Came back to vacation cabin after being gone for a week. I turned on the breaker to the Shed/barn sub panel. I heard the well and house pumps kick on. A little while later I went to the shed/barn to reset the clocks on the water softener. I thought a smelled a whiff of electrical burning smell but couldn’t track it down. Everything was working fine.
The next afternoon, my wife said, we have no water at he house. Huh?
I went to the shed and water pressure to the house side was Zero? OK. I tapped the pressure switch, nothing. Went to the breaker sub panel and as soon as I touched the 15 amp double pole pump breaker the pump turned on. Huh? This isn’t right.
so I went back to the house, got my meter and some tools. I turned off the 60 amp house breaker that supplies the shed sub panel and went to the shed. I pulled the 15a 240 house pump breaker and it was fried at the bus. I pulled the 15 amp 240 well pump breaker and it was fried at the same buss side. The bus connector was granulated due to overheating
So trip to HD for a new sub panel and a couple of 15 a 240 breakers. The nearest supplier with parts in stock was a Home Depot 1 hr and 15 minutes away. Ugh, 3 hour round trip.
Came back to the cabin, replaced the sub panel and new breakers. WHAT? House pump won’t turn on? Pulled the meter out and I had a defective new 15 amp 240 breaker.
Another 3 hour round trip to HD. This time I bought an extra 15 a 240 breaker. Put everything back together with new sub panel and a pair of new breakers.
FYI, I checked current draw on the 15 amp 240 breakers. Only drawing 8.1 amps per breaker with pumps running.
Here’s the fried breaker
The next afternoon, my wife said, we have no water at he house. Huh?
I went to the shed and water pressure to the house side was Zero? OK. I tapped the pressure switch, nothing. Went to the breaker sub panel and as soon as I touched the 15 amp double pole pump breaker the pump turned on. Huh? This isn’t right.
so I went back to the house, got my meter and some tools. I turned off the 60 amp house breaker that supplies the shed sub panel and went to the shed. I pulled the 15a 240 house pump breaker and it was fried at the bus. I pulled the 15 amp 240 well pump breaker and it was fried at the same buss side. The bus connector was granulated due to overheating
So trip to HD for a new sub panel and a couple of 15 a 240 breakers. The nearest supplier with parts in stock was a Home Depot 1 hr and 15 minutes away. Ugh, 3 hour round trip.
Came back to the cabin, replaced the sub panel and new breakers. WHAT? House pump won’t turn on? Pulled the meter out and I had a defective new 15 amp 240 breaker.
Another 3 hour round trip to HD. This time I bought an extra 15 a 240 breaker. Put everything back together with new sub panel and a pair of new breakers.
FYI, I checked current draw on the 15 amp 240 breakers. Only drawing 8.1 amps per breaker with pumps running.
Here’s the fried breaker