# Well Pump Amps Question



## InspectorCO (Jul 22, 2020)

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum. I have a question about a well pump amperage.
It's 1/2 hp pump - three wire (2 hots and ground). One of the hots is showing 5.6 A and the other hot a showing 4.5 A.
What would be causing this and is it a concern? 

Thank you 
Troy


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

One is going to the main coil and the other to the auxiliary coil. They are different sizes so no problem with different currents.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

1.1 amps is hardly much. Why is this a concern?


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## InspectorCO (Jul 22, 2020)

I wasn't sure if the was a concern because I've never seen the variance before.


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## InspectorCO (Jul 22, 2020)

Thank you


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Is the pump acting funny or malfunctioning?


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## InspectorCO (Jul 22, 2020)

No, it seemed to be operating fine. I'm getting around 4 gallons per minute production. It's a fairly shallow well at 200 feet in my neck of the woods.


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## InspectorCO (Jul 22, 2020)

The only issue I really have is I think it's an original pump so it's about 40 years old.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Two hots and a ground? Does that mean it is 240 volts with an equipment ground? If so then both hots should have the same current. Is it a submersible pump with the control box in the basement or well house? If so, are you measuring the current before or after the control box? Are you a home owner or an electrician?


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

That's a 2 wire motor. Those numbers are a bit wide for my tastes, even though I don't know the manufacturer of the motor that's probably out of their recommended imbalance range, probably need to explore supply voltage as a first step.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

kb1jb1 said:


> Two hots and a ground? Does that mean it is 240 volts with an equipment ground? If so then both hots should have the same current. Is it a submersible pump with the control box in the basement or well house? If so, are you measuring the current before or after the control box? Are you a home owner or an electrician?


A lot of submersible pumps are what we call 2 wire around here, meaning no start cap box up top, the start circuit is built in the motor. The 3 wire style is mostly out of favor and will have to be ordered in at the store.
An imbalance like that is a little wide for my liking, but Iv'e lived with worse. On a single phase deep well pump there's not much you can do but run it to failure.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

With just two hots, any imbalance has to be leaking to ground, correct? I can't see how the motor's internals could make it any other way, the motor still has to follow Kirchoff's current law...


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

splatz said:


> With just two hots, any imbalance has to be leaking to ground, correct? I can't see how the motor's internals could make it any other way, the motor still has to follow Kirchoff's current law...



OP said three wires (black white red) which around here on submersibles is usually external start/run with external caps. Either 120 or 240 but the third wire is the back side of both main and start coils, not a ground or “neutral” except that on 120 V it is connected to neutral. That’s the way we get them in the shop. Typical for say Gorman Rupp.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

paulengr said:


> OP said three wires (*black white red*) which around here on submersibles is usually external start/run with external caps. Either 120 or 240 but the third wire is the back side of both main and start coils, not a ground or “neutral” except that on 120 V it is connected to neutral. That’s the way we get them in the shop. Typical for say Gorman Rupp.


No, that's not what he said.



InspectorCO said:


> It's 1/2 hp pump - t*hree wire (2 hots and ground)*. One of the hots is showing 5.6 A and the other hot a showing 4.5A.


If the unbalanced current were taking place during startup, I can see your point because of the start capacitor. But if it is while running, then he would be violating Kirchoff's Law of current as splatz said.











Once the Start capacitor and winding are out of the circuit, current would be going from L1 to L2 and Kirchoff's current law would apply (current at any point in a circuit is the same). So really, this is more likely to be measurement error.

InspectorCO,
Do you by chance have a digital meter and have it set for "Peak Reading" so that it is sticking on the peak values rather than giving you a continuous reading? That's my suspicion, giving that violating the laws of physics is somewhat difficult (so far as we know...)


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## CWL (Jul 7, 2020)

How about something as simple as a break in the wire insulation below the water level? I had a submersible pump fail due to a wire breaking under the water level. When I pulled it for repair it was pretty obvious that the insulation had been comprised for a while as there was a lot of corrosion on the copper wire. I have to assume there was some current leakage unknown to me before the pump quit completely and everything went sideways.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

460 Delta said:


> A lot of submersible pumps are what we call 2 wire around here, meaning no start cap box up top, the start circuit is built in the motor. The 3 wire style is mostly out of favor and will have to be ordered in at the store.
> An imbalance like that is a little wide for my liking, but Iv'e lived with worse. On a single phase deep well pump there's not much you can do but run it to failure.


I kind of like the start box external and send the three wires down to the pump. This way if the capacitor goes you do not have to pull the pump. In 35 years I have changed my capacitor box twice. I agree, nowadays I only see the two wire system.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

A electrical leak on a submersible pump is easy to spot when the electrolysis eats the pump assembly.

Simple meg test will tell you all you need. If you lack a meg amp the ground wire.

When walking near the well head if you feel a interesting tickling sensation is your nether region i suggest you take small steps.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Put the amp clamp around both wires. It should read zero. If it doesn't, then there is a ground fault somewhere.


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