure to read those notes as we've written in considerable detail to give a careful answer and explanation in reply to your question.

 

Where do the black and white wire go on a well pump?

Where do the black and white wire go on a well pump that has a regulator switch On 2019-03-20 by Aaron

Reply by (mod) -

Aaron

I cannot bet your life or the fire-safety of your building by making a guess at exactly what wiring you're trying to connect - I've got just no information about what your pump and control wires are.

Typically in electrical wiring Black = hot and White = neutral, particularly on 120VAC circuits.

However if your pump is a 240V pump someone could have run a two wire circuit to it and both wires could be hot.

So sorry but I can't give an answer to what wires go where on an unknown switch for an unknown pump. It's just too dangerous.

Watch out: Please keep in mind that if you are not trained and familiar with proper and safe electrical wiring, making a mistake can kill someone or burn down the building.

 

How long does the red start wire operate before switching to the black run wire?

How long does the red start wire operate before switching to the black run wire? (2 HP, 230V, 1 PHASE Submersible Water Pump at 200') On 2022-07-10 by Dave Lowthorp

by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - motor starting capacitor drops from the circuit

@Dave Lowthorp,

I think you're asking about the start capacitor on a pump motor.

The start capacitor is taken out of a circuit usually by centrifugal switch in the pump motor once the pump gets close to its run speed which on a modern motor would probably be 3450 RPM. That's just milliseconds.

What is the orange wire at a pressure control switch?

What is the orange wire to a pressure tank switch for? Woke up this morning to no water

On 2021-09-07 by Harriet Blain

by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - use of the orange wire at a pressure control switch

@Harriet Blain,

Sorry I don't see an orange wire, but I do see

two red and a

yellow and a

black.

Two wires are power in to the switch and two are power out to the pump.

The terminals are labeled at least inside the switch cover showing which two connections are LINE (incoming power) and the other two will be LOAD (to the pump).

Watch out: At least one of your wires, the yellow one, is burned and overheated. The problem could be a bad switch (have it replaced) or the pump itself could be bad.

Watch out: there is live voltage at those terminals. Touching them with power -on you could be shocked or killed.

Why are our pump wires run in a concentric well pipe sleeve?

My deep well pump has a concentric pipe running from the well to the pump. is the outer pipe just a sleeve for the inner pipe, or is there another reason for it? (Feb 2, 2014) tinner65 said:

Reply:

Tinner, some installers run a larger diameter pipe to make it easier to replace a supply pipe or wiring in the future.

The new lines can be snaked through the larger diameter plastic line. But I can't know for sure what you've got with no other description than your note. Take a look at the fittings, wiring, and water piping involved.

We lost all water pressure, manually re-set the pump - repair people hot wired the pump and burned things up

My well problems began with total loss of water throughout my home. We could regain functionality by manually resetting the switch. This lasted for about two days, and then we had to do it again. The third time it happened, we were unable to manually reset the switch. We are a family of four that scrapes by on my income.....

so, if manually resetting the switch gave us a temporary solution while trying to figure out a long term solution, that was our goal. So, we called a plumber out for an estimate. He immediately noticed we had a blown fuse in our service box.

He used a piece of wire to jump the blown fuse and we still had spark at the switch, but in his words, not enough voltage to actually turn the pump on because the wire was too small. So he surmised that the tank was bad and that was making the switch over work and that's why the fuse popped. He did no electrical testing before coming to this conclusion....

.the price he quoted was nearly $800.....we contacted some family members and scraped together enough to cover the repair. The tech came out the next day and upon looking over the situation determined that the tank was not the issue....

that it was probably something to do with the absence of a check valve, or the switch itself.....

again, with zero electrical testing.....he told me that he couldn't simply add a check valve to the existing system or simply replace the switch because the plumbing was in disrepair and he'd probably break some things off when trying to do those things......

since we had already secured the funds to cover the repair I decided that replacing the tank as well as all components involved was a good idea since everything would be new and would ease my mind that it was all set.

