electrical/ pressure switch question

[scesnick]

The pressure switch should stay as close to tank as possible, the switch if relocated to box would be subject to to much pressure fluctuation as when the pump was charging system and when it shuts off afterwards.

I can,t believe an electrician wired it this way after you explaining what you wanted to accomplish. As kayssupply stated, it's not code but wire ahead of switch to your desired location or figure out how many H2O outlets you need open to keep pump running.

Since you have not run any wire to your desired location, just means a bit of digging from uninterrupted power source.

I'm still not quite understanding what you mean.

 

[Damifino]

Like the red line in drawing, my 2 cents says to keep pressure switch at current location and connect your 110v outlet to sub panel, if your not familar with electrical connections or have never done before, I would suggest you have one that does complete the connections.

 

[Damifino]

Like the red line in drawing, my 2 cents says to keep pressure switch at current location and connect your 110v outlet to sub panel, if your not familar with electrical connections or have never done before, I would suggest you have one that does complete the connections.

or figure out how many H2O outlets you need open to keep pump running. Just my lame attempt to make light of situation, (pun intended)

 

[ultrarunner]

At a shop where I worked the lifts were 220v and wired so that one leg was always hot unless power was turned off at the fuse box... yes... it was old and each box had two Edison 20amp fuses.

On the top of the life was a trouble light that always worked and was plugged into the hot side.

The lift pump was started and stopped only be making and breaking the connection on one legged.

I have no idea if this would be satisfactory for your situation.

 

[grsthegreat]

Some people use one side of a 240 outlet and grab a wire off of the ground to make a 120 light or outlet work...but this is not a real 120 volt system. Your using the ground to complete the circuit and thus really eliminating the grounding source on this circuit.

if a proper 220 circuit was run you would fine two (2) hot wires, one (1) white neutral and one (1) ground wire run.

As an electrician by trade, i cannot condone branching off a 120 outlet off of a 220 circuit UNLESS a neutral wire is actually run, Believe me ive seen some hokey setups out there. Things like taking the bare copper ground wire an making it a neutral and installing a new ground rod at the sub panel. What that leaves you with is an UNGROUNDED 220 volt, 40 amp circuit that is a death trap.

 

[scesnick]

Like the red line in drawing, my 2 cents says to keep pressure switch at current location and connect your 110v outlet to sub panel, if your not familar with electrical connections or have never done before, I would suggest you have one that does complete the connections.

You mean running a totally seperate wire from the house panel to the pond. That would be close to 1,000ft and cost quite a bit in wire. That is why I put the breaker box in because it is halfway to the pond.

 

[scesnick]

It proably won't meet code, but I don't think any of this project will, how about wiring the leg you want hot ahead of the switch and switch the other side of the 220? That way your leg will stay hot but the pump won't come on until the switch makes at the house.

Wouldn't that make a constant 110v to the pump? And then make it 220v once the pressure switch calls closes? I don't think a constant 110v at the pump would be good..

I wonder if switching to a 110v pump would afford a few more wiring options?

 

[grsthegreat]

I have run into alot of 240 motors where they turn it off and on by switching only 1 leg of the circuit. It works, but is frowned upon. Theres also a safety issue involved...mainly someone thinking the circuit is off cause the motor isnt running, but its actually 1/2 hot. Personally i never place a switch on a motor unless i break all hot legs.

and your right, there would always be some power running down to the pump...and you are paying for any power you use.

 

[scesnick]

Would switching to a 110v pump give me any other wiring options to make this work?

 

[Damifino]

I have terrible well water , full of iron. but, I also have a creek that originates on my property so, I put a 220v submersible pump into the creek, then all the required filters on it and now i have wonderful water.

I obviously ran 220v wire ( 8/2 I believe it was) 500ft to my creek for the pump. I also have a very nice large pond that we use for hanging out and swimming in the summer. I would like to have electric down by the pond. So, I put a breaker box in halfway down my field to split off the 220v for the pump. I had an electrician wire it up so now I have a 220v breaker and a 120v breaker in the breaker box. I have yet to run the 120v wire to the pond.

But then I realized that the only time I will get power to my 120v outlet by the pond will be when the pressure switch is closed and calliing for water to my house.
how can I solve this problem without running ery expensive wire 500ft again? Maybe put the pressure switch after the filed breaker box somehow????/

Have you verified with tester at above mentioned box that in fact current cycles with pump or is this an assumption, just trying to pinpoint.

 

[scesnick]

Have you verified with tester at above mentioned box that in fact current cycles with pump or is this an assumption, just trying to pinpoint.

It i pretty much a fact since the lead from the panel inside my house runs through my pressure switch and then down to the breaker box in the field.

