Pump Tripping Circuit Breaker

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lauralindy

0
Jun 19, 2016
6
Holmdel, NJ
I just bought a Hayward SP2615X20 Super Pump 2 HP inground pool pump from Amazon. Initially, I configured it to 115V because I did not realize that I had a separate power supply for the pool. Of course, that didn't work out so I switched the configuration back to 230V. I'm pretty sure the wiring of the motor is done correctly.

Now, when I try to turn the pump on, it will only run for 2-3 seconds before it shuts down and trips the breaker. The motor runs and the vacuum works but only for a couple seconds.

The breaker is a GFCI 40 Amp circuit breaker. With a start capacitator in the pump, I don't think it should be drawing so much current that it trips the breaker.

Could there be any damage to the wiring or the pump after the I used the wrong configuration?

Thanks for any help.
 
Welcome to TFP!

lauralindy said:
I'm pretty sure the wiring of the motor is done correctly.
Click to expand...
If you are just "pretty sure", I would have it checked out by a licensed electrician.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the source wiring was damaged - the circuit breaker's primary job is to protect the wiring from overload. You also could have a ground-fault issue somewhere. If it is not correctly wired for 230V, it may be reading the neutral return as a ground fault given that the breaker is a 230V GFCI. Also, keep in mind that if the motor is wired for 115V, it will pull twice the amps vs. correctly wiring it for 230V.

Bottom line: If the breaker trips within a few seconds of operation, it is a sign that it is not wired properly. I would definitely have it checked out by an electrician.
 
BoDarville said:
Welcome to TFP!

If you are just "pretty sure", I would have it checked out by a licensed electrician.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the source wiring was damaged - the circuit breaker's primary job is to protect the wiring from overload. You also could have a ground-fault issue somewhere. If it is not correctly wired for 230V, it may be reading the neutral return as a ground fault given that the breaker is a 230V GFCI. Also, keep in mind that if the motor is wired for 115V, it will pull twice the amps vs. correctly wiring it for 230V.

Bottom line: If the breaker trips within a few seconds of operation, it is a sign that it is not wired properly. I would definitely have it checked out by an electrician.
Click to expand...


Are you talking about the motor voltage configuration wiring or the rest of the pool setup wiring specifically?
 
If you are asking about what I meant by "the source wiring", I was referring to the wiring from the breaker to the motor. If you are still able to get the pump to start up again (which it sounds like you did), that's a good indicator that the pump motor is OK, but I wouldn't press it or you risk damaging it. Please have the wiring checked out by a licensed electrician - it may save you the cost of a new pump motor as well as other collateral damage.
 
Electrical engineer does not equate to licensed electrician. There are wiring diagrams that must be followed. You wired something incorrectly. I'd recommend professional help at this point. It would be awful to be injured/killed just to save a few bucks.
 
My 1.5 HP pump is on a 20 AMP GFCI breaker with minimum 12 GA wire out to the pump. The plate on the motor states that max power draw on 240V is about 7.5 - 7.8 Amps, and I'm usually pulling 5-5.5 amps , so I can't imagine your 2HP taking much more than 10-12 amps on 240V.

I'd start by making sure that you ARE supplying 240V, then checking your wire size out to the pump. For a 240V pump, 12 ga should be plenty (figure extra if you are running other items as well. I'd also like to know what the wiring between breaker and pump (things like switches and timers as well). Are you running 120V stuff off of the pump circuit without a neutral wire ?

I'd also like to know pool size and why it was recommended that you get a 2HP pump - seems pretty darn big to me.

And if all else fails - time to get an electrician out there.
 

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Here's the link to the manual: https://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/SuperPump.pdf

WARNING – All wiring must be done by a licensed electrician and must conform to all
local and national codes and regulations.
WARNING – Ground and bond motor before connecting to electrical power supply. Failure
to ground and bond pump motor can cause serious or fatal electrical shock hazard.
WARNING – Do NOT ground to a gas supply line.
WARNING – To avoid dangerous or fatal electrical shock, turn OFF power to motor before
working on electrical connections.
WARNING – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) tripping indicates electrical problem. If GFCI trips and
won’t reset, consult electrician to inspect and repair electrical system.
WARNING – Fire Hazard. Match supply voltage to motor nameplate voltage.

Check Page 6. 2hp 230V motor calls for a 15 Amp breaker. Not 40 amps.

These directions show how to replace the motor, but cover the wiring directions. It may help with your trouble shooting: How To Replace the Motor on Your Pool Pump - INYOPools.com
 
bobodaclown said:
Here's the link to the manual: https://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/SuperPump.pdf

WARNING – All wiring must be done by a licensed electrician and must conform to all
local and national codes and regulations.
WARNING – Ground and bond motor before connecting to electrical power supply. Failure
to ground and bond pump motor can cause serious or fatal electrical shock hazard.
WARNING – Do NOT ground to a gas supply line.
WARNING – To avoid dangerous or fatal electrical shock, turn OFF power to motor before
working on electrical connections.
WARNING – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) tripping indicates electrical problem. If GFCI trips and
won’t reset, consult electrician to inspect and repair electrical system.
WARNING – Fire Hazard. Match supply voltage to motor nameplate voltage.

Check Page 6. 2hp 230V motor calls for a 15 Amp breaker. Not 40 amps.

These directions show how to replace the motor, but cover the wiring directions. It may help with your trouble shooting: How To Replace the Motor on Your Pool Pump - INYOPools.com
Click to expand...

:goodpost:
 
If the pump runs a few seconds, sounds like the wiring to the the pump could be a problem. it is most likely not drawing too much amperage, but something is causing too much resistance. could be something is making a connection to ground, hince it is tripping.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Looking at the owners manual online for that pump indicates that wired for 115 V you would use a 30A breaker with 10AWG wire. wired for 230V you would be using a 15A breaker with 14AWG . So wired for 230V a 40A breaker is too big. It would not trip soon enough to prevent damage not only to the pump, but also to your panel etc. While 8AWG is more than is needed, it is not your problem. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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