Ruth Berry 158K 1HP well controller?

[Sid Post]

Hello everyone! New guy here with an unplanned water issue. First of all a ~$2k water bill for a water line break while I was gone for 5 days! I have been told they (plumbers) won't be able to find the break since the rain has my front pasture flooded so, the 'city' water has been shut off for the time being since the 1200' for the 2" water service line has a break somewhere I can't find right now.

I stopped using the well last fall so, the past few days I've been trying to get it back in service. Turns out in addition to my general electrical issues, I have bad controller box. It is a Ruth Berry 158K 1HP 15 "stage" controller. What do that cross-reference too? The electrical service looks like 230V but, there are only two lines in and two lines out. Is it possibly some sort of 3phase to single phase conversion?

TIA,
Sid

 

[Reach4]

I am not a pro.
I suspect it came with a 1 HP 15 stage pump, which would be something like a 5 gpm pump. That would be for water about 200 to 350 ft down. Maybe more if it was not providing much pressure up top.

A pump controller would have 3 wires out. If not 3 wires out, maybe it is an overload breaker. Can you look inside?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Sid Post]

My mistake, you are right two wires in that appear to be the 230V pickoffs from the pressure switch into the controller box with three wires to the wellhead/pump.

 

[Reach4]

My mistake, you are right two wires in that appear to be the 230V pickoffs from the pressure switch into the controller box with three wires to the wellhead/pump.

In that case, 3 wire controller. You could replace the capacitor(s) in the old box, or get a new control box for a 1 HP Franklin. The number of stages is not important to selecting a controller.

You could do ohmmeter measurements if you want to be more sure before proceeding.

 

[Sid Post]

Is the CSIR 23ov single phase version the correct 3 wire control box? The control box was connected across 2 20A breakers and the panel was a 4 wire (green earth ground, red, white. black) connected from the outside house power panel.

 

[Reach4]

s the CSIR 23ov single phase version the correct 3 wire control box?

CSIR means capacitor start, induction run. CSCR would add a run capacitor. Run capacitor makes the system use a little less power.

I would guess, the CSIR intended for a 1 HP motor would work. I don't have experience with those. I have only read about them.

Incidentally, I read the label as 15BK, but that still does not tell me anything.

 

[Sid Post]

Yes, the font for the 8 vs. B is a tough one. The left-hand corners seem rounded so, I think it is an 8. However, it could be a sloppy impression so the right angles of the B could be accurate.

Both searches resulted in no useful information.

 

[Valveman]

Been a long time since I seen a Ruth Berry. It must be pretty old. A Franklin CSIR box should work. I can't remember if you have to swap the red and black to work with a Ruth Berry the way you do to make a Franklin box work with a Reda. You can just try it both ways.

I hate it when people disconnect from a well and hook up to city water. You lose all control over your own destiny. This is a prime example. $2000 for a water leak, LOL. Your pump system would have probably used $5 in electricity for the same amount of water that leaked. Plus you could have put in a brand new pump system and had change left for that $2000.00.

 

[Sid Post]

Been a long time since I seen a Ruth Berry. It must be pretty old. A Franklin CSIR box should work. I can't remember if you have to swap the red and black to work with a Ruth Berry the way you do to make a Franklin box work with a Reda. You can just try it both ways.

I hate it when people disconnect from a well and hook up to city water. You lose all control over your own destiny. This is a prime example. $2000 for a water leak, LOL. Your pump system would have probably used $5 in electricity for the same amount of water that leaked. Plus you could have put in a brand new pump system and had change left for that $2000.00.

In addition to going on "city" water, they removed the gas system and lines. Texas has very high PUC electric rates so, instead of an ~$80 gas natural gas bill, they had a ~$600 electric bill in Winter plus whatever firewood they used.

Natural gas and propane are dangerous! Didn't you know that? And well water isn't healthy or safe either...

What do I know, I cook with a pressure cooker too, shaking his head as he walks away ....

 

[Texas Wellman]

Never knew RB made a sub pump. It was probably rebranded from somewhere else. See the old pump tank combo from time to time.

 

[Sid Post]

I was told it was made in 1975. The guts appear to have been updated at some point.

 

[Valveman]

I was told it was made in 1975. The guts appear to have been updated at some point.

That is about the last time I saw a Ruth Berry.