Electrical help needed

[Pooh_Bear]

I have a sump pump. According to the plate on the motor it is 230v and 9 amps.
I'm trying to find the smallest wire I can use to power it.
I'm using this site to do my calculations.
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

Scroll down near the bottom to get the online calculator.

I picked copper wire. 240v single phase. length=500 feet. Amps=9
According to that, looks like I can use 10 AWG wire. Is that right.
I asked on a forum of electricians and they said 4awg or at the most 6awg.
10 awg is out of my budget. Forget 4 and 6.
I mite could scrounge up enough 10-2 romex. Mite have to do some splicing.

This is my sump pump. The model 4290. Got it for $20 out of the classifieds.
http://www.zoeller.com/zcopump/products/agricultural/agricultural.htm

What do y'all say. can it be done somehow.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

 

[bigdad]

Is your run of wire 500 feet? If it is, you will have loss in the distance. Copper has really gotten high priced lately..... Sounds like the wire size that you need is going to cost more than the pump.

Under load, your pump will drop your voltage. Low voltage is very hard on motors. Power company "brown-outs" (Low Voltage) raise the devil with motors...even fridges etc.

240 VAC at 9 continuous amps..... #8 wire and #6 would be better.

Be careful!

 

[BB_TX]

Here is another voltage drop calculator.

http://www.elec-toolbox.com/calculators/voltdrop.htm

According to it, 4 ga is correct.

 

[Farwell]

Pooh Bear,
You will probably be ok with the #10 wire for the 500 foot run as long as you go with copper and don't use the pump very often. More than likely the the 9amps on the motor plate is starting amperage and not contiuous running amperage. #8 copper is a better choice. Check the price of aluminum wire, you will have to go to a larger sized wire but the cost may be less.
If the sump pump is used frequently you will have to go to a bigger wire.
IMO
Farwell

 

[BB_TX]

Oops. When I tried the voltage calculator I linked, I forgot to change the voltage. At 240 v, it shows #8 to be correct.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

At this point I don't expect it to get frequent use.
Mostly gonna use it to fill a swimming pool.
We have well water and don't want risk draining it dry and ruining the pump.
And I can't leave the pump down at the river. it would get stolen.
And this sucker's HEAVY. I ain't gonna be toting it around much.

I got a neighbor who wants to put a pump down at the river permanently
and pump water across our property up to his barn for his cows.
If he ever does it he said I could tee off his line for water.

Pooh Bear

 

[woodlot]

The price of 1500' (or 2000' if your going to run a bonding wire) 6 AWG is going to be astrimonical, I'd say in the neighborhood of $1.50-$1.75 a foot, so about 3 grand for your wire.

At that price I'd look into a generator. Fire it up when you need to run the pump. I'd bet you can get a pretty @&&-kicking generator for 3k. You'd probibly be able to get one that would suit your needs for 1200.

 

[BobRip]

Pooh Bear,
You will probably be ok with the #10 wire for the 500 foot run as long as you go with copper and don't use the pump very often. More than likely the the 9amps on the motor plate is starting amperage and not contiuous running amperage. #8 copper is a better choice. Check the price of aluminum wire, you will have to go to a larger sized wire but the cost may be less.
If the sump pump is used frequently you will have to go to a bigger wire.
IMO
Farwell

I don't think that rating is starting current. Most motors that I have seen show running amps on them. This is probably about a 1.25 horse power motor.
Even if you use it intermittenly you will probably have an issue. It probably will not start. The generator is probably a good idea. I would check with the manufacturers data on wire size and length. It may be designed for long wire runs. My well motor is rate at 9 amps 240 volts and is 1.25 horsepower. I have mostly 10 guage wire on it that is about 400 feet long.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

It's a 1 hp motor.

I have considered all kinds of crazy ideas to get power down to the river.
The power company is using what looks like steel cable for high voltage transmission lines.
So why can't I do the same thing.
Get some steel cable and run it thru PVC pipe underground for most of the distance.
I have also considered barbless fence wire. And rebar.
All are much cheaper than copper wire. Or aluminum wire.

I have also considered building a big gazebo down near the river
and let the power company run wire down there and place a meter.
Then it would only be less than 200 feet to the river.
The pump has a 50 foot power cord on it.
So I would only need about 150 feet of wire or extension cord.
Wouldn't a big pavilion type gazebo look great down in the corner of the
yard next to that big walnut tree at the curve in the road.
http://web.infoave.net/~poohbear2767/panorama.htm (second picture down, left side)
Of course then there is the cost of the gazebo and all that 3inch pvc conduit.

Anybody got any better ideas.

Pooh Bear

 

[bigdad]

Hey Pooh-Bear.....

I like Woodlot's idea of the generator (for the money). As for the power company and the steel wire......they are probably running 12KV on that stuff.....that's before they transform it down for consumer use.

If you have folks in your neigborhood that are low enough to swipe your pump......they will most certainly make off with your copper or even aluminium wire. Believe me, it's not just your neighborhood either. Sad ain't it.

Good luck and again....BE CAREFUL!