electrical question

[Lawman]

I have a water well that is a lttle less than 600' from my house. It uses a submersible 220 volt pump that is about 110' deep. I presently power that well from a meter loop next to the well house. I would like to power it from my house meter box. Is is feasible? How should I do it?

[WURTY]

sounds like too long of a run to power it from the house.

the longer the run the bigger the wire is needed.

Wire is copper and copper = money.

 

A real electricman should really be able to answer you rather than me just guessing.

[Aluminum_Butt]

We'll need to know the HP rating on the pump, or even better the actual specs of the pump for amp draw.

[Lawman]

That's what I decided when I built 18 years ago..As my meter fee keeps increasing I'm just wondering if something else might make more sense...

[Lawman]

We'll need to know the HP rating on the pump, or even better the actual specs of the pump for amp draw.

 

Don't know that..It's a 4" deep well...Seems like it was a 3/4 or 1 h.p. pump but I may be wrong..

[David]

Depending on how long you'll be there, would a solar and battery array make sense?

[Lawman]

Depending on how long you'll be there, would a solar and battery array make sense?

 

I plan to be here forever unless they bury me elsewhere against my wishes...

 

Never considered that to be a feasible option...

[Limecreek]

Depending on how long you'll be there, would a solar and battery array make sense?

 

I plan to be here forever unless they bury me elsewhere against my wishes...

 

Never considered that to be a feasible option...

 

What, being buried elsewhere or the solar array? You crack me up Billy.

 

Go solar....you'll make our President happy.

 

 

[Lawman]

[quote=LimecreekGo solar....you'll make our President happy.

 

 

And Mr. V. Jones too..

[David]

Well, since we're spending your money. Get a smallish water tank and run a pump on solar power. Skip battery backup entirely and let it run in the sun until a float valve triggers it to shut off.

[Lawman]

Well, since we're spending your money. Get a smallish water tank and run a pump on solar power. Skip battery backup entirely and let it run in the sun until a float valve triggers it to shut off.

 

[CoarsegoldKid]

Look into solar.

[David]

Look into solar.

 

Have you read the damn thread?

[ESokoloff]

We'll need to know the HP rating on the pump, or even better the actual specs of the pump for amp draw.

 

For the sake of accuracy you would need to know the motor F.L.A.(full load amperage) @ 230v(+-) and the total distance of the purposed new circuit when sizing the wire.

Is the motor external over current protected? Mag-starter perhaps?

If so, what is the amperage of the motor based on the heaters (a chart SHOULD be on the mag-starter cover).

Lacking that you could use the rating of the current (no pun intended) circuit (breaker/wire size) & figure how many gages of wire size increase is needed to run the same circuit (max amperage) from the house.

 

I'm not a practicing electrician, but that's my understanding of how it would be done.

 

[CoarsegoldKid]

Look into solar.

 

Have you read the damn thread?

Sorry David for saying the same thing you did in less words. Please don't shoot me in the back. Maybe it would have been better to +1 the post so as not to upset you. I still think solar will be cheaper than 600 ft of copper wire. Oh, but you sort of said that. +1

[David]

Sorry to shoot you in the back. I meant to shoot you before you turned around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding.

[Lawman]

I'm thinking 6 ga. wire should cover all my bases ????????

 

Anyone disagree???

[ESokoloff]

What gauge is it running on now?

 

#6 sounds like $eriou$ overkill.

[11101110]

We really need to know at least the breaker size. I think a wire from your main panel is cheaper than solar (however I do like the idea of solar and a water tank at least you have some water after a power failure). I would use direct bury aluminum (though copper is fairly cheap right now). What is the real kicker in dealing with electric motors is the inrush current. If you wire is too small you get a much longer start up which can shorten the life of the motor. I have done voltage drop calcs/wire sizing calcs for work. Send me a pm on the motor specs and I'll see what I can come up with. With 110' of lift and 600' run to the house you might need 6AWG I bet you are developing more than 100psi at the pump.

 

With 600' you either need to visit an electrical supply house and buy it by the foot or you will end up buying 1000' spool of wire at homo depot. I would NOT put a splice in the ground. If you want lights in the shead you will need to run a four conductor cable from your main panel.

[StuGotz]

Do NOT direct bury aluminum wire unless you want to find the problem later.

Critters love to chew on the stuff, and if insulation gets scuffed, you'll have a failure in short order...trust me on this.

 

Put copper in PVC conduit, and if in hi abuse area, use sched 80 instead of 40.

Bury min 12" deep, pref 18" and deeper if under traffic areas, roads and driveways.

 

For your application, #6 would be good.

 

PM me for other info regarding your well pump needs. (IE, starter, pump guard, and other equipment.)

 

Do it right the first time or pay later....

 

You'll have to balance the cost of this installation against your existing set up for a real cost payback. You may be shocked at the price of copper. You may not live that long..

 

Good luck,

 

MB>

 

Oh, and set a sub panel near the well and run your branch circuit from there...if you need other circuits, you could install additional branch circuits at that panel..ie, plugs, lights..

 

 

 

[ESokoloff]

I'm thinking 6 ga. wire should cover all my bases ????????

 

Anyone disagree???

 

Acording to this (page 4) #10 would work if the motor is 3/4 hp & #8 if a 1hp motor.

[CoarsegoldKid]

Do NOT direct bury aluminum wire unless you want to find the problem later.

Critters love to chew on the stuff, and if insulation gets scuffed, you'll have a failure in short order...trust me on this.

 

Put copper in PVC conduit, and if in hi abuse area, use sched 80 instead of 40.

Bury min 12" deep, pref 18" and deeper if under traffic areas, roads and driveways.

 

For your application, #6 would be good.

 

PM me for other info regarding your well pump needs. (IE, starter, pump guard, and other equipment.)

 

Do it right the first time or pay later....

 

You'll have to balance the cost of this installation against your existing set up for a real cost payback. You may be shocked at the price of copper. You may not live that long..

 

Good luck,

 

MB>

 

Oh, and set a sub panel near the well and run your branch circuit from there...if you need other circuits, you could install additional branch circuits at that panel..ie, plugs, lights..

 

 

 

What mbelectric said, "SHOCKED" at the price of copper wire. Around here they make you bury about 4 feet deep and use sealed conduit.

Our cabin association has a solar driven AC pump sitting at about 200 feet lift to the tank. Two racks of two modules about 4x4 ft. square each sitting on top of the pump house do the deed. I'd at least look into it for your situation.

[tallman]

How much does the wire cost?

You can buy a solar water pump for $1500 or so...

[Lawman]

I contacted an electrician who is going to give me an estimate. Service to my house is underground and it is not in conduit. Don't know what ga. wire was used but it was very big wire.

Sure would have been easy to have laid the wire to the well when I buried the water line ...With other installation problems like dodging my water line and underground power line to my house and having to burrow under a concrete sidewalk I'm beginning to think it's working just fine the way it is...I was just wanting to have water via my propane whole house generator during power outages and quit paying a meter fee...