The brief
The paddy irrigation pump had burnt out in two seasons running. Its feed was a thin flexible cable laid on the ground through the irrigation ditches, and the box beside the pump was a metal tin with no lid. The client wanted the pump supply done properly before planting season, so it would stop failing mid-season.
How it was done
- 01 Motor rated current measured and cable sized for the 140 m run and the permitted voltage drop
- 02 Armoured cable laid in a trench at proper depth with warning tape above it
- 03 IP65 enclosure mounted on a steel post above the field’s flood level
- 04 Motor circuit breaker set to rated current, plus a phase loss and imbalance relay
- 05 RCD protection and an earth rod beside the pump, with its resistance measured
- 06 Cable and motor winding insulation tested, and current on each phase recorded under load at commissioning
The outcome
The pump ran a full season without a stoppage. The network lost a phase once, and the relay took the pump off before it came to any harm. The insulation figures went to the client so next season’s pre-start test has something to compare against.
Areas covered
Building electrician in Soumeh Sara
Related services
Building electrical