Intermatic Pool Timer Wiring

[sjeffers01]

I looked at the wires coming from the pump and they are thinner than the wires that I used to supply power. I have a GFCI outlet and added a 15A 125V three pronged plug to supply power to the Intermatic Pool timer and pump. If you look at the first or second page of this post you can see a picture of the wiring for the Intermatic. The wires from the pump are blue, blue, and white. The blue wire has 12 AWG and the wires that supply the power to the timer are for 15 amps 125V and are thicker. Would the smaller wire coming from the pool pump cause the overheating problem?

[mas985]

Possibly if the voltage drop was significant. But if the wire size is at least 14 gauge, that is sufficient for that pump.

http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/WhisperFlo%20OM.pdf

[sjeffers01]

So if I understand how wire size works, the 12 AWG is okay because it is bigger than 14 AWG? The distance from pump to timer is about 6 ft. I haven't had a chance to test the terminals with a multi-meter but I don't think there is a problem with the voltage. I will visibly check the wiring on the pump to see if it is wired correctly. My handyman isn't available to help me, so I will have to do it myself.

[Pappy]

Thanks for the info.

@Mark, your signature says you have a .5hp 2 speed pump. What make/model is it? Or did you put it together from individual components?

[mas985]

I put it together with a 1/2 HP Northstar wet end and a 2 speed motor.

[sjeffers01]

Sorry about delayed response. I was out of town. I checked the pump and it is wired for 120V. The pump still works. It takes about 1/2 HR. before it gets hot enough to shut off when it runs during the early morning hours. I will have an electrician look instead of a pool guy but I really don't think the wiring is the problem. I took a picture of the pump wiring.

[sjeffers01]

I forgot to correct the 120V to 115V. I found the manufacturer date for the pump. It is 06/18/2005. I wish I found out sooner. This pump's 9th birthday is getting close and the overheating problem is likely due to its age. I might as well use it until it quits. The suction and expulsion are really strong and it keeps my pool pretty clean. I am having a Home Performance review next week and that could include a recommendation on replacing my pool pump. I would get a rebate or low interest financing through SMUD. I will close this thread since we now know the Intermatic Timer was working correctly and the pump is old and needs to be replaced with an energy efficient dual speed pump. To those of you who responded, thank you for taking the time to help me out. I have learned a lot and am now too scared to mess with the electrical stuff. You probably saved my life.

[PoolDoc]

Would the smaller wire coming from the pool pump cause the overheating problem?

If those wires were large enough to operate the pump successfully in the past, they are probably still large enough now. If you want more specific info, you need to check actual wire gauge.

[sjeffers01]

I guess I was hoping for a simple solution to fix the over heating problem. I am going to run the pump until the new one arrives. I set the tripper pins on the timer to run early morning for 2 hours, late afternoon 1/2 hour, and for 2 hours at midnight. I go swimming in the late afternoon so I can shut the pump off if it gets too hot. The other tripper pins are set to run during the coolest periods. I hope the new pump runs as quiet as the Whisperflo. I may have a licensed pool technician check the wiring and the rest of the system. I have to review my options and decide the best way to go. Thank you for your assistance. If any forum subscribers have had the same problem of overheating that was not due to issues with the main breaker or GFCI, it would be interesting to see what was done to identify and fix the problem.

[mas985]

Have you inspected the impeller and diffuser? Any obstruction would cause the motor to overheat and trip the thermal sensor. Also, I don't think you ever answered my other question about pump noise. Is is screeching or whining?