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submersible pump in a well

R

Roger in Iowa

Well-known Member
Is there any way to determine if a submersible pump that has been unused for sometime and down in a well, is 120V or 240V without pulling it?

Only thing we can try is to hook it up to a 120v generator and see if it might work.

Ideas?
 
You will probably ruin it. Better pull it because it would only take a few seconds to burn it up If it doesn't start. If it has two wires, it is 120 volts. If it doesn't start when you touch the wires with voltage, add some capacitance and try again. If it starts but doesn't run easy, add or subtract capacitance till it sounds good.
 
I don't know where you are or what the circumstance, but where did the pump previously get power, an outbuilding shed garage. Check the breaker box for evidence of the pump. may give you an answer. I know you said you were going to try a generator, was it always run by a generator???? a simple minded guy like me looks for simple answers. gobble
 
Thanks all for the comments. No electrical boxes, etc for many years. Haven't seen pit so maybe something there. No power at location.
 
(quoted from post at 17:07:22 07/13/20) Thanks all for the comments. No electrical boxes, etc for many years. Haven't seen pit so maybe something there. No power at location.
Click to expand...

It depends on how deep your well is. My well is 120 feet deep and has a 240 volt pump down there. It all depends on how much power is need to get the water to the surface.

Do you know how deep the well is?
 
99 percent are 240 volt. If it has 3 wires coming out of the well it could be a 2 wire with a ground wire or a 3 wire that needs a control box. Those wires are red black and yellow if wired up correct. If it has 2 wires it is what we call a two wire pump and needs no control box to run. You can check the wires with an Ohm meter. A two wire motor will read something like 4 to 8 ohms on two wires and nothing on the ground, if it has one. A three wire will read 4 to 8 on the run windings, yellow and black, and something like 12 to 18 on the red start winding. That is red to yellow and red to black to check the start winding.
 

States typically have some sort of water well registry.

If you contact yours they may have records that will lead to the well driller that drilled it, or did major work on it (depending on the reporting rules in your state and if they were followed).

If you get lucky and the contractor is still in business he should have a record of details of the well including the make and model of pump that was last installed.
 
Do you know why the well was abandon? If you plan to drink the water it may be worth getting the water tested sooner rather than later. To get an accurate test, it may be necessary to pump out the well for a while to draw fresh water into it.
 
(quoted from post at 10:10:25 07/14/20)
(quoted from post at 05:22:36 07/14/20) Walk over to the breaker box and take a look. 👀
Click to expand...

Mule meat, go back and read the thread :roll:
Click to expand...

I did read it and he ask for ideas.

1. It operates using electric.
2. It would have to have been wired from some source such as a breaker box, plug, cutoff switch etc somewhere. House, pump house, barn somewhere.
3. It is a good bet that somewhere between the power meter and pump. A breaker was used.

Idea??? Look for a breaker box.
 
I've know of a well or 2 that were drilled to water cattle, even though the water flowed, without a pump, enough to water
the cattle, a pump was still in the well, but not wired, incase down the road the water stopped flowing enough.

Dusty
 
i had my well pump replaced last year. it was a 3/4 hp 220 v. only had 2 wires feeding it. iirc, they were number 10. no ground. the new pump has a ground. perhaps the wire gauge may be a clue.
 
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