Well pump with breaker AND fuse?

Richard · Aug 7, 2010

I was reading the jet pump thread and was going to ask there...figured I'd not bomb on the thread

Casual question... I'm on a well. It has its own breaker in my box. In addition to this, I have those old time screw in fuses located AT the pressure tank closet as well.

I've not traced any circuits...so I'm presuming the following is indeed the case.

Why would there be fuses on the same circuit that I have a breaker??

It dawned on me after a couple years of changing my water filter (located in same closet) that if this fuse blew I'd be out of business for a while until I made a trip into town (15 miles).

I have since bought a package of them and they are sitting next to the fuse box.

I don't get it and have always wondered.

jinman · Aug 7, 2010

Richard, does the round fuse box also have a knife-switch with an ON-OFF handle outside the box? I'm thinking that when the well was first drilled, the round-fuse box may have been the only switch/fuse box for the well. When the house was wired, the only way to run a circuit out to the well from the main breaker box was to use a breaker and mark it for the well. They just never went back and eliminated the fuse panel inside the well house. Even so, it's handy to have a fuse box/switch also in the well house to use as a local disconnect so you don't have to run back and forth to the house to turn the pump ON/OFF.

RadarTech · Aug 7, 2010

I'd second Jinman's thoughts..

I would like replace the fuse box with one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_95550-82364-DPF221RP_0_?productId=3129847&Ntt=disconnect&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=disconnect

J

RadarTech · Aug 7, 2010

RadarTech said:
I'd second Jinman's thoughts..

I would like replace the fuse box with one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_95550-82364-DPF221RP_0_?productId=3129847&Ntt=disconnect&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=disconnect

J

hmm link didn't work..

http://tinyurl.com/3yj4jgc

try this..

J

jinman · Aug 7, 2010

The disconnect is what is installed on my AC unit. It sure makes it safer to service.

Here in Texas, we have to work to keep fire ants out of electrical boxes too. Some people put dog collars inside of boxes but one of the guys who services our aerobic septic system suggested insecticidal cattle ear tags. You can buy a bunch of them cheaply at TSC and they are good to put in electrical boxes to keep insects out. I can imagine that they would also work well for wasps and bees. We've used them for about three years and bugs seem to stay away.:thumbsup:

RadarTech · Aug 7, 2010

jinman said:
The disconnect is what is installed on my AC unit. It sure makes it safer to service.

Here in Texas, we have to work to keep fire ants out of electrical boxes too. Some people put dog collars inside of boxes but one of the guys who services our aerobic septic system suggested insecticidal cattle ear tags. You can buy a bunch of them cheaply at TSC and they are good to put in electrical boxes to keep insects out. I can imagine that they would also work well for wasps and bees. We've used them for about three years and bugs seem to stay away.:thumbsup:

I need to check those things out..
HMM... I wonder what else those things could be used on!

To the OP--- sorry---Didn't mean to create a tangental conversation..

J

arrabil · Aug 8, 2010

They are time delay fuses.... click me.

jinman · Aug 9, 2010

How many of you remember people who would put a penny behind one of those screw-in fuses if they didn't have a spare?

Richard · Aug 9, 2010

The box inside my closet has the lever on it to engage/disengage the blade connections (pardon my not knowing all the proper terms)

Let me redescribe the situation.

At my main panel box I have several 220v breakers. One of them says "well pump" and no more.

Inside the closet where my pressure tank resides, I have a second smaller box with the on/off handle on it. I presume this to be my local over-ride kill switch to the water pump system.

inside this box is where the screw in fuses reside. Memory tells me they are 30 amps but it's been 2 years since I actually looked at them so don't hold me to that number.

I can see the logic of a disconnect switch in the closet since it's out of sight to the panel box. It's the existence of the fuses that raises my eyebrow.

I might add....this was all put in during new construction. It's not a function of the house being 50 years old...it's only 10 years old.

Maybe this was the only disconnect box they had with them when they did the install so rather than wait and get another disconnect box they simply used what they had with them?

Is there anything WRONG with the logic of having these fuses in there?

As for taking this thread elsewhere.... no problems by me. I'm as guilty of that as anyone so turnabout is fair play.