SQFlex Wiring Issue?

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Thompra
Thompra Registered Users Posts: 1
in Solar Water Pumping #1
I just had my first well drilled, and I selected a Solar capable pump as suggested by the driller, specifically a 6 SQF-3. When they deployed the pump, out of the well cap there are three wires...Red, Black, and Green...no white.

Since my solar is not yet up and running, I have to use my gen set to power the pump. I can run the pump on 110 AC if I attach the pump wiring black to black and Red (pump) to white (gen set). If I attach the ground it trip the breaker on the gen set. It looks like to me the pump wires are not deployed correctly by color? Shouldn't there be a ground?

The SQFlex is also supposed to support 220. but there is no white wire exposed as they cut it off in the wire bundle coming out of the well head. I would expect to see red, black, white, and green for to support a 220 connection?

Any pump electricians out there? Others?

Any wisdom you can pass would be great.
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  • KeithWHare
    KeithWHare Solar Expert Posts: 140 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: SQFlex Wiring Issue?
    Thompra wrote: »
    I just had my first well drilled, and I selected a Solar capable pump as suggested by the driller, specifically a 6 SQF-3. When they deployed the pump, out of the well cap there are three wires...Red, Black, and Green...no white.

    Since my solar is not yet up and running, I have to use my gen set to power the pump. I can run the pump on 110 AC if I attach the pump wiring black to black and Red (pump) to white (gen set). If I attach the ground it trip the breaker on the gen set. It looks like to me the pump wires are not deployed correctly by color? Shouldn't there be a ground?

    The SQFlex is also supposed to support 220. but there is no white wire exposed as they cut it off in the wire bundle coming out of the well head. I would expect to see red, black, white, and green for to support a 220 connection?

    Any pump electricians out there? Others?

    Any wisdom you can pass would be great.

    I suggest starting by downloading the Grundfos SQFlex manual and looking at the wiring instructions.

    If the pump is hooked up correctly, the green should be attached to the Green/Yellow on the pump, which is ground. The Red and Black are the other two wires. Because of the electronics in this pump, it works with whatever power you give it, and other than the green, it doesn't matter how you hook it up.

    Do you have the CU200 control unit? This is helpful because it tells you what the pump is doing.

    You say that if you attach the ground, it trips the breaker on your generator. What kind of breaker?

    Keith
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  • cruiser guy
    cruiser guy Solar Expert Posts: 87 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: SQFlex Wiring Issue?

    The Grundfos SQFlex can run AC or DC. DC anywhere from 30 - 300v and AC anywhere from 90 - 240V. It doesn't matter what you send down the two wires, so long as it fits those specifications the pump runs! It's more efficient at the higher voltages though. It's a pretty amazing pump really.

    We have one here at the compound in Sierra Leone and as the previous poster alluded to, the CU200 controller is a handy item to have. It's not essential but it helps. It tells you when the pump is running, how much current it is drawing and it will tell you if the tank is full, it'll even tell you if the well is dry (at least until or if the low water sensor gives out as ours did). It also has various trouble codes for troubleshooting if the need arises. We also have the IO-101 switch box so we have seamless switching between generator/AC and solar power. We run a bank of 12 - 90 watt solar panels all in series which put out something in excess of 250vDC and keeps us well supplied with water.

    If your well has a steel casing I'd personally just tie the ground to the well casing and then run your two power wires to whatever your power source will be. Forget the gen-set ground because a steel well casing is a much better bonded ground than a portable generator ground ever will be. Local codes may over rule that though so check those out first.

    If you end up running this direct off solar panels with a CU-200 AND a charge controller from the same bank of solar panels I'm interested in how you'll do that. I'm hoping/planning to do something like that but it is dependent on how to make it all work. It is really designed to have it's own dedicated bank of solar panels as we currently have here.
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