Pump chamber switch failure

[EBSTEVE]

I have a sand filter system and the final chamber before the drain field set off the high level alarm.

I switched to manual and the pump ran so I pulled the tree and checked the floats for resistance at the control panel. The low level (to not run the pump dry) worked, the alarm obviously worked but the switch did not change.

I bought a replacement from a local septic / underground utility supply house and installed it. I put the tree back in place and turned the system on before I put the cover on to test operation.
The timer started and the pump ran but the wire nuts in the junction box started smoking.
I turned it off and replaced the wire nuts thinking it may have been because of the silicone in the wire nuts and now the pump will again work in manual but not with the switch.

I'm thinking it could be the pump is pulling too many amps but I'm not sure and was curious of other steps to take before replacing the pump.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Geofd]

your best bet would be a lic/qualified electritian ……….

 

[EBSTEVE]

Thanks Geofd, I'm not a licensed electrician but I'm familiar enough that I've done allot of electrical work both residential and some commercial that has been inspected. I'm a maintenance technician for a living, although I don't specialize in electrical or septic work im familiar enough that I will be working on this myself so im looking for ideas from people more familiar than myself. I have pumped by using the manual switch for a couple days and will be working on it in a few days when I get a day off.

Thanks

 

[Geofd]

Thanks Geofd, I'm not a licensed electrician but I'm familiar enough that I've done allot of electrical work both residential and some commercial that has been inspected. I'm a maintenance technician for a living, although I don't specialize in electrical or septic work im familiar enough that I will be working on this myself so im looking for ideas from people more familiar than myself. I have pumped by using the manual switch for a couple days and will be working on it in a few days when I get a day off.

Thanks

we have many pump systems at work our electricians know how to work on the but we have a pump co that specializes in that...and when I read that the wire nuts started smoking I thought it wasn't safe....

 

[Geofd]

we have many pump systems at work our electricians know how to work on the but we have a pump co that specializes in that...and when I read that the wire nuts started smoking I thought it wasn't safe....

we have started getting rid of float systems.and going with whats called a transducer system....the floats...(float) and ride up on the solids and don't turn on
the transducer hangs under the water and turns on and off at different levels

 

[EBSTEVE]

Yes the smoking wire nuts for me as well. I assume at this point it's the pump pulling too much amperage and the extra circuit on the switch circuit is causing some heat. Just for clarification the silicone in the wire nut smoked there was not a bunch of melted anything in the junction box.

 

[Geofd]

Yes the smoking wire nuts for me as well. I assume at this point it's the pump pulling too much amperage and the extra circuit on the switch circuit is causing some heat. Just for clarification the silicone in the wire nut smoked there was not a bunch of melted anything in the junction box.

that's good ….hope you figure it out.....

 

[FishScreener]

If you have your pump data it should tell you how many Ohms resistance the windings should have, and how many Amps the motor should draw. Check out your motor against the specs.

And, you are going to have to do the Amps live, so be sure too have a safety person on hand.

Crud on the impeller can increase the Amp draw, and you may be able to clean it up.

But if the resistance on the windings is out of spec, the motor is toast.

If you have to install a new pump and motor, test the windings, and Amp draw as soon as you have it running, and write them down somewhere handy, so they can be used for future trouble shooting.