I detected an old road bed on my property today. I found a few iron objects and a few shot gun shell bases. When I got home I washed off my Nox 800 and shovel at my well. I turned the water off and knelt down to take the hose loose from the well tank. When I grabbed the end of the hose I received a shock. I could not let go of the hose end. The only way I could get loose was to lean forward then spring back to force my hand loose. A few minuted later I went out with my VOM meter to find the problem. Upon inspection I found that who ever installed the well never grounded it. The pump has three wires, one of which is the ground and it is not connected to to anything. I'll have an electrician or a well company check it out when I get back from my trip. Hopefully a ground wire will fix it, if not I'd probably have to get another pump. Inside the house I checked for any difference in potential from ground to the tap water.. luckily there isn't any.
I got shocked today OUCH!
- Thread starter pan4au
- Start date
hoser
Forum Supporter
Yep get it checked and fixed. That could have had a whole different outcome.
Rudy
Admin
Is this an outdoor well? If so, you may have to drive a ground rod near the pump and bond the pump's motor ground to it.
Yeah, it's an outdoor well. I'll have a well service check it out as the pump may be leaking internally or some chaffed wires. If either is the case, the problem will need to be corrected, depending on the difference in potential, before it gets grounded. That should be the safest route. the pressure switch is grounded as there is a light socket installed to heat the inside of the pump cover in clod weather to keep things from freezing..
GroundSweeper
Forum Supporter
Dang that’s freaky. Glad your ok.
Rudy
Admin
I agree, if the motor wiring is contacting the case, it needs to be replaced. Another thing that surprises me is that the AC wiring to the pump, from your distribution panel, doesn't seem to have a GFI breaker. That's an electrical code requirements just about anywhere in the US.
I have someone coming to fix in next week when I get back home he says the wires are chaffed, from rubbing the pvc encasement. I told him I wanted a GFCI installed also. He said he have seen several that didn't have the ground connected on the pump and if it was it would the tripped the breaker. I pinpointed that it was the pum and wiring as it is only hot when the pressure switch actuates the pump. I'll feel so much relieved when he gets it fixed. Thanks
Ice Scratcher
Elite Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 18,347
Really scary stuff...
Glad you got it working properly now!
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Glad you got it working properly now!
<°)))>{
Rudy
Admin
Did you have him install a GFI breaker on the circuit?
Glad you are alright.
I saw something once, could have cost one their life or burnt their house down.
Every time it came a lightning storm, my grandmother’s house would shoot fuses. This went on for several years. My brother bought her house after she passed. Back in 1970 my father and I wired the meter box and YES put in grounding rod per code with wire attached.
Well, after my brother lived there for a while, same thing. Blown fuses. He converted fusee panel to breaker box. Same thing expect blown breakers. He found the ground wire burned off at grounding rod. And this must have even happened several years earlier. After repairing no more breakers blown during thunderstorms.
So your we’ll pump. If fuses or breaker is tripped during time of thunderstorm,, inspect grounding.
I saw something once, could have cost one their life or burnt their house down.
Every time it came a lightning storm, my grandmother’s house would shoot fuses. This went on for several years. My brother bought her house after she passed. Back in 1970 my father and I wired the meter box and YES put in grounding rod per code with wire attached.
Well, after my brother lived there for a while, same thing. Blown fuses. He converted fusee panel to breaker box. Same thing expect blown breakers. He found the ground wire burned off at grounding rod. And this must have even happened several years earlier. After repairing no more breakers blown during thunderstorms.
So your we’ll pump. If fuses or breaker is tripped during time of thunderstorm,, inspect grounding.
