Howdy -
I just finished overhauling the wiring to an in-tank septic pump.
I had to remove a buried extension cord pigtailed to proper underground-rated romex, the underground romex is now mated with my new underground rated pigtail; I used a kit that connected them with a screw-secured metal "junction block", and that was covered by a heat-shrink tube rated for direct burial.
At the terminal of the feed to the pump, I wired the hot feed through a 2-wire float switch that operates the pump, and connected my hot neutral and ground wires to the romex, then I put those wire-nutted connections inside a watertight box, and siliconed the holes to prevent water from intruding. Prior to hooking all that up, I tested the float switch and the pump, both individually and then in tandem, and they worked fine as expected when I powered them by an extension cord wired temporarily into their combined circuit.
I had the local electric company drop the line to the house and remove the face of the meter, so I could wire my new circuit panel feeding the pump circuit. I connected my black hot feed to the left bottom leg, the neutral feed to the right bottom leg, and the ground to the center ground leg. All these connections run under a 1/2" bolt-secured metal clamp in the main meter box, the same lugs that the main house feed wires attach to. When I looked at the existing wiring running to the same lugs I connected to, they had a black wire on the left lug, and a red wire to the right lug, and the (what I thought was) ground wire connected to the center ground lug - these wires exit through the right side of the meter box and feed power to the remote shed.
I have 124V between the hot and ground, and 124V between the neutral and ground, but I have 0 Volts between my hot and neutral connections, all readings taken from inside my new circuit panel. FYI - my new panel feed wires should be Black to hot, Blue to neutral, and Red to ground, coming in from the top of the new box, fed through the bottom of the main meter box. The buried romex is powered by Black to hot, White to neutral, bare wire to ground, all connected inside the new circuit box.
The pump did nothing when power was activated by closing the new breaker. Everything in the house and shed works the same as before.
Did I botch the wiring connecting my new circuit panel to the main meter box? Or (hopefully - easier/less hassle and wait to fix), did I botch my connections out at the pump well? I am guessing perhaps I have my neutral and ground connections incorrectly attached to the main feed. I have searched online for a proper description of how to make those 3 connections inside the main meter box, but I could not find a diagram.
THANK YOU for your advice and input!!
-Mark
I just finished overhauling the wiring to an in-tank septic pump.
I had to remove a buried extension cord pigtailed to proper underground-rated romex, the underground romex is now mated with my new underground rated pigtail; I used a kit that connected them with a screw-secured metal "junction block", and that was covered by a heat-shrink tube rated for direct burial.
At the terminal of the feed to the pump, I wired the hot feed through a 2-wire float switch that operates the pump, and connected my hot neutral and ground wires to the romex, then I put those wire-nutted connections inside a watertight box, and siliconed the holes to prevent water from intruding. Prior to hooking all that up, I tested the float switch and the pump, both individually and then in tandem, and they worked fine as expected when I powered them by an extension cord wired temporarily into their combined circuit.
I had the local electric company drop the line to the house and remove the face of the meter, so I could wire my new circuit panel feeding the pump circuit. I connected my black hot feed to the left bottom leg, the neutral feed to the right bottom leg, and the ground to the center ground leg. All these connections run under a 1/2" bolt-secured metal clamp in the main meter box, the same lugs that the main house feed wires attach to. When I looked at the existing wiring running to the same lugs I connected to, they had a black wire on the left lug, and a red wire to the right lug, and the (what I thought was) ground wire connected to the center ground lug - these wires exit through the right side of the meter box and feed power to the remote shed.
I have 124V between the hot and ground, and 124V between the neutral and ground, but I have 0 Volts between my hot and neutral connections, all readings taken from inside my new circuit panel. FYI - my new panel feed wires should be Black to hot, Blue to neutral, and Red to ground, coming in from the top of the new box, fed through the bottom of the main meter box. The buried romex is powered by Black to hot, White to neutral, bare wire to ground, all connected inside the new circuit box.
The pump did nothing when power was activated by closing the new breaker. Everything in the house and shed works the same as before.
Did I botch the wiring connecting my new circuit panel to the main meter box? Or (hopefully - easier/less hassle and wait to fix), did I botch my connections out at the pump well? I am guessing perhaps I have my neutral and ground connections incorrectly attached to the main feed. I have searched online for a proper description of how to make those 3 connections inside the main meter box, but I could not find a diagram.
THANK YOU for your advice and input!!
-Mark
