New Submersible Pump Not Running

[lray882]

Two wire 240 volt Submersible pump, Well is 80 feet deep and 240 volts supply. Double pole Breaker (20amp) and wires are new (14ga down well). 30 amp Switch box is new at pump house. Pressure switch is new. Everything is new except the 1 1/4" pipe down well.
This my second new pump in a week. The first pump worked less than a day and would not run. I had power (110v on each black wire) at the pressure switch. I pulled the pump and the wires checked with power at connection to pump motor. I applied power to the pump outside the well at the lead wires and no movement. Each wire showed 110 volts with voltage light.
I installed a second pump. Pump does not run. As before, I have power 110v on each black wire leaving the pressure switch.
I am not an electrician, but I do not understand why the pump does not run. Could I have got a bad pupm? I would appreciate any help someone could give me as to what could be my pump problem or how I could test the pump motor with a meter, etc.

Thanks

[Waterwelldude]

When you check for voltage, you must check both sides at the same time.
Just because there is 110 on each side does not mean there is 220 going to the pump.
Both hot wires that go to the pressure switch must show 220volts at the same time when checked by a volt meter. Going from one side to ground and then the other side to ground, may show 110v each but may not be 220vac when tested together.
I would use a meter and not the little light thing. If there is a problem with the voltage, the light will not show if it's to low or to high for the pump to run properly.

The splices that you made at the pump.
How did you do it?
The pump may have come with a splicing kit, with a pair of heat shrinks. If it didn't, talk to the people the pump came from, they should be able to get you what you need to do the splice right.


Travis

[Gary Slusser]

Are you sure you have the switch wired correctly? line 1 and 4 from the breaker, 2 and 3 to the pump or reverse both, breaker 2 and 3 etc..

Are the pigtail splices done right and water tight/proof?

You don't have a low pressure safety switch that has a lever on the side you have to rotate until the pressure gets up to 20 psi right?

http://www.franklin-electric.com/bus...M/default.aspx

CAUTION: Lead assemblies on submersible motors are suitable only for use in water and may overheat and cause failure if operated in air

[lray882]

Thanks
I did use the heat shrink at the connection near the pump. I have not found my meter, yet. Can someone tell me exactly what I am looking for and how to test with a meter? If I have two hot wires from the main box why would it not be 220V?
Thanks

[lray882]

No low pressure switch with lever. I have the switch wired as the diagram showed. The two lead in power wires on the outside and the two wires to the pump on the inside (middle). Bare ground from power supply to metal. Ground wire from pump to metal.

[Gary Slusser]

All the instructions are at the link I posted.

[speedbump]

Can someone tell me exactly what I am looking for and how to test with a meter? If I have two hot wires from the main box why would it not be 220V?

You are looking for 230 volts across both leads from the breaker. Not 115 on each to ground.

The reason you can have two wires with 115 volts on each but not 230 across them is that they are both from the same phase. You must get one wire from each phase to make 230 volts. Otherwise, it's like taking one wire, twisting another to it and measuring each one. They are actually the same or they both came from the same side of the electrical panel.

[Thatguy]

First check the resistance that the pump motor shows at the power leads.

Then check the current draw while applying rated voltage. ~Zero amps indicates an open circuit or the pump has already burned out, a current draw equivalent to that of a locked rotor (LRA) indicates a stalled pump.

Voltage is only half the story.

[lray882]

Problem solved. I did not have 230volts, but 110volts on each lead.
Thanks to all.

[Thatguy]

Problem solved. I did not have 230volts, but 110volts on each lead.
Thanks to all.

A non-running motor will see high current under these conditions, probably 2x normal which gives 4x the normal temp. rise above ambient in the windings.
I hope you didn't shorten the life of the motor.

[lray882]

I think it is ok. Current was not left on, but few seconds each try.

[speedbump]

If he had 115 volts on both legs and didn't have 230 volts across the legs, the motor wouldn't run at all. It wouldn't even try to run. No damage should have done at all.

[Thatguy]

If he had 115 volts on both legs and didn't have 230 volts across the legs, the motor wouldn't run at all. It wouldn't even try to run. No damage should have done at all.

?
If current flowed and the motor didn't spin and generate a back EMF then the windings would heat, probably above normal.
If zero current flow then zero heat then no damage.

You mean 115v across each winding instead of 115v-0v-115v?

[speedbump]

You mean 115v across each winding instead of 115v-0v-115v?

No, what I mean is that both legs are 115 volts form the same phase and neither is a neutral, so no current would flow. Now if the motor went to ground, that would be a whole different story. He said everything was new, so I assume that would not be the case.