Ok so I live in central Texas. I have a 900 foot well, pump is sitting at 600 feet, if I remember the report correctly. I have a pump saver in front of the pump control box. The well pumps into a 1000 gallon cistern, then there is a boost pump that pressurizes for the house. 9 months out of the year everything works fine, but when the ambient temperature reaches high 90's and into 100's, the thermal overload on the control box resets before the float switch in the cistern opens (after 5-10 minutes). I can only relate this to the ambient temperature, because in the mornings and evenings I can reset the overload and the thing will run for 30 minutes straight while it fills up the cistern and shut off like it's supposed to. But only when it's hot outside does the thermal overload trip; and I also do not have any trouble throughout the rest of the year. I guess my question is a) is this normal b) can I do anything to change it and c) am I hurting anything by just resetting the overload when it trips. This happened last year and I just kind of brushed off the problem as not a big deal, but this is year 2 of this.
Overload resets when it's hot!
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Oh, and the whole setup was installed 2013. I had the installer check it out last year when it first broke down, and he pointed out the overload had tripped. He didnt really have an answer for me, but he checked amps and voltages and everything ran like it was supposed to.
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https://franklinaid.com/2003/07/12/overloads-serve-an-important-purpose/ says
Maybe an awning/roof over your outside box or vents on your shed would be helpful.
Other than the temperature thing, I think they are saying that a control box with a run capacitor, in addition to the start capacitor, might be less likely to trip because the current will be less.
Overloads used in Franklin Electric control boxes will hold the motor’s nameplate maximum amps in ambient temperatures up to 122°F (50°C). However, with extreme heat, such as when the control box is mounted outdoors in direct sunlight, or inside a hot pump house, control boxes can experience very high internal temperatures. This reduces the amount of current the overload can carry without tripping, and nuisance tripping can occur. In such high heat conditions, longer cool-down periods may be required before the overload can be reset. Nuisance tripping of overload protectors during extreme temperature conditions may be alleviated by providing a cooler environment for the control box, or by reducing the motor current (For more information, please refer to the Franklin AIM Manual sections titled “Control Box and Panel Environment,” and “Auxiliary Running Capacitors.”)
Maybe an awning/roof over your outside box or vents on your shed would be helpful.
Other than the temperature thing, I think they are saying that a control box with a run capacitor, in addition to the start capacitor, might be less likely to trip because the current will be less.
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It is a start-run cap system, but it is in a metal shed with no ventilation, other than the door being open. I may need to install vents or a vent fan. The "nuisance tripping" part sounds right on par with what I'm experiencing. I wonder, as an experiment, if I took the cover off the box and had a fan blowing on it, if it would still trip. I may try that in a little. My main concern was that it was causing damage to something, but it sounds like it's primarily just a nuisance.
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Or set it up to run at night with an intermatic timer set-up. I don't have much experience with these types of set-ups but I've seen them recently when visiting central tx and wondered how they work.
I think it would behoove me to first attempt to address the heat issue during the day...it would be a shame if the cistern ran dry during the day, but it didn't run until night! My primary concern was whether real damage was being caused or if it was just a nuisance, as was addressed by the Franklin webpage. I'm going to try to get some better ventilation, and may even wire up an oscillating fan to try to disperse the heat buildup.
Restricting the flow rate will reduce the amperage. Overloads in jet pump motors and VFD cotrollers are also tripping in this area lately because of the heat. A box fan in the doorway usually solves the problem.
The only thing it hurts is that every time it trips the overload gets weaker.
The only thing it hurts is that every time it trips the overload gets weaker.
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