Hello everyone. I have a questions concerning adding a booster pump to my well location. I currently have 10/2 UF running from a 30amp breaker in my main to a vertical, 1 hp pump. I'm now putting in an aerator so I need to add a 1/2hp or 3/4hp booster pump to rebuild pressure going in to the home. Would I need a subpanel so I will have two breakers for the pumps? I was just going to use a weather proof conduit box and tie the 10/2 from the main panel to one run of 12/2 inside of liquid tight flex for the vertical pump and one run of 12/2 (inside of liquid tight flex) for the booster pump. In essence, pigtail three hots together, pigtail the other leg of hots together and tie the three grounds together and tie them to ground. However, someone mentioned to me that it is required that I put in a subpanel- without a main breaker in the subpanel - and they recommended I have two 15 amp breaker for each of the pumps (both pumps are rated for less than 8amps each).
Subpanel needed?
- Thread starter Catldavis
- Start date
Help Support House Repair Talk:
I’m not a pro but I will give you my advice and a bump till the pros come along.
I take it both pumps will be turned on and off together from some pressure switch inside the house?
I would think you want each pump protected independently at the pump end of the run.
Maybe even fused if that would be simpler. A weather proof box with a disconnect switch and then breakers or fuses on the hot legs.
And most important welcome to the forum.
Thank you bud16415 for both the advice and welcome! Both pumps will not be turning on and off together. The vertical pump comes on to fill the aerator. Once the aerator is full, a float will cause pressure to build in that pressure tank so the pump will turn it off. On the other side of the aerator is also a pressure tank and pump. When that pressure tank gets low (from usage in the home), the booster pump comes on to refill that pressure tank. So you have a pump and pressure tank on the well casing side, the aerator, and a pump and pressure tank on the home side.
We built something similar for my sisters cottage as they had a spring that gave about 5PSI or less and the flow was really slow also. We let the spring fill a tank with a float to shut it off and then had a high pressure pump and tank to supply the cottage.
I think you want to break that supply line down to two feeds with a small panel with a disconnect and then fuse two legs one for each pump seeing as how they work independent.
Are both pumps 240v or 120v?
I think you want to break that supply line down to two feeds with a small panel with a disconnect and then fuse two legs one for each pump seeing as how they work independent.
Are both pumps 240v or 120v?
The need for a sub-panel depends on whether or not you have space in the main panel for the booster pump. Use the existing 10/2 circuit on a 15Amp 2-pole breaker for the vertical pump & run a new circuit using 14/2 on a 15Amp 2-pole breaker (both out of the main panel). Look for a "Tandem" 2-pole breaker if space is an issue in the panel.
Why would the booster need to be on a separate circuit? A 30amp breaker is plenty for two 240V pumps that are rated to pull a combined amperage of 13 amps. It would take a massive effort to pull a new circuit and is impractical.
Because a 30Amp breaker won't trip if something happens to one 13Amp pump, it will burn up the pump and circuit until the breaker trips.
Each pump must be protected at it's rated amperage instead of amperage combined with another pump.
You could say you were overrated for years with the single pump protected with the 30a breaker.
Tell us what the location is where the splitting of the 30a feed will happen. Is it in a dry pump house/building or is it an outside wet location?
For me and I could be wrong but I trust fuses over breakers when they are located in poor locations subject to the elements. That was the only reason I gave the fuse option above. That and it is easy to adjust the amperage if needed once up and running.
Tell us what the location is where the splitting of the 30a feed will happen. Is it in a dry pump house/building or is it an outside wet location?
For me and I could be wrong but I trust fuses over breakers when they are located in poor locations subject to the elements. That was the only reason I gave the fuse option above. That and it is easy to adjust the amperage if needed once up and running.
Sorry, I'm a little slow. Yes, your plan will work and as you were advised it will require a breaker box to provide separate protection as we've discussed. Notice I did not use the term "sub-panel" as this will open a different can of worms (grounding, bonding, neutral run, etc....).
Wanted to update this post, I checked with a local electrician and he agreed a subpanel and breakers are required to meet code. Therefore, I purchased a 4 space/8 circuit, 125 amp box and two, 15 amp double pole breakers. Used two whips from Lowes for wiring. I think it worked out pretty well. Thanks for all the help!
