[Questions] - Well pump convert from hardwire to Plug.

[Helgi_Hundingsbane]

[Questions] - Well pump convert from hardwire to Plug.

Good afternoon,

Wanting to convert my well pump from being hardwired to the junction box, to being able to be plugged in.

The AC unit has a shutoff switch at the air handler and outside unit, so why not convert the pump to a plug and be able to turn off in the pump and possible run it from a generator.

I believe my well pump is running off of 110V because the plugs on the junction box are 110 outlets. The line from the house feeds into that box and then the pump and light over head. The items that are plugged in is a Wyze cam and a water-boss 900 water softener. If i convert the wire going to the junction box to a plug i will install a 4 plug box.

The pump does looks like it can be ran off 115 or 230 from the below sticker. I'm pretty sure its 110v cause i tested the outlet with a multimeter and got about 120 volts. I just want to make sure i'm not missing something. The sticker is what has my questioning it.

1. The reason i want to convert to plug is two fold if i have another emergency and need to kill power to pump i can do in the pump house.
2. Also with the plug i want to know if i can run an extension cord from my generator. The generator i have is 3000 watt running and 3500 peak, will that be enough to safely run the pump? I know when a pump starts it pulls more watts and then levels out. but not sure of the wattage of the below pump. how does one know the wattage?
   1. Ether way if the generator cant power it i still need a way to kill power in the pump house.

See attached pics about the junction box and well pump. If you have any other questions let me know.

 

[MicEd69]

When you say, "junction box", but are you talking about the duplex outlet in your picture? Is the pump hard wired off of that duplex plug?

To be sure what your motor voltage is, check the breaker or fuse for the pump. I'm not sure who wired this pump, but theoretically you could still have a pump running on 230 volts and the outlet is just using one leg of the 230v circuit. Not proper or per code without an additional breaker box, but it does happen.

14.2 amps at 120 volts AC is a little over 1,700 watts, so your generator will run the pump just fine. Now the inrush on a 120-volt single phase 1 HP NEMA code L motor calculates to 9,900 watts, but that is for a short period of time. Because the short inrush period, I don't think that will be a problem for your generator. But you could call GE just to see what they say.

 

[wpns]

As MicEd69 said, it's possible that your pump is wired for 240V and your junction box is fed with 120/240 split (both phases and neutral), but what I can see of the wiring it looks like normal 120V Romex.

Your wiring looks a little dodgy there, if you don't know what you are doing, you probably want to get an electrician to help you figure it out.

You can measure between the outer screws on the pressure switch to determine what your pump is wired for. You could also pull the end off the motor and look for the voltage selection plug as per the other sticker.

Looks like your pump is rated at 1600W with a startup current of 1955W, so depending on your generator, it should work just fine.

 

[MicEd69]

As MicEd69 said, it's possible that your pump is wired for 240V and your junction box is fed with 120/240 split (both phases and neutral), but what I can see of the wiring it looks like normal 120V Romex.

Your wiring looks a little dodgy there, if you don't know what you are doing, you probably want to get an electrician to help you figure it out.

You can measure between the outer screws on the pressure switch to determine what your pump is wired for. You could also pull the end off the motor and look for the voltage selection plug as per the other sticker.

Looks like your pump is rated at 1600W with a startup current of 1955W, so depending on your generator, it should work just fine.

Just to clarify, the SFA (Service Factor Amps) is not the startup current, but it is the amp draw when the motor is operating above the rated horsepower. A motor with a service factor can operate above is nameplate rating for a period of time with minimal damage to the motor.

The "startup current" or "inrush current" will be much higher than the SFA, but only last for short period of time, and can be 5 to 10 times the full load running amps of the motor.

But I don't think this will impact the generator's operation. because of the short period of time it occurs.

 

[wpns]

Just to clarify, the SFA (Service Factor Amps) is not the startup current, but it is the amp draw when the motor is operating above the rated horsepower. A motor with a service factor can operate above is nameplate rating for a period of time with minimal damage to the motor.

Ah, my mistake, I've been looking at HVAC equipment, which has Locked Rotor Amps, essentially startup current. But yeah a 3.0/3.5KW generator ought to be able to handle a 1.6 KW pump, assuming there's not a lot of other stuff going on.

I specifically set up my water pump for 120V operation so I could run it from one (or two in parallel operation) Honda EU2000 generator, along with all my other 120V loads, but it really struggles with only one generator, so 2KW is only enough if you are willing to do some pretty aggressive load shedding. [I don't have the specs on my pump handy, but it's probably on the same order as the OPs]

 

[RS]

It looks to me like it's being run on 240 volts, because the white wire has some colored tape on it, that is required any time a white wire is a hot wire. You need to get a meter and check it, the receptacle in the junction box may just be using one leg of the 240 volt, not really approved. Where does the power come from, it it a double breaker? Regardless of the voltage, you can use a plug, that's what I do, it's easier for troubleshooting and changeout. It has to be the appropriate plug, there are different ones depending on voltage and amperage. I'm not sure if your generator will start a 1 hp pump or not, it will be close.