Plus, since the old tank was still holding air pressure I could maybe sell it for $100 or something. So the tech went about replacing the tank and all components. When finished, he tested it....

he told me all of the following only after he had finished.....

he was only getting half of the 240 volts necessary at the switch with both fuses in place....so he took both fuses out and hard wired the fuse box. After doing so, he turned the breaker back on and something popped in the fuse box leaving a scorch mark inside of the fuse box and at that point he determined that the pump wasn't running.....

so, essentially we paid them $800 for a repair that didn't fix the problem and now are saying that our pump is bad, that they will need to pull and replace it and that will cost me an additional $1000....

my questions are numerous....is hardwiring and bypassing fuses standard practice?

Could the electrical spike that popped inside the box and scorched it have also fried my pump? They are telling me that the event that happened in the fuse box would definitely not have burned up my pump....

but they have been wrong and or shifty in general the whole time....are they trying to get me to pay them more to fix a problem that they created? And was that problem created by them due to incompetence and unsafe practices?

I really don't know what to do and I would love some insight from a different source than the one who has misdiagnosed, potentially damaged my property, and denied wrongdoing at every turn. Thank you On 2018-11-15 by Brad

Diagnostic suggestions by (mod) -

That sounds as if a pump protection switch OR a circuit breaker was shutting off the pump circuit due to a problem that could be with the well itself (running out of water) or with the pump (drawing excessive current).

The bad news is that when keep forcing a pump to run when its protection equipment keeps turning it off, we risk creating a more-costly repair: the pump motor overheats and is damaged and perhaps ruined, or other pump parts like an impeller are ruined by running dry.

A pump can also be damaged if it's a 240 volt pump getting power on just one leg (120V) of the circuit - if you keep forcing it to "run".

Whoever was helping you was NOT in my OPINION the most-expert person in the box.

If a pump is damaged and won't run, replacing the water pressure tank won't fix the pump. So I'm thrilled that the onsite tech concluded "the water pressure tank was not the issue"

The technician was better than your first onsite guy in tracing the pump problem to a loss of power on one of the two 120V legs of what sounds like a 240V pump.

Now we read that there's a fuse panel problem that needs to be repaired

Watch out: that's an unsafe condition - you need help from a licensed electrician.

And yes, it sounds as if the pump may need to be replaced.

An experienced technician should know how to measure the current draw of the pump before pulling it out of the well - that can tell us if the pump is working properly or not.

Watch out: bypassing fuses or circuit breakers to "test" an electrical circuit is something that some nervy and in my OPINION under-trained service people might do, but in my view it's a serious error that risks starting a building fire or shocking somebody or worse.

So yeah, your pump people don't sound like they're innocent here, but unfortunately, you, as a "non-expert" probably had already damaged if not ruined your pump by continually forcing it to run when it was trying to shut itself off to avoid damage.

So you share some of the blame. The unfortunate compounding of trouble here is that the people you called

- went ahead with expensive repairs that were probably not needed

- caused additional damage that increases the total job cost

How much of the pump circuit wire may be damaged when a pump burns up?

Is it possible, and if so, what percentage can the wire can be damaged, frayed when a 2HP pump dead heads, burnt-up, with no markings left on the pump?

The depth of well was 660'.

Cause of destroyed pump was that the main water supply line was frozen. It was determined that the water supply line was buried 8" to 15".

Plumbing code for buried water supply lines is 36" deep at minimum. Not sure how long the pump ran, approx 10 days. On 2018-04-23 by renee

by (mod) - what percentage of the wire is damaged if a pump burns up?

Renee

I don't think we can make an accurate prediction of how much electrical wire is damaged when a pump burns-up.

There are just too many variables we don't have from your question. Often when there is a component failure the wiring damage is just quite local - at the component, but that's speculative for your case.

However there are well pump wiring resistance tests that can give you an idea of the condition of the wiring's insulation. We describe them in a Q&A higher on this page.

Replacing all of the wire is surely less costly than replacing half of it and then having to pay the installer to pull the pump and wire again to replace more.

Ran the pump, new switch, but now have no power to it and no water

I have no water. I’m on a 170’ well, I believe I have a 1/2hp stainless steel submersible pump. 20 gal pressure tank, and a 40-60 pressure switch.

I lost water. Tested the power at the panel, it was fine. My switch was bad so I replaced it.

My pressure tank needs to be replaced but I did recharge it and it holds pressure.

After changing the pressure switch when I turned on the breaker the pump kicked on.

Before the new gauge I put in got up to cut off pressure, the pump shut off ( it isn’t a low pressure cut off switch either).

And now I don’t have power from the breaker to the switch.

It did get really wet out in my pump house do to burst pipe twice in the last 6 months

. I changed the wire that runs from the breaker to the switch and the pump kicked on again but it shut off early again and now it reads dead again.

I’m pulling my hair out please help On 2018-01-05 by Cody

Oh and I replaced all the breakers after they got wet

I wasn’t getting a reading when I tested the power at my pressure switch or at my 2 pole 20 amp breaker, but I had power to the panel. So I replaced the wire from my 2 pole 20 amp breaker to my pressure switch.

When I flipped the breaker my pump kicks on til the gauge hits about 20-40psi then it kicks off.

And it won’t turn on again so I checked the power again and I had the same situation. Initially when my water stopped assumed it froze.

When I was out there working on it I plugged in a space heater and that turned my pump on, that I previously tested for power and it did. The contacts on the switch were even closed so my pump should have been running but wasn’t until I plugged in the heater.

Basic advice by (mod) -

Cody,

I cannot say that I completely understand or can follow this situation, but it sounds as if an over-current is tripping the cirrcuit breaker; that can be most often a failing pump or a shorted electrical wire.

It seems to me you need to follow the wiring and test its condition for safety and normal resistance.

Only have power on 1 of our 2 - 240VAC pump wires - and no water

I have a 220 volt submersible pump for domestic water. It stopped working. Only 110 volt at the switch. Checking breaker, I have 220. However I noticed a wire labelled water valve switch inline with one leg of pump supply. It would appear this is open.

What is this water valve switch. Note , I have above ground septic bed with lift pump. Merry xmas. Help On 2018-12-24 by Darryl

Warning by (mod) - only 120 V at a 240V pump hook-up

Darryl I'd like to help but am a bit scared of you getting electrocuted (killed) on Christmas Eve.

Watch out: If the pump uses 220 and only one line has power (120 or 110V) then the other line is open, and dangerous.

Damaged electrical wires to the pump could mean that someone touching the well or piping or controls or wires could be electrocuted.

If you can't find the break in the wiring it'd be safest to leave power off until you have an electrician on site.

I'm not sure what the water valve switch is.

The water pump ought to be completely independent from the septic lift pump.

Pump Wiring Water Damage

Well pump failed after a heavy rain storm

My water stoped after a bad rain storm I changed the pressure switch and got new control box. I am getting power in and out pressure switch but the control box is far away down by the road.

When I check the power coming to control box L1 the white wire reads 0 and the black wire reads 120. I need 230

does this mean I have a break in the wire from pressure switch to control box or have I don’t something wrong? Any help greatly appreciated been going on a week without water !! On 2021-11-02 by Aaron

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Aaron,

It sounds like an electrician is needed to trace the circuit to find the break or open connection.

Watch out: a broken, live electrical wire can be a serious shock or even electrocution hazard.

 

Water got in submersible well pump motor - what do I do to fix it?

I have water inside my submersible pump motor.

On 2022-03-28 by Ryan j wheeler

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - water in submersible well pump motor needs replacement

@Ryan j wheeler,

I would replace the entire pump.

Pump Wiring vs Short Cycling FAQs

Water pump stops and starts

I have new 3wire 1/2 hp pump new pressure tank new pressure switch new wiring to well head . Checked continuity on wires from well head to motor.

Well runs and cycles fine intermittently looses pressure to 0 and stops for 2-3 minutes then starts again . There is power when not running? Starts again after 2 1/2 mins consistently

Pressure switch points are closed when this happens On 2022-01-26 by Rob

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Rob,

Common causes of intermittent pump stopping when power remains are

• well flow rate is inadequate + a pump protection switch turns off the pump to protect it from damage should the pump be run "dry"
• pump pressure control switch pressure sensor port OR the small pipe nipple or tube bringing water pressure to the pump switch is debris clogged
  

Pump stops & starts after just adding 2-3 psi to the pressure system

Pressure switch contact relay stays on and pump goes to 2-3 psi then stops for 15-20 sec and start again numerous times with contact always on "ON" position.

My plumber has no answer to this trouble and will ask others plumbers for troubleshooting. On 2019-01-05 by Anonymous

Answers by (mod) -

Anon

When a pump stops after just adding 2-3 psi to the pressure system my first guess is that it is significantly mis-adjusted - perhaps on the differential screw or nut.

But if you bought and installed a brand new 30/50 pressure controller

And if you cleared or replaced the tubing or pipe that brings water pressure to the control from the pump or piping or tank,

then yes, I'm stumped too.

Can I assume that you've checked the water pressure with a reliable, independent pressure gauge to confirm that you're only seeing 2-3 psi?

What happens if the pump is forced to keep running independently of the switch?

If the pump can't develop more than 2-3 psi in that case there's either no water available or a gross water pipe leak or a pump that is itself damaged - say a bad impeller, low voltage, etc.

Watch out: forcing the pump to run on without the pressure control is dangerous: if you exceed the tank and piping rated pressure you can blow out a pipe or tank, risking injury or death to anyone nearby as well as, of course, flooding the area.

In sum I want enough diagnostic steps to figure out where the problem really lies:

- in the pressure control switch

- in the pump itself

- in the piping

- in the well's water level and flow rate

- in an ancillary pump protection device

See the diagnostics

at WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING - home

Why, after a power failure, does our well pump shut off after just a few seconds

BTW, I forgot to add that when the pump shuts off after running for a few seconds it won’t run again until about 20-30 seconds later, even if manually holding the pressure switch “fill” lever

We had a storm a few days ago and lighting (sounded fairly close) that cut our power off until the utility company fixed things a few hours later. We continued using water while power was out but had no water pressure when power came back.

I replaced the old pressure switch with a new one that has the little lever to manually switch on the pump to refill the tank when pressure drops too low.

The pump only runs for a few seconds and then shuts off. I have to manually hold lever (over and over) until I finally get enough pressure in the tank where the switch takes over, but even then the pump only runs in 2-5 second increments until it reaches max pressure (60 PSI). Pump is about 5 years old without problems prior to this.

What could be causing this issue? On 2020-07-11 by Jose

Explanation by (mod) - signs of a leaky foot valve, lost prime, & a pump protection switch turns the pump off

Jose

The no. 1 most common cause of loss of water after a power loss, provided the well or electrical system didn't itself take a direct lighting strike, is that the well had a pre-existing leaky foot valve. During the power outage the pump lost prime as water drained back into the well.

Try re-priming the pump, but ultimately you'll need to replace the leaky foot valve or other check valve in the system.

by Jose

Thanks for the response Dan.

Could the problem be a leaky foot valve if the pump doesn’t lose prime? The pump is able to immediately pump water every time it turns on but it only stays on for a few seconds. This happens even if I’m holding the pressure control “fill” lever.

by (mod) - detect problem of well running out of water

Probably not, Jose. I may have been hasty (trying to answer too many questions too fast - apologies).

The symptom you describe occurs usually when there is low flow rate of water into the well combined with a pump protection switch or device (designed to shut off the pump to prevent it from running "dry" and thus being damaged).

A diagnostic step is to stop using water for as long as you can - several hours or more - to let the well recover (if it can). IF then you find that the pump delivers water normally, the problem is probably poor or low flow rate.

