add light to pumphouse

[egbinor]

I have a well that's supplying water to two rentals next door to me. The tank and press switch are in my shop and the only time I hear the pump running is when I'm in the shop and it seems like I'm not in the shop as often as the time goes by. The pump has gotten water logged a few times without me knowing it. Just last week a main line connection under one of the houses slipped apart (damn poly pipe) and they let me know they didn't have any water. It was probably leaking for a long time before it blew apart and burned up the points in the press switch. I'm thinking of putting a light on the outside of the shop that would come on every time the pump does and wondering What problems I might cause? Maybe a bell transformer and a small led light? Thanks for any help1

 

[Bob]

Should be no problem wiring in a light that comes on when the pump is running.

If 240 Volts, "bulbs" are available to run directly on that voltage or use a "machine tool transformer" to cut voltage to 120.

Or, if low voltage wiring to operate the indicator lamp is desired, get a transformer or power supply to reduce the 120 or 240 Volts AC that the pump runs on to low voltage AC or DC as required to operate your choice of indicator lamp.

 

[showcrop]

What you want is the pressure switch that kicks itself off if the pressure drops too low. I thought that everybody had them.

 

[Russ from MN]

I have thought about doing the same thing, but I would put it right on the well head, there is a splice in the top of the casing where it changed from UF to pump wire. I usually just use a 120 v lamp and go from one leg to the neutral, maybe not legal but it works well.

 

[tn terry t]

my uncle's pressure switch is under the house. for the last 40 or 50 years he's had a small 110v "Christmas" light fixture mounted in his kitchen every time the pump kicks in the light comes on

 

[egbinor]

??????

 

[Robert in Md]

That light idea will work fine. i have a small 110 volt light wired to my two air compressors,

my modine heater, my cordless drill chargers, and two ststic phase convertors.. I can look out the kitchen window and tell I,ve left something turned on. All are on individual lights

 

[Robert in Md]

P S , I forgot to say. I am a old forgetfull 76 year old. Most of you know what I mean !!!!

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 17:13:52 08/16/19) ??????

egbinor, does ????? mean that you are not familiar with that type of switch?

 

[K Effective]

When I wired the lights in my attic, I added a small-base socket directly above the door to the stairs. It takes a night light bulb. You can see if the lights are on up there without opening the door, much like a walk-in-cooler has. Since it is driectly next to the door to the garage, it also comes in handy as a night light on occasion.

 

[PJH]

Showcrop is talking about a pressure switch that will cut the power to your pump if the line pressure drops below 10 psi or so. It prevents a pump from endlessly running when a water source such as a cistern or well runs dry. There is a small lever on the side of the switch that you can hold up to force the pump to run. When it develops 10 psi or so, the pump will continue to run on its own 'til kick-off pressure is reached. They cost just a few dollars more than a common pressure switch, and are worth the extra cost, in my view.
An example

 

[egbinor]

???? was my attempt, in a nice way to say that the press switch had nothing to do with my post. The reason the contacts were burned was because the pump was short cycling due to the leak in the line and was able to do that for quite a long time until the pipe blew apart and the pump couldn't keep up and the low press switch cut the pump off. Sorry for the confusion

 

[buickanddeere]

Neutral or ground ?