BASIC ELECTRICAL THEORY & TROUBLESHOOTING

BASIC ELECTRICALTHEORY &TROUBLESHOOTING

SAFETY IS THEMOST IMPORTANTTHING.ELECTRICITY CANKILL YOU!

VOLTAGE ALWAYSFOLLOWS THE PATH OFLEAST RESISTANCE IT TAKES LESS THAN 1 AMPOF CURRENT TO STOPYOUR HEART

ALWAYS TURN OFFPOWER WHEN WORKINGINSIDE A CONTROLPANEL, OR ON ANYOTHER ELECTRICALDEVICE

TURN OFF THE SERVICE BREAKERFEEDING THE CONTROL PANEL ORELECTRICAL DEVICE, USUALLY LOCATEDOUTSIDE OF THE CONTROL PANEL. TURNING OFF THE BREAKERS IN THECONTROL PANEL ONLY KILLS POWERTO THE COMPONENTS DOWN STREAMOF THE BREAKER – THERE IS STILLPOWER TO THE TOP OF THE BREAKERSAND ANYTHING BEFORE IT IN THECIRCUIT.

OKAY – LET’S GETSTARTED!!!

WE CAN THINK OF ELECTRICITY INTERMS OF WATER BEING PUMPEDTHROUGH A SERIES OF PIPES VOLTAGE IS THE PRESSURE BEING PRODUCEDBY THE PUMP, THINK OF THIS AS H.P. CURRENT (AMPS) IS THE FLOW RATE, HOWFAST THE WATER FLOWS THROUGH THE PIPES.THINK OF THIS AS GAL/MIN OHMS IS THE RESISTANCE THAT ACTS ON THEWATER. THE MORE RESTRICTIONS THE HIGHERTHE RESISTANCE.

COMMON ELECTRICAL TERMS VOLTAGE (VOLTS) CURRENT (AMPS) RESISTANCE (OHMS) POWER (WATTS)

DIGITAL VOLT METER – ANINSTALLERS/ELECTRICIAN’S BEST FRIEND!VOLTS D/C (CARS,SOME CONTROLS,ETC)VOLTS A/C(HOME/CONTROLS/ALARMS)( )POSITIVE LEAD(RED) WHENREADING AMPSOHMS(RESISTANCE)AMPS(CURRENT)( )POSITIVELEAD (RED)(-)NEGATIVELEAD (BLACK)

SCHEMATICS 101IT’S NOT AS TOUGH AS YOU THINK

READING A SCHEMATIC READING A SCHEMATIC IS LIKEREADING A ROAD MAP FIND YOUR STARTING POINTAND DESTINATION, THENFOLLOW THE MAP. USE YOUR METER TO CHECKCIRCUITS ON THE WAY IT’S OKAY TO ASK FORDIRECTIONS IF YOU GET LOST

Schematic Symbols

TROUBLESHOOTING 101EVEN EASIER THAN READING ASCHEMATIC

TROUBLESHOOTING A FLOAT CHECKING RESISTANCE (OHMS) DOESN’TALWAYS TELL THE TALE. TO GET THE WHOLE STORY YOU MUSTCHECK VOLTAGE ACROSS THE FLOAT, THISIS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TOMECHANICAL FLOATS. IN A CONTROL PANEL THE PUMP ON/OFFFLOATS ARE POWERED BY THE CONTROLCIRCUIT. WHEN CHECKING VOLTAGE YOU MUST BESURE OF WHAT YOUR CONTROL VOLTAGESHOULD BE, I.E. 12VDC, 24VDC, 120VAC(THIS CAN BE FOUND ON THE CONTROLPANEL RATINGS LABEL).

Pump Switches

Pump Switches

QUESTIONS?

CONTROL/ALARMCIRCUITS101

THE CONTROL/ALARM CIRCUITSENDS POWER TO THE FLOATS. THE CONTROL/ALARM CIRCUITPOWERS THE MOTORCONTACTOR COIL, ALL THELIGHTS, AND THE BEACON &HORN. THE CONTROL/ALARM CIRCUIT ISSEPARATE ELECTRICALLY FROMTHE PUMP CIRCUIT.

RED LEAD GOES TO FIRST FLOATCONNECTION (NON-SWITCHED SIDE)BLACK LEAD GOES TO NEUTRAL AND STAYSTHEREMEASURE VOLTAGE, IF IT IS PRESENTMOVE THE RED LEAD DOWN TO THE NEXTTERMINAL FOR THAT SAME FLOAT. LIFTTHE FLOAT AND SEE IF THE SAME VOLTAGEIS PRESENT.120VACCHECKING FLOATS

SECURE BOTTOM FLOAT IN THE UP(CLOSED POSITION)LEAVE THE BLACK LEAD ON NEUTRALRED LEAD GOES TO NON-SWITCHEDSIDE OF SECOND FLOAT, CHECK VOLTAGEIF VOLTAGE IS PRESENT RAISE SECONDFLOAT AND HOLD IT, MOVE RED LEADTO THE NEXT TERMINAL OF THAT FLOAT(SWITCHED SIDE)CHECKING FLOATS (CONT.)

