Another lightning strike another Well Control Box

[EddieWalker]

Two lightning strikes in one Summer!!!! My first line of action would be to install a massive lightning rod.

The few times that I've seen the results of lightning strikes; you could see the path the electricity took. It burned everything it touched!!! I could see where it jumped from one place to another. It does not follow along something; it has so much power that it creates its own path to where it wants to go.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

This is the third strike. I replaced the original box with one that had magnetic switches in it. That was $260. Then it happened again and I tried replacing the capacitor and the capacitor blew so I put a new franklin box in that was identical to the original. The current box which is 1.5 hp not 2 as I had incorrectly stated earlier. This is the new box. I still have not flipped the power back on since putting the replacement capacitor in.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

View attachment IMG_6298.jpg
Forgot the picture. I’m gonna put the cover on and turn it back on. .

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It worked. About 10 seconds after turning it back on, there was another click noise. Kind of a plastic hollow sound but it kept working. The pressure tank refilled. All seems good. I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed. And order another capacitor.

 

[steve tym]

Microfarads are more important than voltage, that capacitor should be fine.
Connection does not matter.
Lightning can hit the ground and travel to the pump.
Lightning can bridge the gap in the circuit breaker.
If lightning want's your pump, it's gonna take it.
They do make lightning arresters, grounding them is key.

 

[grsthegreat]

Man….talk about bad luck. Does the well house panel have a good quality surge suppressor. Lightning not only jumps breakers, it will jump a fuse.

In 30 years i only lost one oven to lightning strike.

Im surrounded by tall trees, so that helps. The lightning is attracted to them over the house. I have several burnt out trees cut down over the years.

If i were you, id but these controls by the dozen…….

 

[steve tym]

The first click might have been the start winding (auxiliary winding), the motor would run with that winding out of the loop, but not long because it is now overloading the main winding. Eventually it will trip also.
Is the motor a 2 hp or 1.5? Capacitors and overloads are sized to the motor.
Interesting you have two overloads in the control box. There used to only be one on 1.5 hp pumps. I don't know when they made the change. I don't get out in the field much anymore.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

So my wife just walked in and asked if I turned turned the pump off again. I went and checked it and just using a voltage tester pen, there was juice going to the pressure switch, then to the control box then out to the pump. That kind of scared me because I figured it meant the pump was the issue. I pushed the two buttons on the bottom of the control box. First one clicked then pushed the other and it started running. About ten seconds in, a click again. The pressure tank is fill but obviously something else is wrong. And I’m sure pushing the buttons will only work for another couple cycle’s before it doesn’t work any more. I have the original control box which is identical to the current one so I’m looking at it trying to understand how it works and the sequences involved.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Also, to answer the question, it is a 1.5 hp pump

 

[ponytug]

@WoodChuckDad Wow! That is unfortunate. So sorry.

I would agree with @grsthegreat that a surge suppressor at the pump, with its own ground and ground rod is probably in order. You have a whole house suppressor, right? (See post #9 above) A higher kA rating is better, and given how many times this has failed, probably warranted and worth the extra few dollars.

I would add a small caveat to @steve tym's comment about voltage not mattering. I would phrase it as "a higher voltage capacitor would also work". A lower voltage capacitor is going to die quickly. As voltage surges at your well appear to be an issue, if it were me, I would go to a higher voltage as a little extra robustness, and at this point I would definitely put in that EMI snubber.
E.g. Amazon.com: Uxcell AC 115/250V 20A CW4L2-20A-S Noise Suppressor Power EMI Filter : Industrial & Scientific

I hope that this problem turns out to be something small.

All the best, Peter