Pool pump rewiring and cleaning up a bunch of old electrical work - 220V circuit

All,

The pool had a bunch of wiring for the old school pool pump (one speed) as well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet and s uch. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only things that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet. Th e pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need another t imer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

The electrical line comes with the following copper wire coatings:

1 green, 1 red, 1 white, 4 black (I can't tell if any of these is different from the others) Here is a picture of the line:
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And here is a picture of my panel:

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Question 1. I believe that the wiring should be very simple since the terminals in the pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on t urning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cable a nd the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. From t he panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have as good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? Do yo u see any issues with my approach?

Question 2. Page 10/36 of the pool pump reads '230 VAC single phase' (see below). If yo u look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases here th at when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for the past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switches and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it should w ork well if I make the connections correctly. Pool Pump -

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Question 3. For the outlet I believe that I can use any of the remaining three black ca bles, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables will b e capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

I'm pretty sure that my approach should work but I might as well float my p lans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

Reply to
fullofquestions
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Short answer, not enough information. \ That is a MLO panel so if the bottom breaker on the left is back feeding it I don't know what to say about the wires at top.

#1 yes if you figure out where the wires come from into the panel it will work but the only raceway coming into that panel with that many wires, does not have a red wire.

#2, yes that is all single phase. You have 2 ungrounded conductors making 240v but it is still single phase.

#3 see #1

Reply to
gfretwell

On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 12:02:48 PM UTC-8, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wro te:

s well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet and such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thing s that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet. The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need another timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

nt from the others)

KODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

e pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cable and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. From the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have a s good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? Do you see any issues with my approach?

you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases here that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for th e past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switche s and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it should work well if I make the connections correctly.

cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables will be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

Unfortunately I did not have any luck. I actually could not get the pump go ing again. Is it at all possible that the pump had been running off 110/120 V for the past year? It is rated between 300-3000rpm but I only ran it bet ween 1800 and 2200rpm. Thanks

Reply to
fullofquestions

Reply to
gfretwell

On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 3:02:48 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrot e:

s well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet and such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thing s that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet. The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need another timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

nt from the others)

KODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

e pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cable and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. From the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have a s good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? Do you see any issues with my approach?

Find out what the other black wires are connected to. They could have served the outlet, maybe a solar controller, the other pump? What you suggest will work.

you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases here that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for th e past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switche s and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it should work well if I make the connections correctly.

Boy, we've been through that before and it's turned into a heated discussion. You are correct, what you have there are two conductors that are 180 out of phase with each other. Looking at it on an oscilloscope, you would see that. But it's commonly referred to as split-phase service, because both of those phases are generated off one of the three phases that the power company has running down the street. They are using a center-tap transformer driven by one of the utility phases to create the two phases that you'd see on a scope.

cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables will be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

That will work. Just make sure that the breakers are sized to the gauge of the conductors and/or loads.

plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

You also need to use GFCI on these circuits, because that is what code now requires. That would be a GFCI breaker for the pump, a GFCI breaker or GFCI receptacle for the outlet. I would hope that the pool lights, any other receptacles, etc are already on GFCI. If not, I'd make sure they all are.

Reply to
trader_4

On Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 1:45:37 AM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wr ote:

rote:

as well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet a nd such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thi ngs that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet . The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need anoth er timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

rent from the others)

_oKODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

the pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cab le and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. Fr om the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have as good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? D o you see any issues with my approach?

f you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases her e that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for the past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switc hes and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it shou ld work well if I make the connections correctly.

k cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables wi ll be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

my plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

going again. Is it at all possible that the pump had been running off 110/1

20 V for the past year? It is rated between 300-3000rpm but I only ran it b etween 1800 and 2200rpm.

Who knows? We can't see the pump, don't know what you have. What was hooked up to the pump? If it was a red and black, or black and black, then it's 240V, unless someone went rogue. If it's black and white, then it's 120V. If the pump was single speed, like you said, IDK how it could be running at variable speeds.

The first thing you should have done is identify the various breakers and what they run before taking stuff apart. Then you'd know. Usually pool pumps are 240V, but not always.

