WorldWide Drilling Resource

32 SEPTEMBER 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Green Bay Farm Part 2 by Bill Corey Pentair Water Training Institute When we got to the farm, the electri- cian showed me where the drive was, in the electrical room; and where it had been, in the middle of a hall leading to the elec- trical room. By law, the farmer was required to wash the hall down. Of course, the drive had a NEMA 1 enclo- sure which can’t get wet without blowing up. That is why it was moved to the electrical room. While in the hall, it was very close to the pump and transducer which ran it. When he told me the story of it being moved, I looked at the transducer and noticed it was one of the ones we sell, a Turck transducer. Then, when I went to the electrical room and saw the drive, I noticed the transducer had four wires, and I knew the Turck only had two. So I told the electrician there was a splice in the wire. He looked and found two. We don’t know why and he couldn’t explain it. He also told me of how the wire from the pump going to the drive had some wicking taking place. Just a slow steady drip, nothing much, but still a drip. So when they moved the drive to the electrical room, they had to splice the motor wires too. To do this, they pulled the wrap from over the wire back, spliced it, then pulled the wrap back over the splice. They had to purchase 100 feet of wire for the transducer, so they coiled the extra up in the ceiling of the hall so they didn’t have to cut it just in case in the future they had to move it again. I hope you all know what happens when you coil an electric wire? So back in the electrical room, the first thing I checked when I got to the drive is what we call the Sleep PID, the speed the sleep is set for. I found it set for 1800 rpm. I want you to understand, 1800 rpm is the minimum speed for a four-inch or six- inch submersible motor. So I asked the electrician if he could turn off the water to the farm. Remember, this was just washdown water. He said yes and I reminded him to close the valve very slowly so as not to create water hammer. As he did this, I noted the shutoff head rpm; it was about 2450. Then I told him to turn the water back on. When he got back by me, he asked what I found out. Before I told him, I asked how many hours a day the farm did not use this water. His answer was about four hours a day; two in the morning and two in the afternoon. I then asked how long the pump had been installed and working, to which he answered it had been 14 months. So I said, “What you’re telling me is, this pump has been running for 14 months and has never stopped. This means the motor is dead and just doesn’t know it yet. You’ve caused the insulation to melt to the point the drive knows the amps to start this motor, will burn it up. So this is why it tripped on overload five times and stopped trying. But when you apply pressure which gets it turning, there is still enough insulation to allow it to run.” Now comes the hard part: this is not a warranty. Of course, the electrician said it was our engineer who told him to put it at that speed. Can’t argue with a customer, but I highly doubted that was the case, so I referred him to the salesman. I also told him to run the pump until it died and not turn it off unless he had to, for the test. I told him, one day the drive would not be able to start the motor, or the motor would just get too hot running and burn up. He said okay and I drove home. I sent a letter to the salesman explaining what I found and that I told the electrician no warranty. Can you guess what happened a few months later? See Part 3 next month. Bill Bill Corey may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com