220 Pump shorts out after heavy rain

[PaulT]

The in ground pool pump runs reliably well except after a rain. If I keep the pump running during the rain it will continue. If the pump is off and it rains then it takes a day maybe two or three before it will run again. This is what happens… The pump is off. It rains. I flip the switch to run the pump. The pump starts and immediately the pump stops and the circuit breaker has been tripped. I wait a few hours and try the same process. I do this for a day, or two , or three until it starts running. It seems as if something must dry out. What is a mystery is if the pump is never turned off it can rain for two days and it will have no issue. I am at a loss on what to do. Thanks.

[micky]

Sounds like the box the pump is in, or some wiring, gets flooded when it rains, but when the pump is on, the pump pumps the water out before there is enough to short anything.

Have yhou looked at the pump when it won't work? YOu don't say a thing about that. Or any box or tube that is below ground level, or even above ground level if it might get wet inside.

Have you looked at the pump when it's off and it's raining, and maybe you can see the water level start to rise.

It's good that your breaker works so well and no one gets shocked.

[Dean Hoffman]

Start capacitor? There might be some good advice here:

[Bob F]

Or, when the pump is running, some part stays warm enough to evaporate the water that causes the problem.

[trader_4]

Is this really just a breaker or a GFCI breaker? I presume it's the latter.