Our
Digital Computer Insulation Tester
allows us to test and inform the property owner
of the condition of their submersible pump electrical wiring.
Why fly blind ?
Out of sight - out of mind is a dangerous mode to operate in when dealing with electricity.
Why take the chance that disaster may strike only to learn that your electrical pump cable was compromised ?
Know whether your 230 volt electrical pump wiring in the lake is safe to all who
swim, kayak and fish at your waterfront site.
Experts tell us the defective electrical wires and cables that leak electricity into bodies of water
do so in the form of a "ground plane", and that the tiny 25 milliamp current that can cause
electrocution in humans can exist up to as much as 100 feet from a leaking conductor.
Most electricians don't have this DICT instrument or know how to use it properly.
We have actually taught electricians how to use them.
Common voltmeters and multimeters won't perform the test properly.
Only a DICT can determine this properly. In certain cases defective wiring can also trickle electricity
(fault to ground) without tripping the circuit breaker. The pump still functions for a while, but
this often causes the pump motor to draw excessive amperage, seriously shortening it's life.
Just as you have the opportunity to have your automobile checked regularly for any problems
(before they become major problems), you can have you pumping system checked as well.
Preventative maintenance is less expensive than waiting till a minor problem turns into a major problem.
Indeed you may ask: Besides the health and safety of my children and my neighbors children, what are other factors
driving this goal of checking the wiring of submersible lake pumps ?
About 2 years ago, the US Army Corps of Engineers banned the use of submersible pumps on all Corps lakes in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, etc. due to a couple of electrocution incidents in the media blamed on submersible pumps and wiring. Other Corps districts will follow suit soon. Property owners on at least 2 Corps lakes in central Texas with waterfront homes soon discovered that all other pump solutions were much more expensive and in many cases unworkable. For those on other lakes who consider that an isolated Corps problem, just a minor nuisance, you should know that the Corps has 25 lakes in Texas alone which add up to more than 400% the surface water compared to the Highland lakes.
It doesn't take a genius to read the writing on the wall, either we become more vigilant at maintaining the safety of our submersible pump systems or else the LCRA and other authorities will step in and take away your right to use the best solution for pumping lake water ever found - submersible pumps. Reliable internal sources have indicated the LCRA is watching this issue very closely.
Submersible pumps give higher pressure and better performance for less cost, never suffer from loss of suction prime as do centrifugal pumps mounted up out of the water, the list goes on and on. Other pumps usually can't provide the necessary pressure to the larger rotary sprinkler heads that submersible pumps can, and they use at least twice as much horsepower motors to move the same amount of water.
There are thousands of aging submersible pumping systems installed on central Texas lakes with questionable wiring, many installed before the NEC code in the 90's required adequate grounding so obviously we also check for a ground wire and grounding.
A pump system without a proper electrical ground is a serious accident waiting to happen, not to mention the pump motor is much more susceptible to lightning.
In fact, lightning damage is by far the most frequent of all causes of insulation on wire becoming defective, or pump motors being damaged.
Below is a prime example of boat prop damage to submersible lake pump cable:
