zannej
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Is it called a Piggyback junction?
This is connected to my post about my cistern/well/pumps posts.
I have pump running on 230v & 6.1A (can go to 12A if wired at 115). Right now it has a crappy float switch that I want to replace, but the switch acts as a junction to go to the 2nd pump. (Eliminating pumps or changing much with that setup is not happening since we have no idea how). We currently have a D-box float switch & the lever keeps getting stuck down because the rod turns to the side and jams. I plan to replace it with a weighted float hooked through a contactor. The cable is 10/3 (well, one is 8/3 but we plan to replace it with 10/3 since the 8 was a substitute for some wire that burned up).
Right now the cable that supplies power comes out of the ground, goes to junction box where a cable comes out to the switch. From the switch it goes to the air compressor pump (that draws water up in to the cistern). From the switch it goes out to the jet pump (that pumps water from the cistern to the rest of the house).
I don't like relying on wire nuts because they can be a pain. I'm trying to come up with a solution to connect the wires so that one set can go to the contactor and another can go to the jet pump). I've seen some little 3-way boxes but they are mostly max 10mm with some up to 15mm and 10/3 can be close to 17mm. I believe individual 10awg is around 6mm so it might even go to 18mm.
I have a waterproof junction box that I can use and I can probably use electrical tape as extra insulation inside the box to make sure nothing touches.
So, first I'm looking at Teansic 150PCS Semi-Insulated Piggy Back Spade Quick Splice Crimp Male Female Terminals Connectors Assortment Kit for A.W.G 12-10 16-14 22-16 Wire which would leave some metal partially exposed (hence tape). they hook in to each other but take up quite a bit of space.
There is also 120 PCS Wirefy T Tap Electrical Connectors – Quick Wire Splice Taps and Insulated Male Quick Disconnect Terminals which comes with little spades that slide in to make connections so there is nothing exposed.
The latter would require a longer continuous wire but might take up less space if I do the layout properly. I could have a 3-way junction box and run the incoming cable in through the bottom, run one part out to the compressor pump, and the other out to the jet pump.
I imagine it would look something like this (maybe with the orange outside not peeled back so much)
I am also trying to find the right contactor. I need something that can do at least 230v and 13A (I've seen plenty with 20A and up). That's AC power. (I'm guessing VAC stands for Voltage Alternating Current). I kind of want a rail mount one so I can put it inside a weatherproof box that can be set near the junction box.
Since the switch is wet to NC, I believe I need NO contactor. Something like this maybe? AC Contactor, 2P 20A 2NO 24V 220V/230V 50/60Hz Household AC Contactor DIN Rail Mount, No Noise and Electric Spark, Insulation Material, Operation Security
Note: The red wire may be white in reality but white wouldn't show up well for the image). So black would be Live, White would be neutral, and Green is ground. Green would skip connecting to the contactor and would go straight to the pump.
What do you guys think?
I could also use assistance making sure that the contactor is wired properly. I will have a certified electrician hooking things up, but he mostly works on cars, computers, and arcade games (although he's done the wiring in his house-- which was inspected by a licensed electrician and approved).
This is connected to my post about my cistern/well/pumps posts.
I have pump running on 230v & 6.1A (can go to 12A if wired at 115). Right now it has a crappy float switch that I want to replace, but the switch acts as a junction to go to the 2nd pump. (Eliminating pumps or changing much with that setup is not happening since we have no idea how). We currently have a D-box float switch & the lever keeps getting stuck down because the rod turns to the side and jams. I plan to replace it with a weighted float hooked through a contactor. The cable is 10/3 (well, one is 8/3 but we plan to replace it with 10/3 since the 8 was a substitute for some wire that burned up).
Right now the cable that supplies power comes out of the ground, goes to junction box where a cable comes out to the switch. From the switch it goes to the air compressor pump (that draws water up in to the cistern). From the switch it goes out to the jet pump (that pumps water from the cistern to the rest of the house).
I don't like relying on wire nuts because they can be a pain. I'm trying to come up with a solution to connect the wires so that one set can go to the contactor and another can go to the jet pump). I've seen some little 3-way boxes but they are mostly max 10mm with some up to 15mm and 10/3 can be close to 17mm. I believe individual 10awg is around 6mm so it might even go to 18mm.
I have a waterproof junction box that I can use and I can probably use electrical tape as extra insulation inside the box to make sure nothing touches.
So, first I'm looking at Teansic 150PCS Semi-Insulated Piggy Back Spade Quick Splice Crimp Male Female Terminals Connectors Assortment Kit for A.W.G 12-10 16-14 22-16 Wire which would leave some metal partially exposed (hence tape). they hook in to each other but take up quite a bit of space.
There is also 120 PCS Wirefy T Tap Electrical Connectors – Quick Wire Splice Taps and Insulated Male Quick Disconnect Terminals which comes with little spades that slide in to make connections so there is nothing exposed.
The latter would require a longer continuous wire but might take up less space if I do the layout properly. I could have a 3-way junction box and run the incoming cable in through the bottom, run one part out to the compressor pump, and the other out to the jet pump.
I imagine it would look something like this (maybe with the orange outside not peeled back so much)
I am also trying to find the right contactor. I need something that can do at least 230v and 13A (I've seen plenty with 20A and up). That's AC power. (I'm guessing VAC stands for Voltage Alternating Current). I kind of want a rail mount one so I can put it inside a weatherproof box that can be set near the junction box.
Since the switch is wet to NC, I believe I need NO contactor. Something like this maybe? AC Contactor, 2P 20A 2NO 24V 220V/230V 50/60Hz Household AC Contactor DIN Rail Mount, No Noise and Electric Spark, Insulation Material, Operation Security
Note: The red wire may be white in reality but white wouldn't show up well for the image). So black would be Live, White would be neutral, and Green is ground. Green would skip connecting to the contactor and would go straight to the pump.
What do you guys think?
I could also use assistance making sure that the contactor is wired properly. I will have a certified electrician hooking things up, but he mostly works on cars, computers, and arcade games (although he's done the wiring in his house-- which was inspected by a licensed electrician and approved).
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