[RE-wrenches] Well pump grounding question

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar offgridsolar at sti.net
Thu Apr 27 09:12:50 PDT 2017


I have done this also!  I do have respect for Darwin. As long as a school
bus full of kids is not anywhere near the well and it does not sound like
a fault deep in the ground will start a wildfire. That was my reasoning at
least!

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/


> Maybe I should clarify here that the wire type switches at the well head,
> and that is the point at which the metal well casing is bonded to the EGC
> running with the current carrying conductors to the supply circuit 20A
> breaker.
>
> On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 7:09 PM, Rebekah Hren <rebekah.hren at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hey everyone,
>> I'm replacing my old DC 24V shurflo well pump with a new Grundfos 15
>> SQ05-110. It's the 120V AC model.
>>
>> Question: The Shurflo required 2 wire cable with no ground, the Grundfos
>> has black/white/green.
>>
>> Can anyone think of a good reason why I should replace 100' of expensive
>> submersible flat jacketed pump cable to swap out for wire with an EGC
>> running to the pump? The well casing is grounded and from the well
>> casing
>> to the supply breaker there is an EGC.
>>
>> I'm struggling to think of a good reason why I should replace the wire,
>> (besides of course something in the NEC like 110.3(B)! There's no shock
>> hazard that I can really figure out - if the pump itself were to have a
>> ground fault, the metal well casing would be a fault current path of way
>> less resistance than anywhere else the water might happen to flow
>> (plastic
>> pipe)?
>>
>> I've heard some stories on the internet about how ungrounded well pumps
>> shocked people when they were pulled up for servicing and testing,
>> but...that sounds more like a Darwin award candidate than a real safety
>> hazard.
>>
>> Well, curious to hear opinions on this.
>> Thanks,
>> Rebekah
>>
>> --
>> Tel: 336.266.8800
>> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professionalâ„¢ 091209-85
>> NC Licensed Electrical Contractor
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Tel: 336.266.8800
> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professionalâ„¢ 091209-85
> NC Licensed Electrical Contractor
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Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
text 209 813 0060

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
text 209 813 0060




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