GFCI protection on a residential well pump.

My cousin called me last week. One of his relatives is building an addition and they are installing a new well. The Well Co is on site and they hit good water at 130 feet. They are using a submersible with a VFD control so I guess no pressure tank is needed as the pump ramps on the VFD to control the pressure. The house is on a mountain top that gets lightning. The house has lightening protection.

Anyhow, the well company has the pump installed but no wiring yet so they had a generator and were trying to run the pump off the Gen and it wouldn't work they wanted to test the well.

I told him a lightning strike or if they loose power (which they do) and go on their gen they my not play nice with the VFD. i would go with a pressure tank and a switch but that's just me.


The well installers were complaining about their boss who loves the VFDs.
 
Eddie702 said:
My cousin called me last week. One of his relatives is building an addition and they are installing a new well. The Well Co is on site and they hit good water at 130 feet. They are using a submersible with a VFD control so I guess no pressure tank is needed as the pump ramps on the VFD to control the pressure. The house is on a mountain top that gets lightning. The house has lightening protection.

Anyhow, the well company has the pump installed but no wiring yet so they had a generator and were trying to run the pump off the Gen and it wouldn't work they wanted to test the well.

I told him a lightning strike or if they loose power (which they do) and go on their gen they my not play nice with the VFD. i would go with a pressure tank and a switch but that's just me.


The well installers were complaining about their boss who loves the VFDs.
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My VFD well has had no problems on my Generac whole house generator.
 
solar-dr.com said:
Need some help, Inspector is requiring all well pumps to be GFCI protected. Sighting 210 8 (F) in the 2023 NEC code. This code only pertains to a receptacle, not a well. He claims it is utilization equipment. The code will at some point make a well pump GFCI protected but as of right now it is not required to be GFCI protected, please give your argument either way because I believe the building department is mis interpretating this code.
Click to expand...
Article 100
Outlet: A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment
 
solar-dr.com said:
what about 210 .3 where it refers to 430 for motors?
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In the 2014 and older codes, nothing in 210 applied to motor circuits as the scope said:
210.1 Scope.
This article covers branch circuits except for branch circuits that supply only motor loads, which are covered in Article 430. Provisions of this article and Article 430 apply to branch circuits with combination loads.
Click to expand...
In the 2017 and newer codes, the rules in 210 apply to motor circuits unless modified by rules in 430. Nothing in 430 modifies 210.8(F).
 
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