2 wire or 3 wire pump?

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jbruette

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I tore down my cabin last year and built a new one this year.

I have 3 wires plus ground coming up from pump to top of casing RYB, had 3 wires coming from Safeway brand control box RYB. I want to rewire from the new cabin but....all the information I can find about the pump says it's a 2 wire pump. How can that be?

Pump was put in new in 1994 paperwork from realtor says 1/2 horse Sta-Rite 2 wire, sticker on control box says 1/2 horse Franklin model #2445050117. Franklin site says that's a 2 wire pump.

What the heck is going on? Is it possible to run a 2 wire pump with 3 wires?

Thanks
Jerry
 

Justwater

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control box indicates a 3-wire pump... far as I know anyway. are u sure the box is being used? 2 wire pumps would normally go from pressure switch strait to pump.
 
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Craigpump

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Some guys only carry 3 wire RYB plus ground on their trucks, so yeah it is possible to have more conductors down the well than are really needed.

Do you have the old control box? I have seen lots of guys gut the old control box and use it as a junction box when they convert a job from a 3 wire pump install to a 2 wire install.
 

jbruette

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Yes I have the old control box and it's not gutted it still has the start, run caps and the relay along with the surge protector. All the wires at the top of the casing from the pump are connected to wires from the old conduit, which were connected to the control box.
 

jbruette

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That's what I'm assuming and that's how I was going to wire it until I started reading stickers so I could determine the HP of the pump and size a new control box. Now I'm not sure if I need a control box with surge protection in it. The Franklin model on the sticker has built in surge protection.

Another question...is it possible to run a 1/2 horse pump with a 1/3 horse control box?
 

Craigpump

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The newer Franklin motors have pretty good lightning protection right out of the box. Nothing will stop a direct hit from lightning.

Use a 1/2 hp control box, be sure it is the proper voltage
 

jbruette

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Thanks for all your help craigpump. I noticed on the Franklin website they had a chart with ohm values for their pumps, do you think I could use an ohmmeter and check for start and run windings?
 

Craigpump

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Sure you can, that's the best way to know for sure what you have in the well. I didn't suggest that because most homeowners don't have an ohm meter and if they do it doesn't work.
 

jbruette

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4:24 AM? And I thought I got up early must have had a early job to go to today.

Okay then, should I be checking resistance from wire to wire or from wire to the well casing? You know R to B, R to Y, Y to B or R to ground, Y to ground, B to ground?

Thanks again for your help
 

Craigpump

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No you check your windings yellow t red and then yellow to black

Actually it was 5:24am. I'm always up early, you never know when someone will call out of water or with a ruptured tank in their basement.

Besides, I love my work
 

jbruette

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Went to cabin today and rechecked wires to pump. At the top of the casing I have Black to Black, Red to Red, Yellow to Yellow and Green with the Green hooked to the casing.

Apparently they didn't gut the control box when they bypassed it. I assumed it was in use because all the components were still in it.

Readings on Ohm meter 1/2 HP 230 volt pump
R-B 4
Y-B OL
R-Y OL

Does this sound right?

When I rewire it should I use 12-3 or 12-2?
 

VAWellDriller

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They don't look right for a 3 wire pump....make sure the wires are not hooked to control box or anythingn else....check them right at the well head. These readings look like it is a 2 wire and the yellow is ground. Check each wire to ground and report back.
 
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