 

[cliffyk]

^^^ I agree, also both poles od the switch are wired indicating a 230 VAC switched load...

 

[wpns]

^^^ I agree, also both poles od the switch are wired indicating a 230 VAC switched load...

All pressure switches have 2 poles so you can use them on either 120 or 240. We'll know for sure when the OP reports back with a voltage reading on the two outer contacts on the switch.

 

[cliffyk]

i know that, however often only one pole is wired in 120VAC applicaions. Air compressors are often wired similarly. As suggested by others, sumple enough to measure the voltage between the poles with the motor running..

 

[wpns]

i know that, however often only one pole is wired in 120VAC applicaions. Air compressors are often wired similarly. As suggested by others, sumple enough to measure the voltage between the poles with the motor running..

Never seen a water pump wired for 120V that only uses one pole of the switch, but anything's possible. Unless you keep track of which is hot and which is neutral, you could have a nasty surprise, and the wiring in the pictures above doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[JEG in Raleigh]

Just to clarify, the SFA (Service Factor Amps) is not the startup current, but it is the amp draw when the motor is operating above the rated horsepower. A motor with a service factor can operate above is nameplate rating for a period of time with minimal damage to the motor.

The "startup current" or "inrush current" will be much higher than the SFA, but only last for short period of time, and can be 5 to 10 times the full load running amps of the motor.

But I don't think this will impact the generator's operation. because of the short period of time it occurs.

For what it's worth, I have a 1 hp Grundfos centrifugal well pump. Now, this a very different pump than the OP's jet pump and it's a 240 volt pump, but its running amperage is 9.8 but its inrush startup amperage is 48.4....big difference, and I have verified that inrush amperage with my clamp meter. I have a Generac 16 KW backup generator and it needs to load shed my heat pump to start the well-pump, with no other high amperage draws running. So his 3000 watt generator may not be enough.

 

[MicEd69]

For what it's worth, I have a 1 hp Grundfos centrifugal well pump. Now, this a very different pump than the OP's jet pump and it's a 240 volt pump, but its running amperage is 9.8 but its inrush startup amperage is 48.4....big difference, and I have verified that inrush amperage with my clamp meter. I have a Generac 16 KW backup generator and it needs to load shed my heat pump to start the well-pump, with no other high amperage draws running. So his 3000 watt generator may not be enough.

Yep, your pump motor inrush is right at 5 times the full load amps. as my earlier post indicates. And this pump motor will have a about 82.5 inrush amps, or 9,900 watts at 120 volts. The inrush only lasts for a short period of time and using a 3,500 Max wattage generator will result in a large voltage drop at the motor which isn't really good for the motor. So, after further reflection, I think I'll change my mind as this pump will be cycling relatively often, and you don't want to damage you pump motor.

A minimum of a 5,000-watt generator is what I would recommend, and anything over that would be better. A 7,500 watt would be my personal choice for an installation for me.

 

[JEG in Raleigh]

Yep, your pump motor inrush is right at 5 times the full load amps. as my earlier post indicates. And this pump motor will have a about 82.5 inrush amps, or 9,900 watts at 120 volts. The inrush only lasts for a short period of time and using a 3,500 Max wattage generator will result in a large voltage drop at the motor which isn't really good for the motor. So, after further reflection, I think I'll change my mind as this pump will be cycling relatively often, and you don't want to damage you pump motor.

A minimum of a 5,000-watt generator is what I would recommend, and anything over that would be better. A 7,500 watt would be my personal choice for an installation for me.

And I should have mentioned that before the load shed was hooked up, the 16 KW generator would bog down and stall out completely if the well-pump tried to come on.

 

[RS]

All pressure switches have 2 poles so you can use them on either 120 or 240. We'll know for sure when the OP reports back with a voltage reading on the two outer contacts on the switch.

When I wire a pressure switch for 120 I only break the hot side, using one set of points. Then if they get burnt, I can just switch the wires to the other set of points that haven't been used. As far as safety, only white wires are neutral, if they are used for a current carrying conductor you put colored tape on them like in his photo.

 

[Valveman]

No matter if running 115V or 230V pressure switch points get burned from cycling the pump on and off too much. Also, starting a pump against an almost closed valve as can be done using a Cycle Stop Valve can greatly reduce the duration of inrush current. Using the longest length of the smallest wire possible for the HP pump it is powering will also work as a soft starter as it limits the amplitude of inrush current available to the motor. These two things can make it much easier on the generator.