dahermit
New Member
I have a 5,000 Watt generator from which I have run my essentials via power cords when ever there
is a power outage (once-twice per year). I have a 70 foot deep, well with a jet pump. It is normally
plugged into a 110 wall outlet in the basement. There is a box with points in the basement. For
some years, it ran the pump off the generator/power cord fine.
The time before the last power outage, I had difficulty getting the water pump to kick-on. After
repeatedly plugging in and out of the power cord, the pump started. The last time the power went
out, my generator and power cord would not start the pump, so I went to the hardware store and got
the heaviest gauge 25 ft. cord they had. It still would not start the pump... but when the power
came back on and I plugged the pump back into the wall outlet (118 volts via my multimeter), the pump started immediately and has run fine ever since.
I called the well company that drilled the well and installed it (about five years ago), and told them
what happened, thinking that the capacitor on the pump was going bad. They told me that "it had to
be my power cord or generator...it could not be the pump."
Today, I started the generator and stuck the leads on my multimeter into the outlets on the
generator. About 108 Volts each at the end of the 25 foot power cord also. I did the same to the wall outlet into which I plug my water pump...118 volts.
As much as my generator/25 ft. power cord has always run the pump before, why does it not do it now? The generator is still running fine (clean air filter, new plug, new oil). Personally, I still think it is the starting capacitor in the pump itself...any electricians concur?
is a power outage (once-twice per year). I have a 70 foot deep, well with a jet pump. It is normally
plugged into a 110 wall outlet in the basement. There is a box with points in the basement. For
some years, it ran the pump off the generator/power cord fine.
The time before the last power outage, I had difficulty getting the water pump to kick-on. After
repeatedly plugging in and out of the power cord, the pump started. The last time the power went
out, my generator and power cord would not start the pump, so I went to the hardware store and got
the heaviest gauge 25 ft. cord they had. It still would not start the pump... but when the power
came back on and I plugged the pump back into the wall outlet (118 volts via my multimeter), the pump started immediately and has run fine ever since.
I called the well company that drilled the well and installed it (about five years ago), and told them
what happened, thinking that the capacitor on the pump was going bad. They told me that "it had to
be my power cord or generator...it could not be the pump."
Today, I started the generator and stuck the leads on my multimeter into the outlets on the
generator. About 108 Volts each at the end of the 25 foot power cord also. I did the same to the wall outlet into which I plug my water pump...118 volts.
As much as my generator/25 ft. power cord has always run the pump before, why does it not do it now? The generator is still running fine (clean air filter, new plug, new oil). Personally, I still think it is the starting capacitor in the pump itself...any electricians concur?