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-   -   2 Properties Connecting to Shared Artesian Well Pump (http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/2-properties-connecting-shared-artesian-well-pump-85325/)

Invisible-Man 10-30-2010 06:00 PM
2 Properties Connecting to Shared Artesian Well Pump
 
Hi,

My and my neighbors property both share an Artesian well and can swop who's power connects to the well via a changeover switch at the well head (also has a central off position).....this is very useful as both are second homes and if one winterizes it allows the other to draw from the well if needed, we both have our own pressure switch and tank etc.

The pump is 240v and has just 2 hot wires and no ground.......my question is that the top of the well head is metal on plastic casing which I wanted to ground (if recommended to do so).

My options as I see it are:

1/ connect to just one of the properties ground wire permently to the well head
2/ connect to both properties ground wires permently to the well head (was not sure if 2 properties could have their ground wires linked together
3/ connect the ground wires into a third set of poles of the changeover switch (as there is one set spare) making ground to the well head with what property is powering the well at that time........only trouble with this option is that when the changeover switch is in the off position, the well head will not be connected to ground which could be 70% of the time

Hope I have made some sort of sense!

Thanks

AllanJ 10-30-2010 11:00 PM
Drive a ground rod at the pump location to ground the pump to. A ground rod is normally required at a detached building and treating the remote pump location as a detached building won't hurt.

Then using the changeover switch, when the ground for the respective house is connected to the pump location ground, the pump location as a detached building is properly connected to the house. (Hot, hot, ground for a 240 only volt circuit).

I am also unsure whether both houses' grounds (via the respective power cables) can be permanently and simultaneously connected to the pump and its ground rod.

Invisible-Man 10-31-2010 05:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllanJ (Post 525868)
Drive a ground rod at the pump location to ground the pump to. A ground rod is normally required at a detached building and treating the remote pump location as a detached building won't hurt.

Then using the changeover switch, when the ground for the respective house is connected to the pump location ground, the pump location as a detached building is properly connected to the house. (Hot, hot, ground for a 240 only volt circuit).

I am also unsure whether both houses' grounds (via the respective power cables) can be permanently and simultaneously connected to the pump and its ground rod.
Hi AlanJ,

The actual pump has no ground wire, only the 2 hots, I just wanted to ground the top of the well casing but was not too sure even if this is nessesary, I know wells are prone to lightning strikes so don't know if grounding would help or be a bad thing if this were to happen!

AllanJ 11-01-2010 08:24 AM
Oh, the well casing.

A bare metal exterior well casing, assuming it goes down at least 8 feet, is a "grounding electrode" so you don't need to drive a rod.

In other words you can ground other things to such a well casing, as opposed to ground the well casing to something else.

I am reasonably sure it is okay to interconnect two homes' grounds at the well (with a ground electrode down there) considering that all the homes connected to the pole transformer have their grounds connected togehter up there.

rjniles 11-01-2010 09:02 AM
I the first post the OP says the well casing is plastic. The only metal is the cap on top of the casing. Since apparently there is no ground wire from the house out to the well, he would have to dig it up unless the existing 2 hot leads are in conduit. I do not see the value of grounding the metal cap on top of a plastic well casing.

Invisible-Man 11-01-2010 09:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjniles (Post 526554)
I the first post the OP says the well casing is plastic. The only metal is the cap on top of the casing. Since apparently there is no ground wire from the house out to the well, he would have to dig it up unless the existing 2 hot leads are in conduit. I do not see the value of grounding the metal cap on top of a plastic well casing.
Yes you are right that the well casing is plastic.........but just to correct you on the grounding........both properties already carry the ground wire within the wiring to the well head

rjniles 11-01-2010 10:17 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Invisible-Man (Post 526575)
Yes you are right that the well casing is plastic.........but just to correct you on the grounding........both properties already carry the ground wire within the wiring to the well head
A picture of the well cap and switch arrangement would be helpful. I would not do anything with the neighbors ground wire without his consent.

J. V. 11-01-2010 10:59 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Invisible-Man (Post 526575)
Yes you are right that the well casing is plastic.........but just to correct you on the grounding........both properties already carry the ground wire within the wiring to the well head
So you have three wires not two? That's a big part you left out.
You need no other grounding if you have a ground (EGC) in a cable or conduit that originates from the panel that feeds the well.
Ground rods are for lightning protection only and do not provide a system ground, when driven independently of the system. It would be a waste of money and time to drive a rod. If you have three wires and its a 230 volt circuit you need nothing more.

Invisible-Man 11-01-2010 11:46 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. V. (Post 526592)
So you have three wires not two? That's a big part you left out.
You need no other grounding if you have a ground (EGC) in a cable or conduit that originates from the panel that feeds the well.
Ground rods are for lightning protection only and do not provide a system ground, when driven independently of the system. It would be a waste of money and time to drive a rod. If you have three wires and its a 230 volt circuit you need nothing more.
Hmmm, The wires are carrying the ground yes but are not connected at the well head!


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