Can I pull 110 power from my well pump circuit?

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Chris

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Wondering if I can pull power from my well pump power junction box near my well? I moved my tool shed next to the well and would like to run a sprinkler timer in the shed. I have done no research on my well pump, I don't know if it is 220 or 110.
 
If you pull power off after the pressure switch, you will only have power when the pump is running. And you certainly don't want to pull power off after a control box for a 3 wire motor. Have you though about a battery operated sprinkler timer. I use DIG timers and the batteries last at least a whole season.
 
I'll take a picture but I have a box before everything. Power comes out of the ground and goes to one box then another then to the well.
 
I've wondered about that, too. I have a 220V pump a long way from the house. There's an underground cable with the two hots, a neutral, and ground going to a circuit breaker in the control box. It would be nice to have an outlet on one leg of the circuit for a heat lamp for the few times here it is freezing in the winter.

But I somehow doubt that it would be allowed by code.

And you certainly don't want to pull power off after a control box for a 3 wire motor.

Valveman, are you saying it could damage the pump motor if power was pulled from one leg at the circuit breaker in the control box (before the capacitor, pressure switch, and other control circuits).
 
You can tie in after the circuit breaker as long as it is before the pressure switch and/or control box. After the pressure switch and/or control box would only have power when the pump is running. And after the control box it would also add to the load already seen by the capacitors in the control box.
 
Excerpted From An Electricians Forum-

John Reiss asks:

I have a 220v well away from my house. The water softener need a 110 volt source to power it. How can I wire 110v off of the 220v pump switch?

Answer:

You can’t! The 200v pump circuit is probably 2 hot wires and a ground. The 110v circuit requires 1 hot wire, 1 neutral wire and 1 ground wire. You can’t tap 110v off of a 220v circuit without overcurrent protection. The 220v breaker will probably never trip if there is a problem with the 110v line. You also need to be concerned about overloading the circuit by adding the water softener.

If you have 2 hots (BL and RD), 1 neutral and 1 ground and adding the water softener won’t overload (the circuit), then use the pump circuit to supply power to a sub-panel ahead of the pump and switch. Then use the correct size breaker to re-feed the pump and install a new single pole breaker for your 110v circuit.

If you do not have a neutral or the water softener will overload the circuit, then you need to install a new, dedicated 110v circuit.

Sourced- http://www.ezdiyelectricity.com/?p=1084
 
To further explain the above info-

Fuseholder-2-wire-sizes-800.jpg


DISCLAIMER- If not comfortable around electricity, hire qualified electrician and conform/comply to all codes including local AHJ.
 
That's how I was thinking but haven't had any time for this project yet.
 
Ok here is what I have in the panel at my well. Looks like no neutral wire. Am I screwed on getting power for my sprinkler timer?
 
You don't want to come off of either of the pump control boxes unless you only want 110 when the pump is running. You will need to come off of an L1 or L2 plus the common in the fuse box to the left.
 

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