Reply to
trader_4

On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 12:02:48 PM UTC-8, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wro te:

s well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet and such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thing s that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet. The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need another timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

nt from the others)

KODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

e pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cable and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. From the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have a s good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? Do you see any issues with my approach?

you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases here that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for th e past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switche s and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it should work well if I make the connections correctly.

cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables will be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

Thank you all for your replies and advice. Duly noted about noting things f irst before taking them apart. I had already started working on this and I actually already added two, connected 15 AMP GFCI breakers for the pump. This morning while going over this I noted that the pool control box actual ly has a transformer. It is a Compool LX-220 Solar Control (here is the pdf :

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Since I could not get a 220V reading no matter which combination of wires I tested I have a suspicion t hat this was used to step up the 110V to 220V. I looked in the pdf but I di d not see that explicitly stated. Could this device be used to step up the voltage from 110 to 220V?

There were two old school, single speed, pumps in the setup last year befor e I replaced one of them with the Hayward SP3400VSP model (here is the pdf, refer to page 10:

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O ne pump was used to circulate the pool water and the other was used to pump water to the roof of the house in order to heat up the water. I removed th e solar panels from my house and unplugged the one pump. The other pump I r eplaced with the Hayward model for efficiency sake, etc. Looking at the spe cs, do you think that stepping up the voltage would have been enough to mee t the standards of this pump?

So I guess that I have two options:

  1. figure out if I did something wrong with my measurements yesterday and p erhaps get 220V out of this setup. After all there were two pumps running i n the past so they must have had two different lines that may be able to co mbine to 220V.
  2. find a proper transformer to step up the voltage

Thanks

Reply to
fullofquestions

On Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 3:14:59 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wr ote:

rote:

as well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet a nd such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thi ngs that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet . The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need anoth er timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

rent from the others)

_oKODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

the pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cab le and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. Fr om the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have as good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? D o you see any issues with my approach?

f you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases her e that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for the past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switc hes and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it shou ld work well if I make the connections correctly.

k cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables wi ll be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

my plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

first before taking them apart. I had already started working on this and I actually already added two, connected 15 AMP GFCI breakers for the pump.

Two connected GFCI breakers for the pump? Never heard of such a thing. You use one double pole GFCI breaker.

ally has a transformer. It is a Compool LX-220 Solar Control (here is the p df:

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Since I could not get a 22

0V reading no matter which combination of wires I tested I have a suspicion that this was used to step up the 110V to 220V.

No way. That transformer is a small one to power the DC electronics in the solar controller. Why would they screw around with creating

240V for the pump? And it is 240V, not 220V, unless you're someplace weird.

I looked in the pdf but I did not see that explicitly stated. Could this de vice be used to step up the voltage from 110 to 220V?

ore I replaced one of them with the Hayward SP3400VSP model (here is the pd f, refer to page 10:

formatting link
One pump was used to circulate the pool water and the other was used to pu mp water to the roof of the house in order to heat up the water. I removed the solar panels from my house and unplugged the one pump. The other pump I replaced with the Hayward model for efficiency sake, etc. Looking at the s pecs, do you think that stepping up the voltage would have been enough to m eet the standards of this pump?

No and with all the conductors you have going there, why on earth would anyone do it that way instead of just using 240V that is easily available? And if you don't have 240V, then you could use a 120V pump.

perhaps get 220V out of this setup. After all there were two pumps running in the past so they must have had two different lines that may be able to combine to 220V.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but for your safety and the safety of everyone using that pool and eqpt, I suggest it's time to get a pro or at least someone who understands code and what you have.

Reply to
trader_4

On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 12:02:48 PM UTC-8, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wro te:

s well as another pump for the roof solar panels, lights timers, outlet and such. I like to clean things up so I took everything apart. The only thing s that I would like to keep working would be the pool pump and the outlet. The pool pump comes with a very handy timer feature so I don't need another timer, etc. Anyway, so here are my questions:

nt from the others)

KODULNcHlWaU55cjhVQ1E

e pool pump only use green/ground and two others to make up 220V. I plan on turning on the power and VERY CAREFULLY test voltage between the red cable and the black ones and go with the one that gives me closest to 220V. From the panel to this setup we are talking at least 150 ft so I want to have a s good a line as possible. Why are there four black cables in the line? Do you see any issues with my approach?

you look at the panel picture isn't it true that there are two phases here that when used together give 220V? This pump was working beautifully for th e past year going through all of the connections (2 very old school switche s and an electrical box that was used as a timer for the pump) so it should work well if I make the connections correctly.

cables, the neutral/white cable and ground. The remaining black cables will be capped and well insulated with electrical tape on top.

plans in case anyone has any suggestions. Thank you very much.

Thanks for the response and advice. I have an electrician coming tomorrow.

Reply to
gonzalobriceno

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