ice storm, generators and lessons learned

jeff5may · 01-14-16, 02:25 PM

For what is installed in the well bore, there is no magic product to offer a real long-term solution. Yes, there are soft starters and variable speed drive modules made that work with single phase motors. But the real culprit here is the single phase motor. There are two main types of well pumps: two wire and three wire (plus ground). The three wire motors are like an a/c compressor; the three wires are start winding, run winding and common. They are wired to a remote control box, and are somewhat more versatile. The two-wire motors have the start circuit built into the hermetically sealed motor unit. Figuring out what type of motor is in the well will pretty much spell out the options available.

Disregarding all of this previous rambling, single phase motors in general do not lend themselves to connecting strange signals to them. Well pumps in this flavor are designed to be bang-bang in nature. Bang, its on or bang, its off. Feeding a strange voltage, frequency or combination of the two to the motor will induce strange side effects, the two most common being a stall or a burnout.

I believe Steve is thinking in the right direction here: some short-term booster device should exist to provide the extra starting current to the motor for just a few seconds when the pump powers up. This booster should not have to be an oversized gen set.

01-14-16, 02:25 PM	#31
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	For what is installed in the well bore, there is no magic product to offer a real long-term solution. Yes, there are soft starters and variable speed drive modules made that work with single phase motors. But the real culprit here is the single phase motor. There are two main types of well pumps: two wire and three wire (plus ground). The three wire motors are like an a/c compressor; the three wires are start winding, run winding and common. They are wired to a remote control box, and are somewhat more versatile. The two-wire motors have the start circuit built into the hermetically sealed motor unit. Figuring out what type of motor is in the well will pretty much spell out the options available. Disregarding all of this previous rambling, single phase motors in general do not lend themselves to connecting strange signals to them. Well pumps in this flavor are designed to be bang-bang in nature. Bang, its on or bang, its off. Feeding a strange voltage, frequency or combination of the two to the motor will induce strange side effects, the two most common being a stall or a burnout. I believe Steve is thinking in the right direction here: some short-term booster device should exist to provide the extra starting current to the motor for just a few seconds when the pump powers up. This booster should not have to be an oversized gen set.