Checking sanity • well pump replacement

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Replacing an old 1/2 HP 230v Burks submersible tomorrow morning. Lots of pressure ups and downs. I'm not an electrician but I see it's run off a double 20amp breaker. Also, there are five wires connecting to the pump (1) red, (2) black and (2) white. Guessing that's 3/phase? The well's 105' deep according to records.

The company doing the work tomorrow did not visit and the quote includes a 1/2 HP 7 GPM Goulds pump, a good brand. Of course, it's just a quote, things could change. My interpretation of 1/2 HP motors is to use a 15amp breaker, so that's confusing already considering the double 20amp existing breaker. The other part is the Goulds pump I found from the quote it this: Goulds 7HS05422C 4" Submersible Water Well Pump, 7 GPM, 1/2 HP, 230 V, 2 Wire. I don't understand the 2 wire versus what seems to be 3/phase running underground and the difference, whether it'll work. I'm sure they're clue me in tomorrow but I'd like some info before then.
Thanks very much.
 

ThirdGenPump

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To be clear you are looking at the control box not the pump. The pump is down in the well. There is a white and black wire coming from the pressure switch to the control box. Then a black, red and yellow going to the pump. The yellow may be white or appear white due to age.

There are two types of motors used in residential. 3-wire and 2-wire. Both are single phase. A 2-wire pump has the starting cap built into the motor so only needs 2 wires going to it. A 3 wire pump has the capacitor in the control box, so needs a third wire going to the pump.

Pumps now require grounding. So you'd probably need to run new wire to the well to meet the requirement for a 3 wire pump. With a two wire pump they'd re-purpose the white as a ground to avoid running new wire. I prefer 3 wire pumps but given the situation 2 wire is your best option.

I run 1/2hp pumps on a 20amp circuit as a standard. I don't use 14gauge wire, only #12 and up. There is no disadvantage to using a 20 amp breaker over a 15 if the wire is sufficiently sized. It makes a failing pump less likely to trip the breaker on start up, buying more time in some cases.

I really liked Burks pumps when they were good. They were really good pumps. As the company started to go under they dropped quality to stay afloat, it didn't save them and left some junk as their legacy. For it to have lasted this long you got a good one and did quite well with it.

Goulds is a good brand, but their plastic cast pumps are still junk though imo. The HS's are better than the SB's they replaced, but the HS's haven't been out long enough to establish good averages, you expect 8 or 9 years on plastic cast pumps. I'd see how much more they want to get a GS series pump. A GS is a stainless cast pump.
 
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Great comment, much appreciated. About HS vs GS, I have no clue which they'll bring, although at the price they quoted, close to $1200 I'll guess it's stainless. I'm used to markup on dealing with the trades over the years so the number doesn't bother me....but your advice give me reason to ask questions in the morning. Again, thanks.
 

ThirdGenPump

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A 7HS05422 is a plastic cast Goulds pump. 7-7gpm, HS-plastic casts with stainless sleeve, 05-1/2hp, 422-230v single phase 2 wire motor.

A 7GS05422 would be the stainless cast pump of the same volume and hp
 
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