Generator and Well Pump

[GaryQWA]

I recently bought a house that is supplied by well water. I need to wire up my generator to run the well, and time does not permit a 'proper' installation. What I think I want to do is isolate the well from the house wiring at the switch, and power it with the generator. I'll use extension cords for the inside stuff. Here is the kicker- my well pump is a two-wire model. The way it's wired now is there are three wires running to the top of the switch (red-black-white) and two wires from the bottom of the switch to the pump (red and black). There is no neutral wire from the pump. The grounds are all present and connected. Can I do the same thing with my generator? I have the proper wiring and plug to do it, but I am concerned about running the generator with the neutral disconnected. Does the generator care?

I know this is an old thread but I thought this might help. I tried my best to read the whole thread but got lost in the lock outs transfer switches etc. etc. but I can help educate some about submersible pumps. I have no idea of how to wire the generator but I don't think I would wire the neutral.

A 240v 2 wire pump had no ground for the first few decades that they were used.

Now codes call for a ground on the pump; they also require grounding the metal casing.

Cable/wires and color coding... usually they are black as the 2 120v hots and a green ground. Red is used only on 3 wire pumps as the Start, and 3 wire pumps require a control box, and from the box to the pump will be a black 120, a black with yellow stripe or yellow 120, a yellow with red stripe or red Start and a green ground.

For 2 or 3 wire pumps, from the pressure switch to the control box is two black or a yellow with black stripe 120v and a green ground, or if Romex is used black and white are the 120v hots with ground. There is never a neutral on either 2 or 3 wire 240v pumps. On 120v pumps black white and green ground.

Someone wired your well with different colors but your pump probably has no green ground pigtail, or red Start. Today all 240v pumps have two black hots and a green ground and if a 3 wire pump, a red Start and control box for the hp of the pump. A 120v pump has two black hots and green ground (pig tail/motor lead). AFAIK there are no 120v 3 wire pumps (with a control box). This is industry standard and some big box stores etc. may use different colored wires.

The 10/3 w/grd is a bit of overkill unless you have a 1.5hp or larger pump and it is quite deep in the well. Usually 12/2 or 3 w/grd is good to like 550' or 600' from the panel box.

You can find all this and more if you roam around from page to page and in different manuals here:
Franklin Electric Submersible AIM Manual - Application - All Motors - Page 9

 

[Highbeam]

Yes soundguy, backfeeding the lines is technically very possible and works very well. It is simply illegal or a violation since if done improperly it could kill someone. The interlock kit simply takes the human error part out of the standard backfeed installation.

 

[Soundguy]

Yes soundguy, backfeeding the lines is technically very possible and works very well. It is simply illegal or a violation since if done improperly it could kill someone. The interlock kit simply takes the human error part out of the standard backfeed installation.

That was my guess.. safety via protocall.. IE.. the mechanical interlock doesn't forget to throw the main breaker..e tc.

soundguy