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#115316 10/11/03 01:59 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,682
Likes: 3
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[Linked Image from electrical-contractor.net]

[Linked Image from electrical-contractor.net]
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Hi, recently I was at a site of a newly installed water well and observed the temporary electrical hook up of a water well pump. I was wondering if you would want to post these on your photos page. Is this hook up a violation? Please let me know since I want to discuss this at our next safety training. Thanks you have a very helpful web site!

-Rich

#115317 10/11/03 08:28 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
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This hookup is so bad that it would take a whole lot of cyberspace to list the violations.
If there's planning in the works to use the roll of ENT in the background to make this a permanent installation, it will never be right. NEC 362.12(5) "ENT shall not be used in the following"...."For direct earth burial"
(The Rigid aluminum pipe wrench used to hold up the well pipe certainly adds an interesting touch) [Linked Image]...S

#115318 10/11/03 10:04 AM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 597
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To my eye, it appears that the well supply wiring is coming out of gray PVC on the left side and partially obscured by the white well casing. The supply wiring is short.

The wrench holding the submersible in place tells me that the pump position is "about right", and the well is being drawn on to see if the flow can be maintained, and to clear the well of the detritus of the drilling. The extra (untrimmed length) conductors hanging out of the well casing, to me seem to be a hedge to cover the possible lowering of the submersible further.

The well crew is at lunch, or coming back in the morning to continue the job.

I don't understand what looks to be a length of spring steel fish tape that is looped in with the wires.

Perhaps the safety issues could be addressed with four stakes and a perimeter fence?


Al Hildenbrand
#115319 10/12/03 04:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 333
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The "fish tape" might be a safety cable to support the pump.


Steve
#115320 10/14/03 01:23 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 18
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It looks like they got it "almost right". The feed does indeed appear to be the grey PVC just visible in back of the casing, and the supply wires look to be a good 18 inches long. But... the wire is probably type TW submersible pump wire - is that listed for direct burial? It looks like that's what is coming up from the PVC riser. It should be UF. One of the most common code violations found in these installations is that the splices are made inside the well casing. I sort of doubt that the casing is a listed junction box. If they did it correctly they would have a PVC box in the riser to make the splices and transition from UF to TW there. The other bogus thing I run across a lot is failure to bond metal casings. Also, where I am many wells are 300 - 500 feet deep and as much as 300 feet from the house. Of course no one thinks to account for the resistance of the conductors. I am surprised that pumps don't fail more often.

#115321 10/20/03 03:50 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 680
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Well casing is bonded now but when did that become code??. Same with pumps, used to be 2 wire but the ones I see now are 3 wire. Are these recent(last 10 years) changes??

#115322 10/27/03 06:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 337
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I have been specifying well pumps since 1988 and have always required bonding the well casing and wiring the pump with ground. I can't say anything about before then. Those who would know where I amat have retired.

Shane


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