Can a 220v water pump run on 110v?

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Author Message

paulz

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 20:23

My neighbor gave me a working Gould submersible well pump. I'd like to use it to fill my 750 gallon tank, which last me all year. But it's 220v and all I have is a 4000 watt 110 generator. Can it be rewired to 110? Genny converted to 220?
Model number is 18E07412

hamish

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 20:46

Quick answer no on converting either.

old243

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 22:19

Probably , if it is a once a year use. rent a generator for a day or borrow a buddies. old243

paulz

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 22:24

Yeah I'm thinking it's time I got a 220v generator for my arc welder anyway.

Thanks.

bldginsp

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 23:14

A free well pump sounds great- and Goulds are better quality, but be sure it is matched to your well. If it is designed to pump slowly under greater pressure at depth, and you have a shallow well, you'll burn up the motor. Or vice versa, a pump designed for a shallow well in a deep one would be strained. Maybe you've researched this already.

Also, the cost of installing a well pump can easily exceed the cost of the pump, so using a used pump which may have limited life is a questionable enterprise. If you instal yourself in a shallow well that's one thing. My pump is 360 feet down a 400 foot well and I hired pros to set it for me.

Most well pumps are designed to run optimally at 230 volts. This is probably because they are expecting most sources will be 240 (standard), and that there will be some voltage drop due to wire length. Make sure you have the right wire size for the pump hp and length of wire.

Even though my 1 hp pump pulls I think around 1000 watts, the motor manufacturer suggested that I use at least a 5,000 watt generator. This is because a pump is a continuous load and little generators don't like sustained loads anywhere near their capacity. But it's also for the pump motor- so the generator has the extra wattage needed at start up. My 5000 watt genny does fine pumping at 7 gallons a minute at a height of 350 feet, but you can tell it's working. But a welding generator is probably plenty strong for an average residential well pump.

bldginsp

Member
Reply  # Posted: 19 Apr 2017 23:35

Here's a page on a similar Goulds model

http://www.aquascience.net/goulds-gs-stainless-steel-series-4-3-wire-with-control-box -18gpm-3-4hp-230v-submersible-pump

By the number your pump is an 18 gallon per minute pump with a .75 hp motor. Apparently Goulds motors cannot be rewired for 120v, but they do make a .5 hp pump that is made to run at 115.

How deep is your well water? 18 gallons a minute is fast, and .75 hp is on the low side, meaning this pump is for shallow wells, in the 60-100 feet of head range.

paulz

Member
Reply  # Posted: 25 Apr 2017 12:44

Thanks BI. Yep those are the specs I cam up with. My well is 50ft. So I have the pump here and my friend is loaning me a 220v generator to try it. I thought I was going to be able to just wire it up like a normal 220v appliance to test but apparently a control box is necessary for the start and run circuits. This pump has one red wire, on yellow and one unmarked.

bldginsp

Member
Reply  # Posted: 25 Apr 2017 22:15

Yeah, 3 wire pump. The boxes are about 100 bucks. You're going to get a lot of water in a hurry with that pump at 50 ft! Probably 20-25 gallons per minute. Could run the well dry if it doesn't produce that fast. Do you know the rate at which the well produces?