Aboutcleggsan Expertise All technical areas of Electronics Engineering.
Experience BSEE, MBA, Design, R&D, University Research.
Senior Life Member of IEEE. Life Fellow of AES.
Organizations IEEE, Consumer Electronics Society, Audio Engineering Society.
Broad teaching experience; work experience mostly in consumer electronics and conversion from analog to digital technologies. Pioneer in digital audio at all levels.
Expert: cleggsan Date: 5/7/2008 Subject: high amps under load
Question we have a pump that is drawing high amps under load(filling the banks) but when no load(recert to tank)the amps are fine we replaced motor and mechanical pump check the line for any blockages we are running out of ideas to try any suggestions would be great its a 460 v motor also if the motor is not grounded will that cause high amps under load? thanks
Answer How do you know it is too high? What current did you measure? And when does it begin to go to high? And what is the normal expected current when under full load? And have you checked the pump mechanism (bearing failure, etc.)
Usual cause for excessive current in induction motors is shorted windings (if not a mechanical loading being put on the shaft, that is). So, you might want to check that - even though you have changed out the motor!
I don't think the grounding would make a difference unless the case is under water and the motor is shorting to ground through the residual water - but I think you would know about that if it were so.
Hope these ideas lead you to a solution, but let me know more details of the installation next time if you need more ideas.