Let me know and we can take it from there.

Pump Wiring Voltage FAQs

What voltage should I see on a 230VAC pump circuit?

Trying to test the wires going power to the pump and I'm only getting 130 from one wire and it's a 230 pump at the pressure switch of this deep well submersible pump I am getting two 1:30 readings from two separate screws what should the reading be at the pump I believe it should be 1:30 * 2 On 2021-07-04 by Don

by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) -

@Don,

In a typical 220 / 230 / 240 VAC volt electrical circuit you will find half that amount when measuring between each of the individual wires and neutral or ground.

No voltage on pump wires on 240VAC circuit

I'm showing 240 on the 2 wires of the relay coming from the power box. However, I'm not showing any voltage on the wires coming from the pump. I know I need to go towards the pump to see if there is another junction box and if so if it's showing 240 there. However, if the wires are ok is it likely that the water pump has gone bad?On 2021-05-07 by Sam Smith

by (mod) - no voltage found on wires to pump

@Sam Smith,

To answer with confidence I would need to know more about how and where you made your tests and also whether or not you have one simple pressure control switch or a switch that is in turn operating a 240 volt relay control showing at the top of this page.

In general you would not expect to see voltage on the wires to the pump unless the pressure control switch was in the closed position.

At that point if you're not seeing voltage at the pressure control switch on the pump wires and then I suspect the problem is the switch or relay.

I get 250VAC on one line and 0 VAC on the other

I checked the voltage on the line and load on the pressure switch one side is 250 and the other side is 0 On 2021-05-02 by Tom

With the closed circuit on the pressure switch the voltage reads 250 volts on one leg and 0 voltage on the other leg

This is a big world water pump 220 volts 2 wire

by (mod) - where do we measure 220V?

@Tom, with two wires and 220 volts I would expect you would get 220 volts between the two wires coming from your electric panel. Are we on the same page here?

I forgot to change the switch from 220 to 110 - caused damage?

I hooked up new pump and forgot to change the switch from 220 to 110, will this hurt the pump capacity? On 2021-02-08 by Edwin J Ferrari

Answer by (mod) - wiring a 120V pump up to 240V is likely to damage the pu,p

Edwin

Unfortunately, sending 220VAC to a motor wired for 120VAC may damage the motor if in fact you fed it 220 volts; if you just fed one leg and thus 120V to the pump it may be ok, but you want to use the proper pressure control switch too.

Cause of unbalanced voltage on 2 legs of a 240VAC pump circuit

The deep well pump i installed 2 years ago quit,,, its a 220 v 3 hp about 100 foot deep,,,,

Well i had replaced the gauge and pressure switch when i put it in,,, its a 2 wire pump........

So i thought i tested circuits,, it sits like many below ground and the manual shut off was a fused box ......

After i tested them and no breakers were tripped ,,,, i checked voltage and the voltage with wires on supply to fuse box disconnected show 120 on each,,, then i connected them and coming from the new breaker box they show 120 each side,,,, and good solid ground,,,,

But when i connect them to the pressure switch and pump and turn them on the one leg on the pressure switch goes to 168 and the other is like 78 v so the pump isnt working,

I did unhook wires from the pressure switch and the continuity tester shows one leg and ground making continuity the other is open.

This pump being a 2 wire only has the pressure switch no control box. My email is bodyman36@hotmail.com On 2021-01-24 by jarry

Reply by (mod) -

That sounds odd indeed, Jarry; I'd expect around 120VAC on each leg of a 240V circuit when tested from leg to ground, and around 240VAC when tested leg-to-leg.

You could have a damaged wire enroute to the pump or a pump motor winding that's shorting. Sorry to say you may need to pull the pump to check wiring and pump motor.

First I'd want to check voltage levels at the electrical meter and panel but

Watch out: if you're not trained in proper and safe electrical work you could easily be shocked or killed. Hire a licensed electrician.

Do keep me posted; what you find will help others.