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New pool pump trips breaker BUT it works after breaker reset

New pool pump trips breaker BUT it works after breaker reset


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Old 10-24-11, 09:13 PM
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Question New pool pump trips breaker BUT it works after breaker reset

Greetings,

I have a new Hayward pool pump that was installed three weeks ago. The installation required pulling new wire to its own circuit on the electrical panel with a new 20A C/B. The new wire is 8AWG, rated up to 40A.

Everything in this configuration works great upon first turning on the pump. There is a slight humming in the panel and the 20A breaker is warm to the touch but it has been running now for three weeks. However, nothing is ever as simple as it seems: if we turn off the pump for any reason and then try to turn it back on, the C/B trips. The odd thing is that, after resetting the C/B, the pump turns on and runs like a champ, until we turn off the pump and try to turn it back on, which trips the breaker. Reset the breaker and turn the pump on, no issues.

I did the wiring myself and I am fairly proficient with such matters but the cycle of trip/reset/work is odd to me as I am not certain what that indicates. I also am not certain if the warm C/B and panel buzzing is indicative of anything related to this. Are there any ideas on where I should begin my troubleshooting? Shall I pull the box outside and reseat all connections? Is this a grounding issue?

Any help that anyone could provide would be extremely appreciated.
 
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Old 10-24-11, 10:29 PM
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What is the full load amps of the pump? What is the locked rotor amps. Is it 120v or 240v? Why did you use #8 and not #10 or #12? Is the breaker firmly seated? Cable or THWN?
 
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Old 10-25-11, 09:07 AM
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Thank you for responding.

I should know the answers to the amperage loads but I will need to get that this evening and post a response.

Regarding the wiring question, an electrician with whom I consulted recommended the thicker cable as the pump is capable of 240V and we will implement that cicurit at some point in the future. Given that, he recommended the thicker wire. Currently, it is wired for 120V. I am not sure what you mean by the "cable or THWN" question but I will be happy to answer if you provide guidance on what is being asked.

I will double-check the breaker this evening to make certain it is solidly seated.

What are the possible causes of this odd behavior that allows the pump to work after one C/B reset?
 
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Old 10-25-11, 09:57 AM
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A cable is a metallic or non metallic sheath containing two or more wires plus a ground. Most common example is NM-b (AKA Romex). Unless the pool is in the house it can not be used for two reasons. It is not rated for outdoor use and the ground wire is bare. A bare ground wire can't be used for a pool feed. Another example is UF cable. Again can't be used because of a bare ground.

THWN is the most common type of wire used in conduit. For a pool you would need an insulated green ground wire. (assumes PVC conduit.)

I should know the answers to the amperage loads but I will need to get that this evening and post a response.
Without that information there is no way you could know what size breaker to use. Unless the pool is more then 400 feet from the breaker box you also seemed to have done a very bad job of guessing what size wire to use.*

Pool wiring to be safe requires a strong knowledge of special safety requirements including grounding, bonding and GFCI protection. How much of that are you familiar with?

Ok all of the above except the breaker size and distance to main panel may not be relevant to your problem but they are issues that need to be addressed. Tell us the details including amperage of the pump and we can start helping you.

*
an electrician with whom I consulted recommended the thicker cable as the pump is capable of 240V and we will implement that cicurit at some point in the future.
Perhaps you misunderstood. For the same horsepower a 240v pump requires half the amps and a correspondingly smaller wire
 
 

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