Submersible pump connection

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alberbon

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Hi, I hava a submersible 1.5HP/240V water pump for a residential water supply. I had asked for the pump to come with enough cord length to run it directly to the pumps control panel. In the end the pump came with a 1m flexible cord, is an underwater splice allowed by the code? What are my options?

Regards,

Alberto
 
alberbon said:
I have never done it that way. Which section of the code talks about underwater splices?

Alberto
Click to expand...

I will try 300.5 (B) and (E). Only stuff I could find, bit of a stretch though.

(B) Wet Locations. The interior of enclosures or raceways
installed underground shall be considered to be a wet location.
Insulated conductors and cables installed in these enclosures
or raceways in underground installations shall be
listed for use in wet locations and shall comply with
310.8(C). Any connections or splices in an underground
installation shall be approved for wet locations.

(E) Splices and Taps. Direct-buried conductors or cables
shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped without the use of
splice boxes. The splices or taps shall be made in accordance
with 110.14(B).
 
I'd MUCH rather see a sump with a splice in the cable, than a sump with a receptacle in it. Yes, I've seen plenty of those :( . In a perfect world, the cable would exit the side of the sump and enter the bottom of a handhole, where you would make your splices.

Ideal makes a very nice UF connector. It has a plastic 'spool' that holds four copper set-screw connectors. These let you splice as many as four conductors. Over it all is a very thick, richly adhesived piece of shrink tubing. It's very waterproof.

For smaller cables, I use 3-M epoxy packs that are just large enough to accept an orange/blue wire nut. Once set -it takes just a few minutes- I fold the packs against the cables and bury them in (first) self-fusing splicing tape and (then) Scotch 88 vinyl electrical tape. A final 'painting' of it all with Scotchkote and I'm happy.
 
Even if the code allowed it, you're asking for BIG trouble making splices underwater.
I never heard of a submersible with 3 feet cord. Someone screwed up big time and they don't want to own to it. Don't take the responsibility for that screw up.

alberbon said:
Hi, I hava a submersible 1.5HP/240V water pump for a residential water supply. I had asked for the pump to come with enough cord length to run it directly to the pumps control panel. In the end the pump came with a 1m flexible cord, is an underwater splice allowed by the code? What are my options?

Regards,

Alberto
Click to expand...
 
I think they're all done that way

I think they're all done that way

Every submersible water well pump I've ever seen was done with individual crimp splices and special heat shrink tubing that has some sort of adhesive or water proofing that oozes out of them when heated.

You could have it submerged for 20 years and it would be fine.

http://www.merrillmfg.com/product/07-SpliceKits/SpliceKits/black.htm

You must be talking about some sump pump
 
Last edited:
>>>>If Billy Idol is on your I Pod you need to reevaluate your life.<<<<
Why are you so obsessed with Billy?
 
T&B makes some sweet adhesive lined heatshrink. I wouldn't be scared to use that stuff underwater. I've tried to cut them off before and it's not fun!
 
Strife said:
>>>>If Billy Idol is on your I Pod you need to reevaluate your life.<<<<
Why are you so obsessed with Billy?
Click to expand...

I had to listen to Billy at work the other day. That was bad enough. Then I noticed that it was coming from an I Pod.

If you think Billy Idol is worth preserving in recorded form, you need to seek qualified help or the release that can only be found by sitting in your car, in a closed garage with the engine running.
 
I have two water systems with submersible pumps, one is 115' down, the other is more than 250', if pumps could be bought with cords made to length the boxes they are packaged in would have to be a lot bigger. :grin:

You can buy the splice kits in most hardware stores.

Roger
 
well pump

well pump

i had a 180' deep well on my own property, the impeller would get chewed up by sand ebery three or four years or so.
i used two red wire nuts, no tape or heat shrink, to connect 10awg stranded fed off two rolls as i lowered it into the hole.
other than sand getting past the sand collar i never had a problem
water doesn't conduct electricity
 
Your motor may have run but the concept of water not conducting electricity is not quite correct when dealing with real life or death situations. One of the main reasons the NEC devotes so much space for pools, spas, water features etc.

You may not of noticed a problem but believe it or not your neighbors may have. Not a safe practice.
 
jerryalan said:
i had a 180' deep well on my own property, the impeller would get chewed up by sand ebery three or four years or so.
i used two red wire nuts, no tape or heat shrink, to connect 10awg stranded fed off two rolls as i lowered it into the hole.
other than sand getting past the sand collar i never had a problem
water doesn't conduct electricity
Click to expand...

No equipment ground?

Two rolls? You are supposed to use cable or conductors designed for the purpose.

THWN is not intended for this purpose. All the submersible pump cable I have ever seen was multi conductor twisted together or within a jacket.

Pure water is not a very good conductor. If you put a high enough voltage on it, it will still conduct - this is one way to separate H20 into its base elements of hydrogen and oxygen. Impurities in the water make it conductive, depending on what is dissolved in the water it is more conductive in some places than others, but it is nearly impossible to find any water with no minerals in it unless it has been distilled.

Take the leads of your ohmmeter and stick them into some dry dirt and you will likely have very high resistance or infinity reading. Now water that same dirt and test it again. It will be much more conductive.
 
jerryalan said:
water doesn't conduct electricity
Click to expand...
But minerals and salts in the water do. With the right test equipment you will probably see unequal current flow on the circuit conductors, meaning you have some current flowing into the well casing and earth through the water.

Roger
 
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