Alternative Power sources - How to monitor well pump power usage

Author

How to monitor well pump power usage

Mr Pibb

2006-01-13, 12:21 am

I have a well pump and had the check valve near the pressure tank fail.
This caused the pump to run excessively. However I don't hear the system
and it ran this way for weeks before I found out and replaced the valve.

Does any1 know of a means to monitor pump run time and power draw? This
would be helpful in corrective and preventive maintenance not to mention the
money wasted on the 220 draw of a underperforming well pump

Thanks in Advance.

Mr. Pibb

JoeSP

2006-01-13, 3:21 am

"Mr Pibb" <nobody@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3qFxf.63873$XJ5.24022@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>I have a well pump and had the check valve near the pressure tank fail.
>This caused the pump to run excessively. However I don't hear the system
>and it ran this way for weeks before I found out and replaced the valve.
>
> Does any1 know of a means to monitor pump run time and power draw? This
> would be helpful in corrective and preventive maintenance not to mention
> the money wasted on the 220 draw of a underperforming well pump
>
> Thanks in Advance.
>
> Mr. Pibb

How about a light that goes on whenever the pump is running?

William P.N. Smith

2006-01-13, 11:21 am

"Mr Pibb" <nobody@aol.com> wrote:
>Does any1 know of a means to monitor pump run time and power draw?

You could put in a small transformer or 220V power supply driving a
light in a place you could see it, and then maybe add an hour meter.

For current draw, use a current transformer and remote ammeter, but I
suspect your current won't change that much (mine doesn't) from full
load (well nearly empty, pressure tank near full) to minimum load
(well full, pressure tank at minimum).

Nick Hull

2006-01-13, 4:21 pm

In article <tGHxf.93962$6K2.19014@edtnps90>, "JoeSP" <olegp@telus.net>
wrote:

> "Mr Pibb" <nobody@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:3qFxf.63873$XJ5.24022@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>
> How about a light that goes on whenever the pump is running?
>
>

Use a cheap analog clock on one side of the line when the pump is
running. Start it at 20 Oclock high and you have a cheap running time
meter up to 12 hours.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

RoughRider

2006-01-15, 11:21 pm

Depends how complicated you want to get and what kind of data output you
desire, or perhaps you want a simple indication.

To sense when it is ON, you can use a current sensor alarm. Do a google
search. Here are a few examples:

http://www.mod-tronic.com/Love_AC_C..._Indicator.html
http://www.automatictiming.com/page...ntmonitors.html

If you would like to LOG the data over time to see how often the pump comes
on, and when, try an inexpensive data logger from ONSET:
http://www.onsetcomp.com/

I actually did something similar with my septic tank pump. Used a FLUKE
datalogger (I have access to lab grade equipment) to monitor the voltage
drop in the NEUTRAL wire that is connected to the pump. When the pump is
running there will be a small voltage drop between the neutral wire (about
1V) and ground which was read by the datalogger's AC Volts input. This
voltage method saved me having to install a current transducer.

Hope this helps.

Mike Swift

2006-01-17, 5:21 am

In article <uQDyf.6621$xk1.92378@news20.bellglobal.com>,
"RoughRider" <Post@thisnewsgroup.com> wrote:

> Depends how complicated you want to get and what kind of data output you
> desire, or perhaps you want a simple indication.
>
> To sense when it is ON, you can use a current sensor alarm. Do a google
> search. Here are a few examples:
>
> http://www.mod-tronic.com/Love_AC_C..._Indicator.html
> http://www.automatictiming.com/page...currentmonitors
> .html
>
> If you would like to LOG the data over time to see how often the pump comes
> on, and when, try an inexpensive data logger from ONSET:
> http://www.onsetcomp.com/
>
> I actually did something similar with my septic tank pump. Used a FLUKE
> datalogger (I have access to lab grade equipment) to monitor the voltage
> drop in the NEUTRAL wire that is connected to the pump. When the pump is
> running there will be a small voltage drop between the neutral wire (about
> 1V) and ground which was read by the datalogger's AC Volts input. This
> voltage method saved me having to install a current transducer.
>
> Hope this helps.

Another method is to put an electric clock on the motor leads. Check it
once a day, and total the readings for total run time. This will work as
long as it runs less than 12 hours a day. If you want to spend a small
amount of money you can buy a hour meter and just subtract the starting
hours from the ending hours to get the total. Hours works because the
power does not change much while pumping, so you just measure power once
when it is running then multiply by the time.

--
Mike Swift

Two things only the people anxiously desire‹bread and circuses.
Decimus Junius Juvenalls

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