# submersible pump wire



## LMPort (Jul 27, 2007)

I have thousands of feet of many colors of machine building wire where I work, it is 10 AWG stranded MTW / THHN / THWN 600 volt wire, and it has a colored sheath then a clear sheath over that, and it appears to be the same stuff my supply house wants to sell me for my submersible pump for my home. Is there anything special about that pump wire that the jacket does not tell me? I can either spend several hundred dollars for this pump wire, or buy it from my workplace for much much less.. Like my boss would give it to me, and I could make my own twisted pump cable out of any colors I want. Please reply, thanks, Mike.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

"Submersible pump cable" is pretty crappy stuff. It just says THWN on each conductor. When they twist several of them into "Submersible pump cable", the whole assembly suddenly becomes "unjacketed UF cable" to the UL. 

:laughing:


----------



## LMPort (Jul 27, 2007)

*pump cable*

Thanks for the reply.. The so-called pump cable at the supply house, I bought a foot of it and took a good look. It is solid copper conductor with colored sheath on it, then a thin sheath of clear something. The wire I have here at work is stranded, but has the same looking sheaths. The stuff at the supply house says "pump cable" on each conductor, but all the other numbers seem to match, except for the several digit part number at the beginning of the string of identification. 
I have also found mixed feelings on stranded vs. solid conductor for a well pump, I would think the stranded would be better based on the vibration, etc. The wire coming out of the brand new pump is a stranded pigtail. I'm not too concerned about safety, heck, I've seen the insulation scraped off pump cable below the water line, no one has gotten electricuted. Again, nothing like 100 feet down being your ground path to protect you. I'm concerned about having the wrong wire and then just pulling the pump in 6 months, in the dead of winter, to replace the wire. But, spending 100 bucks on wire when I've got it right here just irks me. Please reply, thanks, Mike.


----------



## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Stick to TW or THW solid wire. It is the standard for wiring well pumps and don't try to reinvent the wheel. I have pulled my pump (492') in the middle of the winter -10 F because of a broken wire and it sucks big time. The insulation on the wire was abraded to bare copper and broke. The twisting action of the pump starting, eventually wore through the insulation. With THWN the nylon "N" will wear off and get sucked up into pump.

Carry On!


----------



## LMPort (Jul 27, 2007)

*Pump cable*

yeah, I tend to think and re-think things too much.. Some are telling me to just use the wire at hand and drop the damn pump in and forget about it. 
But, you mentioned something interesting.. The pump cable at the supply house states "THHN or THWN" on each conductor.. So, that seems to go against what you are suggesting! Makes me think they are selling crap, or at least inappropriate stuff! (or that it doesn't matter that much, hence your suggestion of not reinventing the wheel!) 
Why solid instead of stranded? I called Goulds (that's the pump I have) and they suggested stranded, or at least that what they have, and it can be purchased in 100-foot lengths with the franklin motor water-tight connector on one end. But, the bulk cable on their website talks of solid. More mixed messages. Please reply and thanks to all. Mike


----------



## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Twisted Type TW Thermoplastic PVC Submersible Pump Cable - UL Approved for use with 3 wire pumps
This is the key phrase for what wire you should use. It has to be listed for the use. :thumbsup: 

Required reading..... http://www.aermotorwindmills.com/submersible-pump-wire.htm


----------



## LMPort (Jul 27, 2007)

*problem solved..*

.. found another not so local supplier that sells the THW stuff, and the price isn't too bad. I'm not one to cut corners just to save money, I just have a problem when someone shows me something and says "This will work, but this won't" but can't tell me why. 
Anyway, thanks for all the help, I'm set now.. Mike


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

John:

Worked 32 hours straight on an emergency call arrived home at 4:30 AM Thankgivings Thursday, in-laws from England, Florida and Massachuttes plus my family total 12 people. Sewage ejector pump shot.

80% of the sewage is grey water (showers and laundry) So I pumped it up to the spliter box (had to dig it up) with a garden hose and regular sump pump, got some sleep and on Friday I was in the hole changing the pump. I replaced everything foot valve, pump and discharge pipe as far as I go see and all new wiring.

One year to the day pump goes bad again. Finally figured out it was the floats getting stuck in the up position and pump running non stop.


----------



## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Adventures in home ownership. 

Everybody has their own house arch nemesis and mine just so happens to be my water well and yours appears to be the sewer pump. It is like the Mr. Parker “Darren McGavin” in the movie “A Christmas story” where his house arch nemesis is the coal furnace in the basement. I can definitely relate to that.


The Water Well​
_I can see you now in your gleaming and polished Stainless Steel and Plastic disguise... perhaps you are thinking this is my weakness that I am so open about our feud? Ha! You puny fool, I am open because I know that you cannot help but unmask yourself to me and submit to my great and cunning will. 
"John’s arch nemesis, at your service," you'll say with great fanfare and malice…and then we shall meet in glorious battle, as is our fate._


Carry On!


----------



## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

John said:


> The Water Well
> 
> _I can see you now in your gleaming and polished Stainless Steel and Plastic disguise... perhaps you are thinking this is my weakness that I am so open about our feud? Ha! You puny fool, I am open because I know that you cannot help but unmask yourself to me and submit to my great and cunning will. _
> _"John’s arch nemesis, at your service," you'll say with great fanfare and malice…and then we shall meet in glorious battle, as is our fate._


 
Bravo! Bravo! Encore! :clap:


----------