CHECKING CONTROL/ALARMVOLTAGE IN A CONTROL PANEL PUT METER TO VOLTS A/C CONNECT BLACK LEAD TO “COM”TERMINAL & RED LEAD TO “V”TERMINAL PUT RED LEAD TO INCOMINGPOWER TERMINAL (L1) PUT BLACK LEAD TO NEUTRALTERMINAL (N). SHOULD BE 120VAC120 VAC

LOCATE THE MOTOR CONTACTOR AND IDENTIFYTHE COIL CONNECTIONS (USUALLY LABELED A1AND A2). SET METER TO VOLTS A/CRED LEAD GOES TO ONE COIL CONNECTION.BLACK LEAD GOES TO THE OTHER COILCONNECTIONPUT HOA SWITCH TO HAND AND WATCH TO SEEIF YOU HAVE VOLTAGE. IF YOU DO BUT THECONTACTOR DOES NOT PULL IN THECONTACTOR IS BAD, IF YOU DON’T HAVEVOLTAGE CHECK CONNECTIONS AND FUSES.120VACTROUBLESHOOTING A MOTOR CONTACTORCOIL

IN THIS EXAMPLE THE PUMPWILL NOT RUN IN HAND ORAUTO, CONTACTOR DOES NOTPULL IN. PUMP DOES RUNWHEN CONTACTOR IS PUSHEDIN MANUALLY.STEP 1STEP 2STEP 1: PLACE HOA SWITCH TO “OFF”,CHECK INCOMING VOLTAGE FORCONTROL ALARM CIRCUITSTEP 2: CHECK FUSES AND CIRCUITBREAKERSSTEP 3: PLACE HOA SWITCH TO“HAND”STEP 4: CHECK VOLTAGE AT MOTORCONTACTOR COILSTEP 4STEP 3

QUESTIONS?

PUMP CIRCUITS101

CHECKING INCOMING PUMP VOLTAGE PUT METER TO VOLTS A/C CONNECT BLACK LEAD TO “COM” ANDRED LEAD TO “V” ON YOUR METER PUT RED LEAD TO L1 TERMINAL INCONTROL PANEL PUT BLACK LEAD TO “L2” TERMINALFOR 230VAC PUMPS, OR “N”TERMINAL FOR 120VAC PUMPS INCONTROL PANEL230VAC

IN THIS EXAMPLE OUR PUMP WILLNOT RUN IN HAND OR AUTO,CONTACTOR DOES PULL IN.STEP 1: WITH THE HOA SWITCH IN THE “OFF”POSITION WE CAN START BY CHECKING INCOMINGPOWERSTEP 2: CHECK VOLTAGE AT THE NEXT STOP (CIRCUITBREAKER), CHECK BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM.STEP 3: PUT THE HOA SWITCH TO “HAND” ANDCHECK VOLTAGE ON EACH SIDE OF THE MOTORCONTACTOR CONTACTS, FIRST THE TOP, THEN THEBOTTOM.STEP 4: CHECK VOLTAGE AT THE PUMPCONNECTIONS.STEP ONESTEP TWOSTEP THREESTEP FOUR

TROUBLESHOOTING A PUMP CIRCUIT PUT PUMP HOA SWITCH INTO “HAND” AND CONFIRMTHAT THE CONTACTOR IS PULLING IN – YOU SHOULDHEAR AN AUDIBLE “CLUNK”. IF SO, PROCEED TO NEXTSTEP – IF NOT CHECK VOLTAGE THROUGH THECONTROL CIRCUIT (COULD BE A BAD M.C. COIL). CHECK VOLTAGE AT THE MOTOR CONNECTIONS IN THEPANEL – IF NO VOLTAGE TURN HOA TO “OFF” ANDPROCEED TO NEXT STEP. CHECK PUMP INCOMING VOLTAGE – IT SHOULD MATCHPUMP RATED VOLTAGE. IF YES THEN PROCEED TO THENEXT STEP.

TROUBLESHOOTING A PUMPCIRCUIT CONT. IF THERE IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE PANEL FOR THEPUMP CONFIRM THAT IT IS TURNED ON – NOT TRIPPED CHECK VOLTAGE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CIRCUITBREAKER. CHECK VOLTAGE AT THE TOP (LINE SIDE) OF THE MOTORCONTACTOR. PUT HOA INTO HAND AND CHECK VOLTAGE ON BOTTOM(LOAD SIDE) OF THE MOTOR CONTACTOR. IF NO REPLACECONTACTOR, IF YES PROCEED TO NEXT STEP. CHECK VOLTAGE AT MOTOR CONNECTION TERMINALBLOCK.

TROUBLESHOOTING A MOTOR CIRCUITPUMP DOES NOT RUNPUT HOA SWITCH TOHAND . DOESCONTACTOR PULL INYESNOIS VOLTAGE PRESENTAT PUMP CONNECTIONCHECK CONTROLVOLTAGE ANDCONTROL FUSENOYES –BOTHGOODYESHAVE PUMPCHECKEDCHECKVOLTAGETHROUGHPUMP CIRCUITBAD MOTORCONTACTOR– CALLFACTORYNOCHECKVOLTAGE ATMOTORCONTACTORCOILYESNOREPLACEFUSE ORCHECKINCOMINGPOWERSOURCECHECK VOLTAGETHROUGHCONTROLCIRCUIT

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU

step 2: check voltage at the next stop (circuit breaker), check both the top and bottom. step 3: put the hoa swith to “hand” and check voltage on each side of the motor contactor contacts, first the top, then the bottom. step 4: check voltage at the pump connections. step one step two step three step four