# High Amp Draw on Submersible Pump



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Are you testing the pump at the shop or is the high amp. at the job. Could be a problem with the wiring on site


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

It's on the bench. Not submerged. 

Typically out of water with no resistance the amp draw should be about 3 or 4 amps. In water it would be 7amps per mfg specs due to the water resistance.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I assume you have good voltage at the unit? What is the voltage when the unit is running- does it change?

BTW- I know squat about motor repair just brainstorming


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Did you loose a phase with your test equipment? I would check your test power for 3phase and voltage maybe.


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

We are bench testing using a 25Kw Multiquip diesel genset. 

I will recheck the lugs to make sure we are getting voltage on each leg on the genset. 

I will update with the outcome.

Thanks for the suggestions guys and any other suggestions lay them on me and I will check when I get back to the shop.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Like Dennis, I know squat about motor rebuilds, but it almost sounds like something is wired in parallel that should be connected in series.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I would,
Verify connections are marked right
Verify voltage at startup and run
I assume it is not binding? Pumps is running normal?
Is the amperage the same for all three phases?
NOT run it much or you will be rewinding again


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

Brian,

yes, all three phases are at 30 amps. No resistance on rotor / impeller. I did check that first for locked rotor. 

I will recheck my wiring and let you all know what I came up with. 

Thanks again. I love this forum. I read it daily....


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Did you check winding resistance?


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

Zog, 

no, I am not sure how to check for winding resistance. Enlighten me if it is a simple explanation....

We did meg it a number of times. That did check out ok.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Pete Holschuh said:


> Zog,
> 
> no, I am not sure how to check for winding resistance. Enlighten me if it is a simple explanation....
> 
> We did meg it a number of times. That did check out ok.


As in ring out the motor windings with a good ohm meter.


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## Motorwinder (Dec 30, 2010)

Check the alignment of the stator iron to the rotor iron. Sounds like the stator moved in the shell.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Pete Holschuh said:


> I am stumped on this one.
> 
> We are a submersible pump rebuild shop.
> 
> ...


I know couple guys give you a good pointers however you say 9 conductors at the motour side if so which way you did wired up in delta or wye connection ?

If any marking on the conductor then please post us the number we can able figure it out.

Merci,
Marc


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

You'rea motor shop, I'm sure you know this, but make sure the leads are 7-4, 8-5, 6-9,L1-1, L2-2, L3-3.

Is that how you wired it?


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Motorwinder said:


> Check the alignment of the stator iron to the rotor iron. Sounds like the stator moved in the shell.


 Bad end-bell bearings? What would allow that?

-John


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

I know this might be a dumb idea but maybe double check with another meter. I had weak batteries once in a meter and chased a phantom voltage for half-a-day!! Just an idea. Good luck.


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

I have read all of the posts and addressed each one. My only variable is I used a diferent clamp on meter. My other one died. I am wondering if my new meter is wacked out.

I will post what I find. 

Yes, I did wire it 7-4, 8-5, 6-9,L1-1, L2-2, L3-3.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Pete Holschuh said:


> Zog,
> 
> no, I am not sure how to check for winding resistance. Enlighten me if it is a simple explanation....


 
If it is a small motor you can use an ohmeter, larger mot requie a winding resistance test set. The actualk reading is not important, but the windings should each be within 5% of each other, you are really just looking for open or shorted windings and this could easily be your problem. 



Pete Holschuh said:


> We did meg it a number of times. That did check out ok.


 What was your polarization index?


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Pete Holschuh said:


> I have read all of the posts and addressed each one. My only variable is I used a diferent clamp on meter. My other one died. I am wondering if my new meter is wacked out.
> 
> I will post what I find.
> 
> Yes, I did wire it 7-4, 8-5, 6-9,L1-1, L2-2, L3-3.


If you want to know if this motour is wired in delta or wye just unhook all of the leads and ring the lead #'s 8 and 9 if you get a reading then you got the wye if no reading then you got delta.

That one of my shortcut methold.

Merci,
Marc


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

Dont forget, sometimes with intermittant faults,
some only show up under full operating conditions (running motor)
bit will not show up under test conditions (megger test).
Thats why we call them "intermittant faults".

Are you 100% sure it is wired correctly ?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Pete Holschuh said:


> I am stumped on this one.
> 
> We are a submersible pump rebuild shop.
> 
> ...


Seems so simple...throw it away. Did you monitor the voltage as it was drawing excess current. Any motor will attempt to develop the power that it was designed to develop. If it is struggling...pitch it.


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

Including - what's all been said, why didn't you let it soak for 24 hours and test it...

Wait that was after you cleared your first problem!


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## ceb58 (Feb 14, 2009)

Are you trying to run the pump through the pump control box with the capacitors or just straight voltage?


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

ceb58 said:


> Are you trying to run the pump through the pump control box with the capacitors or just straight voltage?


I don't believe à 3ph motor has caps


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## Motorwinder (Dec 30, 2010)

Big John said:


> Bad end-bell bearings? What would allow that?
> 
> -John


The stator can slip in the housing if it's loose. Maybe it's been rewound a few too many times, and has loosened up. Even being a 1/2" out of alignment can cause high amps. I've had them slip in the oven after rewind, when the housing heated up faster then the stator. The mechanic didn't catch it until final test run.

Bad endbell or bearing wouldn't cause it.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Motorwinder said:


> The stator can slip in the housing if it's loose. Maybe it's been rewound a few too many times, and has loosened up. Even being a 1/2" out of alignment can cause high amps. I've had them slip in the oven after rewind, when the housing heated up faster then the stator. The mechanic didn't catch it until final test run.
> 
> Bad endbell or bearing wouldn't cause it.


What was the determination of the problem for this motor?


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

The stator's outside iron core was cracked. The winding itself was ok. We have no idea how the outside core cracked. We have never seen that before. We are dropping in a new stator winding and sending the bad one to a rewind shop to get refurbished / rewound.

Thanks everyone for the help. I still am not sure if this was really the problem but that is what our shop decided to do.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

If the core was cracked how did the lamination's look. Did you test the core. "Core test". I know you guys do not core test when you did not wind it, but in this case a "core test" is the most important test after high pot.
We always core tested before we would anything and for sure after. If you are a motor shop you have the ability to test the iron right?

Is the shaft free? Free to turn easy?


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

Yes, the shaft was free. I replaced the bearings and seals. The impeller spun by hand free after rebuild. 

We did not core test the stator. I do not know how to do that to tell you the truth. Once a winding does not meg out, we send it to get rewound. No further testing by us. I would like to keep testing the windings more in depth, but that slows down production for the next pump rebuild. We are stacked up with pump rebuilds so that keeps us fat and happy.


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## Pete H (Mar 1, 2012)

John, also to answer your question, the laminations looked perfect. We always inspect them for damage, knicks, opens, dents, etc. But on this particular stator, it looked perfect. That is why this one rebuild was such a stumper. We couldn't figure out why the high amp draw. I am guessing it was due to the outer core of the stator being cracked, but yet after the fact, I am still not sure. It is just and educated (or uneducated since I didn't due further due diligence in bench tests like this forum's experts sugested) guess.


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