How to monitor well pump power usage

 

I have a well pump and had the check valve near the pressure tank fail.
This caused the pump to run excessively.  However I don't hear the system
and it ran this way for weeks before I found out and replaced the valve.

Does any1 know of a means to monitor pump run time and power draw?  This
would be helpful in corrective and preventive maintenance not to mention the
money wasted on the 220 draw of a underperforming well pump

Thanks in Advance.

Mr. Pibb

 



How about a light that goes on whenever the pump is running?

 

wrote:


Use a cheap analog clock on one side of the line when the pump is
running.  Start it at 20 Oclock high and you have a cheap running time
meter up to 12 hours.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
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You could put in a small transformer or 220V power supply driving a
light in a place you could see it, and then maybe add an hour meter.  

For current draw, use a current transformer and remote ammeter, but I
suspect your current won't change that much (mine doesn't) from full
load (well nearly empty, pressure tank near full) to minimum load
(well full, pressure tank at minimum).

 

Depends how complicated you want to get and what kind of data output you
desire, or perhaps you want a simple indication.

To sense when it is ON, you can use a current sensor alarm.  Do a google
search.  Here are a few examples:

http://www.mod-tronic.com/Love_AC_Current_Indicator.html
http://www.automatictiming.com/pages_div/currentmonitorsection/currentmonitors.html

If you would like to LOG the data over time to see how often the pump comes
on, and when, try an inexpensive data logger from ONSET:
http://www.onsetcomp.com/

I actually did something similar with my septic tank pump.  Used a FLUKE
datalogger (I have access to lab grade equipment) to monitor the voltage
drop in the NEUTRAL wire that is connected to the pump.  When the pump is
running there will be a small voltage drop between the neutral wire (about
1V) and ground which was read by the datalogger's AC Volts input.  This
voltage method saved me having to install a current transducer.

Hope this helps.