 

[Damifino]

It i pretty much a fact since the lead from the panel inside my house runs through my pressure switch and then down to the breaker box in the field.

It would appear then if you want a constant electrical supply at pond, the only way to accomplish without a home run from the panel is to relocate the pressure switch.

 

[hr3]

I have terrible well water , full of iron. but, I also have a creek that originates on my property so, I put a 220v submersible pump into the creek, then all the required filters on it and now i have wonderful water.

I obviously ran 220v wire ( 8/2 I believe it was) 500ft to my creek for the pump. I also have a very nice large pond that we use for hanging out and swimming in the summer. I would like to have electric down by the pond. So, I put a breaker box in halfway down my field to split off the 220v for the pump. I had an electrician wire it up so now I have a 220v breaker and a 120v breaker in the breaker box. I have yet to run the 120v wire to the pond.

But then I realized that the only time I will get power to my 120v outlet by the pond will be when the pressure switch is closed and calliing for water to my house.
how can I solve this problem without running ery expensive wire 500ft again? Maybe put the pressure switch after the filed breaker box somehow????/

Like others have said run a new wire and the life you save might be your own,, Stop trying to make it work the facts are your "electrician ?" made a mistake. You can not do what you want with the wire that you have,, Not by changing to 120v pump and not by jumping this or moving that.. You say no codes there.. Well they are called "Life saftey codes" for a reason.. Do you have kids.. Then do it for them..

 

[scesnick]

Like others have said run a new wire and the life you save might be your own,, Stop trying to make it work the facts are your "electrician ?" made a mistake. You can not do what you want with the wire that you have,, Not by changing to 120v pump and not by jumping this or moving that.. You say no codes there.. Well they are called "Life saftey codes" for a reason.. Do you have kids.. Then do it for them..

Now I know what codes are for..... thanks.

 

[Kays Supply]

Like someone else has said, are you sure you don't have power. He may have done what I was trying to explain. One question, do you have a control box after the switch? It will have red yellow and black strand wire coming out going to the pump.

 

[scesnick]

Like someone else has said, are you sure you don't have power. He may have done what I was trying to explain. One question, do you have a control box after the switch? It will have red yellow and black strand wire coming out going to the pump.

I know I don't have power. I recently switched out the pressure switch and the way it is wired it is easy to see that it does not have power.
Nope , no control box, It is a two wire pump.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

8 2 romex does not have a neutral. it will only have 2 hots and a ground wire

I doubt there's any such thing as 8/2 Romex. He probably has 8 gauge pump wire, which is 2 hots and a neutral, no ground. Running a ground hundreds of feet is not a good idea, since you can have a local potential on a remote ground. The junction box needs to establish a local ground. In the old NEC, the neutral and ground were bonded at the remote box. That changed and more ground wires were run to separate buildings, but for farm use a local ground is the only way to go.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

but, SInce i already fried my pump. I was thinking of a 110v jetpump of some sort inside a heated little shed down by the creekbed. Has anyone used a jet pump outdoors in a cold region?

Small pumps are OK, but you should run even a small pump on 240v. That cuts the amperage in half, and you will get much better pump life from the higher voltage. Every water pump I have ever seen gives directions for switching the motor from 120 to 240v.

Even in a pit, you are going to have to have heat tape or something similar. There are thermo-bricks that turn on at 35 degrees, so put one next to the pump and when it is in danger of freezing the heat will kick on.

 

[grsthegreat]

I doubt there's any such thing as 8/2 Romex. He probably has 8 gauge pump wire, which is 2 hots and a neutral, no ground. Running a ground hundreds of feet is not a good idea, since you can have a local potential on a remote ground. The junction box needs to establish a local ground. In the old NEC, the neutral and ground were bonded at the remote box. That changed and more ground wires were run to separate buildings, but for farm use a local ground is the only way to go.

what are you talking about???

i use miles of 8/2 and 8/3 romex with ground. for undergrund its called UF cable . Alot of people refer to it as burial romex.

whats in a name.


i know what your referring to with the pump wire, we have it here and its run in a twisted bundle of 4 wires.

The code requires a ground run between a main panel and a subpanel. if this is work done in the past 3 years then its not done right. If indeed it is romex run between the panel then the wire being used for a neutral is bare copper, and cannot be used as a neutral wire (which can and does conduct power.

 

[rgs03833]

Not sure how my electrician wired it really. i just drew the pic.

Moving the tank and/or anything that holds water above ground outside is not an option. it gets well below zero at my place. Looks like I am running more wire !

Moving the tank or anything from original would NOT be a good idea. If something happen, you will pull all your hair out. If it's working, leave it alone.

If you calculate your time, money and get the Electrician out again, you have better luck leaving everything alone and just get another wire and run it down there. Save time, money and effort.

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