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Pump problems in the wells.........

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Manitoba_Rancher

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We are having problems with our submersible pump in our bored well. THe well is about 45 ft deep. The well is located about 850 ft south of where our pumphouse is located. The control box(capacitator) is located in the pumphouse and the wires all run down to the well underground. We can not get power down at the well from the pumphouse. I ve been testing a few things but we still cant get power down there. We had the capacitator tested on Thursday and they said it was okay. I think Im going to go get a new capaciatator box and try it. Any other suggestions?
Good thing we have the rural waterline to fall back on for all these cows.
 
Manitoba_Rancher said:
We are having problems with our submersible pump in our bored well. THe well is about 45 ft deep. The well is located about 850 ft south of where our pumphouse is located. The control box(capacitator) is located in the pumphouse and the wires all run down to the well underground. We can not get power down at the well from the pumphouse. I ve been testing a few things but we still cant get power down there. We had the capacitator tested on Thursday and they said it was okay. I think Im going to go get a new capaciatator box and try it. Any other suggestions?
Good thing we have the rural waterline to fall back on for all these cows.
Click to expand...

Wire guage? Heavy enough?

How long has the wire been underground?

Wire cut or broken?

Hate those type of probs - good luck on this one.

B.C.
 
It is true underground wire #10 designed specifically for these pumps. The wire has been underground for 3 years and up til now no problems.
 
Unhook the wire at both ends. One one end, connect the red and black wires together. From the other end, see if you have continuity with a circuit tester. Check all three wires this way.

You can also run full voltage through the wires that way, but be careful. Electricity comes out a lot faster than people can handle it.
 
If....IF...... you end up replacing your underground wiring.....try running it thru PVC pipe or some type of conduit......it will help protect the wire even more....and make it A WHOLE LOT easier to replace if the need ever arises again!
 
Do like cowpuncher says. Be sure to disconnect both ends of all wires. Check continuity with an ohm meter if you don't get a reading you have a broken wire. If you are unexperienced with electricity, don't hook up any wires to hot to check.
 
M_R,

Check the wires for the first 6 to 8 feet above the pump. Each time the pump starts, the reverse torque of the motor can put enough "twist" into the line that, if the wires are not secured to the line and can rub on the casing, this can wear the insulation off of the wires(over time). I've had this happen before.
I hope I explained that so it made sense. :? :D
 
checked out the wires today by hooking the black and red together and the yellow and green. Tested them back at the back at the pumphouse with the tester and they were good. I got a reading on the ohms. Changed the box on the wall and pressure switch and still nothing. Cant seem to figure it out...... Stressful! But with some tinkering and some helpful advice from my ranchers.net family we'll get er fixed!

Tim I checked them wires out first but they are ok its got me baffled... :???:
 
Try tieing the yellow wire and the black together on one end, then check thes two wires with the ohm meter at the other end. I am thinking the green wire is ground. If the yellow wire is broken and shorted, you might get an ohm reading through the ground. Most likely the black wire is the common wire, one of the others is to the start winding and the other to the run winding. If the wires are OK it looks like the trouble is in the well house. Have you checked the voltage at the well when all wires are hooked and the switch is closed?
 
It sounds like you are on the right track - -- now disconnect all wires at both ends and check with your ohm meter to see if oyu have any shorted toghther.

If you have no shorts and good continunity thru them, good power, good starter then you probably have a bad pump.

When I had a pump with a starter I needed to work on it two or three times a year ( I believe lighting was taking it out) - - - - about 6 or 7 years ago the pump itself went out and I replaced it with one that does not require a starter and have never touched it again. Starters are good in that they will allow you to use smaller wires but I don't care for them in general.

I hope you get it found out - - - let us know what you find.
 
Manitoba_Rancher said:
We are having problems with our submersible pump in our bored well. THe well is about 45 ft deep. The well is located about 850 ft south of where our pumphouse is located. The control box(capacitator) is located in the pumphouse and the wires all run down to the well underground. We can not get power down at the well from the pumphouse. I ve been testing a few things but we still cant get power down there. We had the capacitator tested on Thursday and they said it was okay. I think Im going to go get a new capaciatator box and try it. Any other suggestions?
Good thing we have the rural waterline to fall back on for all these cows.
Click to expand...

I am a bit confused. how do you know you aren't getting power at the well.
Have you checked the resistance on the wires & pump at the control box with it the wires unhooked ( or the control unplugged fromt he box)? I don't know what the resestance on the pump would be but you coud check a new one. The length of the wires will add resistance so what the value of resistance is not criticle. The wires go through a start winding and a run winding and then to the common (y connection) so you should get a resistance reading (not a open or a short) from one wire to each of the other two wires. If you have 4 wires, the forth (green) is hooked to the frame of the pump but not to the motor windings (unless it is through a lighting arrestor which I don't think would show up on a ohm meter). also you could do the resistance test on the motor at the top of the well as well as at the pump panel. (disconect the wires from the control box when you do that)
One way to double check the wires may be to hook up a heat lamp or electric heater so you got a good load (could be a coroded wire not showing up on the ohm meter) and hook the wires (2 at a time up to 110 at the well house. (disconect them from the pump control. Are you sure it is not the relay in the pump box. If the wires are good and a different pump box don't fix it, time to pull the pump. I assume you got good voltage going into the pump control.
 

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