I have a Wayne 57711-LWS1 pump. Item 252798 at Lowe's, from 7/10. It keeps throwing the GFI and shuts down the electricity. How can I find out if it is a minor problem (minor electrical leakage) or enough to hurt someone (aside from sticking my hand in)? Is there a simple test, e.g hook up a probe? Are sump pumps made to be operating in a enclosed water tight compartment? I ask because the pump has a drainage hole on the side, which perhaps is there only for draining out water once it gets inside.
**Assuming the ground fault device isn't defective, that is your test. It's telling you that there is electrical leakage to ground. Regardless of the amount of leakage it has today, it will likely increase over time. I've had this happen very often with brand new submersible pumps. Just replace it
You dont put a frige on a gfi, I would not put a sump on one.
** Yes, Nec requires a fridge to be on a GFCI, if it's located in a basement or garage. If your sump pump is in your kitchen, it wouldn't be required to be GFCI protected
I never did a cross-section cut or anything to find out, but that little hole appears to be to let oil, which surrounds the pump components, run out. I had a uniit once which started popping the gfci. I was going to check to see if there was any voltage on the case of the pump to ground by plugging it into a non-gfci outlet. Well, I didn't get to measure anything because it promptly opened the breaker upstairs in the box. Thus, in this case, the gfci had done its job. When I pulled the pump up out of the water, ol was leaking from that small hole in a fair stream. After a few minutes it turned to water so I assume water had gotten into the motor workings. That's the only time I ever had a gfci open up the ckt.
A sump pump, when powered by a dedicated line with no other components on that line, as instructed on every packaging I've ever seen, will not pop a gfci when there is no fault condtiion. Large inductances can sometimes make a gfci pop because of the out of phase current/voltage, but sump pumps seem to be designed such that a back-emf doesn't occur and look like a faul to the gfci. Rotor lock or partial lock however could achieve a gfci popping open so remember to inspect the impeller for dirt & junk that could impede the motor from getting started properly.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.