Electrical Question on Sump Pump

[poor-roger]

Didn't get any help with the aerobic sewer pump, but I got it out. Maybe this isn't a very active list.

The pump wasn't the problem. It was the wiring.

I'm not an electrician, but I wonder about this: The pump will run "dry" with the two main wires. However, if I connect the ground, it trips the breaker.

Would the ground be required if the pump were submerged.....any more than
if it weren't?

Or, maybe the pump has a short somewhere that the water is getting to and shorting it out??

If anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate any advice.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna check out an electrical forum.

Regards,

Jim

[suemarkp]

Typically, a ground wire connects the metal housing of a pump or motor to the electrical return path. If it trips a breaker with the ground wire connected, then the winding has shorted to the case. Water is not required to make it trip the breaker, but would make it easier to trip if the winding was just beginning to fail.

This pump must be replaced. Without the grounding wire, you're electrifying your entire tank and the water coming out of it. Do you have worms coming up to the surface of your yard? Don't touch the tank or water, as you could be shocked if the breaker doesn't trip.