My pump is drawing 19A on each leg going into the timer! That's gotta be wrong or a sign of something seriously wrong???
Is it possible, with 3-way (diverter) valves, to make a line a vac OR return?
- Thread starter MitchRyan912
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Your pump runs on 240 V, correct? If so, then that 19 A is the overall current being pulled by the pump. 19*240 = 4560 W * efficiency factor say 0.8 = 3648 W or almost 5 hp. Are you on a double-pole 20 A breaker for this pump or maybe a 30 A breaker? That does sound high to me. Are you sure you used the ammeter correctly? What kind did you get?
I'm borrowing a Fluke 325 clamp ammeter. I put the clamp around 1 wire at a time, and measured each leg.
Its 240V for sure. There's a sub panel off the two main lugs instead of (properly) using a double pole breaker to feed a sub panel. The box has an on/off switch and a pair of 30A screw type fuses for "protection." This is how the house was wired when we bought it. I know it's not to code and is a total hack job.
Its 240V for sure. There's a sub panel off the two main lugs instead of (properly) using a double pole breaker to feed a sub panel. The box has an on/off switch and a pair of 30A screw type fuses for "protection." This is how the house was wired when we bought it. I know it's not to code and is a total hack job.
Try measuring some other things around the house and see if you get readings that make sense.
I just checked a couple lighting circuits in the house, and got half amp readings on them. That sounds right.
This is is taken on the wire going to the high speed terminal of the motor. It's definitely reading that voltage, but that's gotta be indicative of something wrong. I would guess a short in the windings would cause a much heavier load?
This is is taken on the wire going to the high speed terminal of the motor. It's definitely reading that voltage, but that's gotta be indicative of something wrong. I would guess a short in the windings would cause a much heavier load?
Would it be OK to hook up the new motor to power if it was just the bare motor? I'd like to check the current draw before I put it into the pump. If there's some sort of crazy draw on just the bare motor, then I'd be hesitant to go ahead and install the motor and chop up everything like I am planning to tomorrow.
Is a bare motor OK to run, like on a test bench, or does it need to be hooked up to something to be safe?
Is a bare motor OK to run, like on a test bench, or does it need to be hooked up to something to be safe?
That is fine. But the power draw is going to be significantly lower than it will be in the pump.
I still think it is highly unlikely there's anything wrong with your existing motor. I think somehow the test is being done wrong. and maybe you just have an air leak not allowing the pump to prime.
I still think it is highly unlikely there's anything wrong with your existing motor. I think somehow the test is being done wrong. and maybe you just have an air leak not allowing the pump to prime.
Well why not do the same thing with your existing motor and see what the readings are? Then you can compare that to the new motor. Although I still think it's an amp meter reading problem.
I did that with the existing original single speed motor and it read 45A! I'll try that in the AM with the two-speed motor that's about to be sent back and replaced. The two-speed is hosed, but maybe not as bad as the original single speed.
Just to recap:
2013: Bought house from in-laws. A very old pump worked in the fall when we shut it down for the winter. That's pump #1.
2014: Old pump didn't want to start up, so we hacked up the rigid metal pipe it was installed with and put in a Waterway SMF-110 (single speed, 1.25 SFHP). That's pump #2, and it ran just fine all year.
2015: Towards the end of July, I came home from work to find the motor in pump #2 seized up and hotter than heck. Replaced that motor with a two-speed motor. That's motor #3. Ran fine for a little while, less than 30 days later, I'm having to install motor #4.
This is why I'm a little skittish and wanting to test some things out to see why so many pumps/motors are failing in such a short time.
Just to recap:
2013: Bought house from in-laws. A very old pump worked in the fall when we shut it down for the winter. That's pump #1.
2014: Old pump didn't want to start up, so we hacked up the rigid metal pipe it was installed with and put in a Waterway SMF-110 (single speed, 1.25 SFHP). That's pump #2, and it ran just fine all year.
2015: Towards the end of July, I came home from work to find the motor in pump #2 seized up and hotter than heck. Replaced that motor with a two-speed motor. That's motor #3. Ran fine for a little while, less than 30 days later, I'm having to install motor #4.
This is why I'm a little skittish and wanting to test some things out to see why so many pumps/motors are failing in such a short time.
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Yep. 238V at the pad. It's a run of about 70' of 12 gauge. Not ideal, but within code for what I'm running.
However, getting funky readings of 19A (motor #3, installed) and 45A (bare motor from pump #2) and am concerned about what's causing these motors to go bad.
However, getting funky readings of 19A (motor #3, installed) and 45A (bare motor from pump #2) and am concerned about what's causing these motors to go bad.
Well, the voltage drop should not be too much on that run.
Are you using a full new 2-speed pump or just a new motor on an existing pump?
Are you using a full new 2-speed pump or just a new motor on an existing pump?
Second new two-speed motor on the existing pump's wet end. What's coming in the mail tomorrow will be the THIRD motor to go on this wet end...
I'm losing a couple volts from the panel to the pad. Nothing I'm too concerned about, as it's still >230V at the pad. I borrowed an ammeter to check amperage to see if I wasn't getting enough current to the pad, and well... that's not a concern at all!
I'm losing a couple volts from the panel to the pad. Nothing I'm too concerned about, as it's still >230V at the pad. I borrowed an ammeter to check amperage to see if I wasn't getting enough current to the pad, and well... that's not a concern at all!
Are you sure the impeller is not larger than you think and you keep putting motors on it that are too small? Thus leading to overheating of the motor?
It's definitely a 1 HP impeller and the old motor was a 1.25 SFHP motor (1 HP x 1.25 SF). The two-speed motor's high speed is almost 1.25 SFHP (.75 x 1.6 SF), so it's close enough to not have needed an impeller change.