Well House Load Center??

[dieselscout80]

Our well is about 170’ from our house circuit breaker box. The 220v submersible well pump is about 150’ down. The line to the well is 12/2 wire, so I ran a new wire to the well 6/3 wire.

I want to put a load center with at least 3 breakers in it (pump, outlet and a light).

The well has PVC casing so that is not an option for grounding.

Should I put a ground rod at the well? The current system doesn’t have a ground at the well just at the house panel.

 

[ponytug]

How many HP is your pump?

I'm not a trained or licensed electrician.

FWIW:
IIRC: Detached buildings are supposed to have an independent ground under many versions of the code. Personally, I think it would be prudent to drive a ground rod and put in a ground.

The outlet probably needs a GFCI outlet or breaker, and in many jurisdictions, you need a certain amount of space away from the well for the panel. (Damp/wet location rules?) While not required in many instances, I would use a "rain tight" NEMA R3 outdoor rated panel, as in my experience the unexpected happens in well houses and that often involves spraying water.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Roadworthy]

Two eight foot ground rods at least six feet apart. Run #6 solid wire from the ground rods to the panel. You may need to add a grounding lug strip and connect grounds to that. Do not connect the grounds to the neutral bus - not even the ground wire from the house. If fed from the house panel the proper breaker size is fifty amps though less is fine.

 

[dstig1]

The increased wire size is due to voltage drop, so the breaker should remain the same. And yes add the ground rods. You are creating a subpanel, so follow all those rules.

 

[dieselscout80]

How many HP is your pump?

I'm not a trained or licensed electrician.

FWIW:
IIRC: Detached buildings are supposed to have an independent ground under many versions of the code. Personally, I think it would be prudent to drive a ground rod and put in a ground.

The outlet probably needs a GFCI outlet or breaker, and in many jurisdictions, you need a certain amount of space away from the well for the panel. (Damp/wet location rules?) While not required in many instances, I would use a "rain tight" NEMA R3 outdoor rated panel, as in my experience the unexpected happens in well houses and that often involves spraying water.

All the best,

Peter

I have no idea what size the pump is but it is fed by a 30 amp breaker. It was in place when we bought back in 2009.

I will add a ground rod when I do the install.

 

[dieselscout80]

Two eight foot ground rods at least six feet apart. Run #6 solid wire from the ground rods to the panel. You may need to add a grounding lug strip and connect grounds to that. Do not connect the grounds to the neutral bus - not even the ground wire from the house. If fed from the house panel the proper breaker size is fifty amps though less is fine.

I’ve got a couple questions.

I’ve never seen 6 gauge solid wire, so where do you get it?

Why two 8’ ground rods vs one? Also most ground rods are much shorter than 8’.

 

[Topzide]

You only need one 8 foot ground rod and can use #8 solid ground wire. All the ground rods that I've ever brought were 8 foot.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve got a couple questions.

I’ve never seen 6 gauge solid wire, so where do you get it?

Why two 8’ ground rods vs one? Also most ground rods are much shorter than 8’.

Every ground rod I’ve ever purchased was 8ft. Code requires 2 ground rods placed at least 6 ft apart. Every electric supply house will have bare 6 gauge ground wire although 8 gauge passes code for panels less than 100 amps.

 

[not2old]

When I was doing the foundation for my shop I called the electrical inspector and told him I'm not doing the service right now but wanted to know if it was OK to enclose the ground rod in the concrete foundation. He told me that if I was running a circuit from the house that a ground rod should not be used. Last week I hired an electrician to hook up a 125A 250V sub panel in the shop where I'm planning on doing the rest myself. The work was properly permitted by the electrician and there is no ground rod. Electrical installations here in B.C. are permitted and inspected by the province.

 

[ponytug]

I’ve got a couple questions.

I’ve never seen 6 gauge solid wire, so where do you get it?

Why two 8’ ground rods vs one? Also most ground rods are much shorter than 8’.

Around here, all the big box stores carry 6ga, often locked up.

Newer versions of code ask for two 8' rods, with a continuous ground wire. The alternative is to drive one rod, and have it tested for efficacy, which is a bit of song and dance. Most installers prefer two ground rods and be done with it. I think of it as an attempt to reduce single point failures and improve the effectiveness of the grounding systems.

All the best,

Peter