Help! I screwed up and wired motor wrong

[Wfoskey]

I was replacing my pool pump. It is 220v. I have two red wires and one green wire (ground). I plugged the red wires into L1 and L2. There was also a screw on L1. I had a brain fart and wired the ground wire to L1. When I started the pump, I had a loud pop in my Control/breaker box and the breaker tripped. I realized my error and corrected it. When I reset the breaker and try to start the pump, it still pops and trips the breaker. I replaced the breaker and still having same issue. Have I fried the pump motor or have I possibly just burned a wire or caused a short. Any ideas? By the way, it also trips the main 50 amp breaker that supplies the control/breaker box (Hayward Aqua Plus box).

 

[ajw22]

What model pool pump are we discussing?

You know how to use your multimeter and check for continuity and shorts in your wires?

 

[Wfoskey]

 

[ajw22]

Is the breaker for the pump in your main breaker panel or a pool sub panel?

You may have fried the ground wire somewhere along the way.

You should have a qualified electrician checkout the pump wiring and breaker panel.

 

[Jimrahbe]

W,

1. Remove all the wiring from the pump, and make sure none of the removed wiring is touching anything.
2. Turn on the breakers and see if anything still pops.
3. If not, then use a voltmeter and test between L1 and L2 and see if you get 240 volts.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Wfoskey]

Thanks, will do

 

[Wfoskey]

continuity is good on leads and ground. Voltage reading 43.5 volts.

 

[JamesW]

Disconnect the wires from the pump and check the voltage wire to wire and each wire to ground.

Can you show pictures of everything (Breakers, wires, switches, pump wiring compartment etc.)?

 

[Jimrahbe]

W,

Since we are not there, we can't see what you are doing, so tell us what specific voltage reads 43.5 volts.. Between what and what?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Wfoskey]

Changed relay and rechecked the voyage on the 2 red wires. Voltage read 240

 

[Wfoskey]

Got around 120 on each wire to ground. Hooked it all back up. Tripped breaker again.

 

[JamesW]

Does it still trip the breaker?

You have grounds and neutrals on the neutral bar.

The grounds need to go to the ground bar, not the neutral bar.

The pump breaker should be a 20 amp GFCI breaker, not a 30 amp non-GFCI breaker.

 

[JamesW]

With the wires disconnected and the power off, check for continuity from the L1 terminal to the ground screw and from the L2 terminal to the ground screw.

Check for continuity (resistance in ohms) from L1 to L2.

Check for continuity from each red wire to the ground wire.

Note: Turn off the main breaker and all subpanel breakers for these tests.

 

[Wfoskey]

You guys have been great. I hate to admit what I found. I couldn’t see the plug below. Both wires were plugged to the same terminal. Pump is running now, but won’t stop with the switch. It turns on when the breaker is turned on.

 

[JamesW]

Does the relay turn on and off?

 

[Wfoskey]

swapped relay back to original. Pump won’t run. Checked voltage across relay. 0 when switched off. 23 volts switched on.

 

[Wfoskey]

Checked continuity, OL on left side, 0.1 on right

 

[Bill1974]

Also make sure the item that needs to be turned to set the voltage on the pump is completely turned. I had a motor that I thought was set to 125V and when I first started it, it was obvious it was not. It looks like it was set but needed to be turned a bit more.

There is a chance of a bad breaker, but not likely. Disconnect all the wires and check the breaker. Also check to see if any have continuity between each other and/or ground with a multimeter. If you are not comfortable get someone who is. Also check to see if there is continuity between any the connection on the motor, there should not be other than the two hots. The resistance between the hots could also be checked but I don't know what it should be.

 

[1poolman1]

Checked continuity, OL on left side, 0.1 on right
View attachment 561986

With the breaker off, check for continuity between terminal 2/4 & 6/8 on the pump relay. If there is continuity the contacts have welded and the relay should be replaced.
With the pump off in the panel and the breaker on, check for voltage between terminal 4 and 8. If it is 240V there the contacts have welded and the relay should be replaced.
Doesn't have to be in a Hayward box. This should work:

Omron G7L-2A-BUBJ-CB DC24​

 

[ajw22]

Your short welded the contacts of the relay closed.

Replace the relay.