Potential electrical issue?

[microscopes]

When I was working around my filter, my foot accidentally hit the bonding wire that connects the pool to the pump, and it the wire popped out of the nut.

No big deal, place it back in the nut and tighten.

One weird thing did happen though - As soon as the bonding wire came off, the pump stopped. I checked, and the GFCI on the circuit breaker tripped when the bonding wire was knocked off.

Question: Does this mean that there was electricity going to the pool and the differential of when the bonding wire got knocked off ended up tripping the GFCI?

 

[jblizzle]

Well, that is concerning. The bonding wire should have no impact on the power to the pump or the GFCI. Hopefully we can get some other involved that might have a clue: @JohnT @bdavis466 ?

 

[microscopes]

Well, that is concerning. The bonding wire should have no impact on the power to the pump or the GFCI. Hopefully we can get some other involved that might have a clue: @JohnT @bdavis466 ?

Yeah, i'm a bit scared!

 

[jblizzle]

Lets add a few others: @danpik @Bama Rambler

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd check all the connections in the motor junction box for loose connections. It could be a loose connection that you jarred when you kicked the stuffings out of the pump. That would trip the gfci.

 

[JohnT]

Not good. Bonding wire shouldn’t affect function or GFCI at all unless something significant is wrong with the wiring.

 

[microscopes]

Not good. Bonding wire shouldn’t affect function or GFCI at all unless something significant is wrong with the wiring.

Crud.

That's what I was afraid of.

Time to get a new pump?

Or check the connections as Bama mentioned - not sure how comfortable I am with that.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Turn the power off at the breaker and open the junction box on the end of the motor and just wiggle each wire. If anything is loose you should be able to tell. Then you can tighten them.

 

[microscopes]

Turn the power off at the breaker and open the junction box on the end of the motor and just wiggle each wire. If anything is loose you should be able to tell. Then you can tighten them.

Ok will give that a try. Thanks!

 

[JohnT]

I’d pull the bond wire off of the pump and measure the AC voltage between the bond lug and the wire.

Unless you are very familiar with electrical wiring, I would suggest you will need professional help if some of the simple checks don’t turn up anything.