WorldwideDave
Solar Addict
Hello everyone thank you for reading. I have a half horsepower water pump on my roof. I have two water tanks up there and this provides pressure to ensure that my washing machine fills and showers are comfortable in the one story house.
I replaced it yesterday, and re-did all the PVC plumbing. I let the plumbing glue dry for 18 hours.
This morning I plugged in the pump and it would not start up. There is a sensor that floats in the water tank and it shuts off the pump if the water tank gets empty. It’s a simple on/off.
Suspecting that device might be a problem, I bypassed it and hooked up the water pump directly. The pump ran. I was bleeding off the air pressure in the system using a brass valve, which is screwed into the PVC. I was wearing sandals, but my feet and hands were wet at the time. I got shocked from touching the handle.
I waited for the pump to stop pumping. I touched the brass valve once again, and did not get shocked.
I thought that was strange.
Next, I installed a new switch inside of the tank. I wired it in line according to the directions. I tested the switch by opening the valve, which did not shock me, and as the water was flowing out of the valve, I pulled up on the safety switch in the tank and the pump shut off as designed.
Next, I ran a hose from a hose bib into my water tank. I then opened the brass valve and simply drop the hose into the tank. The pump kicked on. The hose shot out of the water tank faster than I could grab it. I then went to turn off the hose bib and once again I had water on my arm and water on my hands and when I went to shut off the hose bib I was shocked again.
I went to a hardware store and picked up a Klein meter. I walked around the house, checking outlets to ensure that there was not anything wrong. But almost every outlet I tested either displayed that the hot and neutral or reversed or neutral and ground were reversed.
I have not been to my house in two years, and since I’ve been gone, there has been a hurricane.
Next, I plugged the tester into the circuit that my water pump plugs into. I was having trouble reading the display, so I unplugged the other cord that plugs into the same outlet. When I tested, it said the wiring in the outlet was correct. I then went around to the other outlets and they all said they were correct. I rebooted the tester just to make sure and all the outlets were reading fine.
What is plugged into the water pump outlet? A Trip Lite UPS battery backup device.
To make absolutely sure what I was seeing is accurate, and then plugged the battery back up into the outlet and watched my test meter indicate that the hot and neutral were reversed again. I then plugged the tester into multiple outlets in the house and verified that anytime the trip light device is plugged in. I get the error on the meter.
Needless to say, I am leaving the UPS unplugged . I also will not shower or run a load of laundry until I figure this out.
I was able to wash my hands in the sink and didn’t get electrocuted. I was also working in the tank on the back of the toilets and wasn’t getting electrocuted.
So what do we think? Before I go back on the roof and try touching metal things to see if I get shocked, is there anything I should do with my test meter? It has two leads, but they’re not super long.
The pump does have a ground wire and it is connected.
The pump may be bad, although it is working great.
Would reversing line voltage and neutral and an electric water pump cause electrocution?
The circuit is 120 V 60 Hz just like USA but I am in Mexico at one of our homes down here.
I replaced it yesterday, and re-did all the PVC plumbing. I let the plumbing glue dry for 18 hours.
This morning I plugged in the pump and it would not start up. There is a sensor that floats in the water tank and it shuts off the pump if the water tank gets empty. It’s a simple on/off.
Suspecting that device might be a problem, I bypassed it and hooked up the water pump directly. The pump ran. I was bleeding off the air pressure in the system using a brass valve, which is screwed into the PVC. I was wearing sandals, but my feet and hands were wet at the time. I got shocked from touching the handle.
I waited for the pump to stop pumping. I touched the brass valve once again, and did not get shocked.
I thought that was strange.
Next, I installed a new switch inside of the tank. I wired it in line according to the directions. I tested the switch by opening the valve, which did not shock me, and as the water was flowing out of the valve, I pulled up on the safety switch in the tank and the pump shut off as designed.
Next, I ran a hose from a hose bib into my water tank. I then opened the brass valve and simply drop the hose into the tank. The pump kicked on. The hose shot out of the water tank faster than I could grab it. I then went to turn off the hose bib and once again I had water on my arm and water on my hands and when I went to shut off the hose bib I was shocked again.
I went to a hardware store and picked up a Klein meter. I walked around the house, checking outlets to ensure that there was not anything wrong. But almost every outlet I tested either displayed that the hot and neutral or reversed or neutral and ground were reversed.
I have not been to my house in two years, and since I’ve been gone, there has been a hurricane.
Next, I plugged the tester into the circuit that my water pump plugs into. I was having trouble reading the display, so I unplugged the other cord that plugs into the same outlet. When I tested, it said the wiring in the outlet was correct. I then went around to the other outlets and they all said they were correct. I rebooted the tester just to make sure and all the outlets were reading fine.
What is plugged into the water pump outlet? A Trip Lite UPS battery backup device.
To make absolutely sure what I was seeing is accurate, and then plugged the battery back up into the outlet and watched my test meter indicate that the hot and neutral were reversed again. I then plugged the tester into multiple outlets in the house and verified that anytime the trip light device is plugged in. I get the error on the meter.
Needless to say, I am leaving the UPS unplugged . I also will not shower or run a load of laundry until I figure this out.
I was able to wash my hands in the sink and didn’t get electrocuted. I was also working in the tank on the back of the toilets and wasn’t getting electrocuted.
So what do we think? Before I go back on the roof and try touching metal things to see if I get shocked, is there anything I should do with my test meter? It has two leads, but they’re not super long.
The pump does have a ground wire and it is connected.
The pump may be bad, although it is working great.
Would reversing line voltage and neutral and an electric water pump cause electrocution?
The circuit is 120 V 60 Hz just like USA but I am in Mexico at one of our homes down here.
