Forehead. I use the dirty water pump every 2 months. Everything worked until yesterday. Once plugged in, I drop the pump into the tank and it doesn't work. You only hear a hum. I took the top cover off and the moment I lifted it, I saw that all the cables had disconnected. For sure I did it...

I suspect that the red two are the working winding and the yellow auxiliary winding. I would measure the resistance between individual wires, the one with the greater resistance would be the main one, the less auxiliary one powered by the capacitor. But these are only suspicions to be checked.

Hello . I have a picture of a similar pump, but the colors do not match yours, my colors are yellow, black, red. The only solution is to measure the windings, as my colleague Osiniak75 suggests.

Are you able to send me a photo?

You can't measure between these three wires, it should be easier, but here you go.

However, the winding with the greater resistance is auxiliary and the winding with the lesser resistance.

Of course, my colleague E2rd.o is right, I did not read exactly what my colleague Osiniak75 said, the main winding has a lower resistance than the starting winding.

Thank you for the photo, colleague nikusert. After connecting the wires (it turned out that I had deduced just such a connection earlier), the pump was still humming after connecting to the electricity. As if she wanted to move but couldn't. Previously, I cleaned the bottom of the pump (it was not tragically dirty) and when it was started, I supported its start by moving the lower grinder. The pump has operated. Again, a similar pattern of operation and it works again. I left it for a while and after a while it started by itself - I didn't have to help her with that. Malice of inanimate objects?

You did not mention before if the rotor turns slightly, to be sure check that it starts correctly every time, that it does not hum, and that it does not heat up.

I wrote that everything is spinning, a bit general, but I was nervous about this situation. Capacitor without reservation. I'll see these windings next time. Thank you for your help

Reconnecting Wires in Dirty Water Pump: Steps for Electrical Installation After Disconnection

Piotrashd 22239 11

Treść została przetłumaczona

Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu

Report a violation of the law

| New topic

#1 17133039 28 Mar 2018 11:46

Piotrashd Piotrashd

Level 2

Posts: 4

Rate: 7
Board Language: polish
» | Topic author

Post #1
17133039 28 Mar 2018 11:46

Forehead.
I use the dirty water pump every 2 months. Everything worked until yesterday. Once plugged in, I drop the pump into the tank and it doesn't work. You only hear a hum.

I took the top cover off and the moment I lifted it, I saw that all the cables had disconnected. For sure I did it when I was lifting it up ...

I suppose two glitches.
1. The capacitor has fallen - I have already bought a new one (as a precaution).
2. The pump puffed "thick" at the last pumping, but maybe not necessarily because everything is rotating inside the pump.

I am sending photos of the installation inside. How to connect all these wires?

Attachments:

IMG_20180328_073322.jpg (2.14 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

IMG_20180327_215839.jpg (1.5 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

IMG_20180328_073329.jpg (2.31 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

IMG_20180328_073407.jpg (1.88 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

IMG_20180327_215827.jpg (1.54 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

ADVERTISEMENT
#2 17133586 28 Mar 2018 15:48

osiniak75 osiniak75

Level 35

Posts: 2075

Help: 350

Rate: 541
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+3)

Post #2
17133586 28 Mar 2018 15:48

I suspect that the red two are the working winding and the yellow auxiliary winding. I would measure the resistance between individual wires, the one with the greater resistance would be the main one, the less auxiliary one powered by the capacitor. But these are only suspicions to be checked.
ADVERTISEMENT
#3 17133766 28 Mar 2018 17:17

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Positive voted Helpful post? (+8)

Post #3
17133766 28 Mar 2018 17:17

Hello .
I have a picture of a similar pump, but the colors do not match yours, my colors are yellow, black, red. The only solution is to measure the windings, as my colleague Osiniak75 suggests.
#4 17134045 28 Mar 2018 19:08

Piotrashd Piotrashd

Level 2

Posts: 4

Rate: 7
Board Language: polish
» | Topic author Helpful post? (+3)

Post #4
17134045 28 Mar 2018 19:08

Are you able to send me a photo?
#5 17134078 28 Mar 2018 19:19

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+5)

Post #5
17134078 28 Mar 2018 19:19

You can't measure between these three wires, it should be easier, but here you go.

Attachments:

20170422_142805.jpg (2.16 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

20170422_142702.jpg (2.09 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.
ADVERTISEMENT
#6 17134083 28 Mar 2018 19:20

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+3)

Post #6
17134083 28 Mar 2018 19:20

Blue and brown protruding upwards are 230V.
#7 17134333 28 Mar 2018 20:42

e2rd.o e2rd.o

Level 21

Posts: 315

Help: 39

Rate: 111
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+1)

Post #7
17134333 28 Mar 2018 20:42

nikusert wrote:
The only solution is to measure the windings, as my colleague Osiniak75 suggests.

osiniak75 wrote:
I would measure the resistance between individual wires, the greater resistance would be the main one, the less auxiliary

However, the winding with the greater resistance is auxiliary and the winding with the lesser resistance.
#8 17134363 28 Mar 2018 20:53

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+3)

Post #8
17134363 28 Mar 2018 20:53

Of course, my colleague E2rd.o is right, I did not read exactly what my colleague Osiniak75 said, the main winding has a lower resistance than the starting winding.
ADVERTISEMENT
#9 17135448 29 Mar 2018 12:13

Piotrashd Piotrashd

Level 2

Posts: 4

Rate: 7
Board Language: polish
» | Topic author Helpful post? (+4)

Post #9
17135448 29 Mar 2018 12:13

Thank you for the photo, colleague nikusert.
After connecting the wires (it turned out that I had deduced just such a connection earlier), the pump was still humming after connecting to the electricity. As if she wanted to move but couldn't. Previously, I cleaned the bottom of the pump (it was not tragically dirty) and when it was started, I supported its start by moving the lower grinder. The pump has operated. Again, a similar pattern of operation and it works again. I left it for a while and after a while it started by itself - I didn't have to help her with that.

Malice of inanimate objects?
#10 17135472 29 Mar 2018 12:23

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (+1)

Post #10
17135472 29 Mar 2018 12:23

You did not mention before if the rotor turns slightly, to be sure check that it starts correctly every time, that it does not hum, and that it does not heat up.
#11 17135498 29 Mar 2018 12:37

Piotrashd Piotrashd

Level 2

Posts: 4

Rate: 7
Board Language: polish
» | Topic author Helpful post? (0)

Post #11
17135498 29 Mar 2018 12:37

I wrote that everything is spinning, a bit general, but I was nervous about this situation.
Capacitor without reservation. I'll see these windings next time. Thank you for your help
#12 17135503 29 Mar 2018 12:40

nikusert nikusert

Level 41

Posts: 5428

Help: 699

Rate: 1747
Board Language: polish
» | Helpful post? (0)

Post #12
17135503 29 Mar 2018 12:40

No problem, it's worth helping.
Best regards.
Create an account, log in here and be active on the forum — ads won't appear. Earn points for registering and replying.

Install Elektroda application

Didn't find an answer? Ask Artificial Intelligence

*I agree to send the question to OpenAI, Anthropic PBC, Perplexity AI, Inc., Kagi Inc., Google LLC - owners of language models in order to prepare the best response. The companies may monitor and log information entered into the form.

*I agree to publicly display my question and answer. The question and answer will be publicly available to everyone. The process may take a few minutes. Upon completion, you will be redirected to the page with the answer.

Wait...(2min)

| New topic

Report a violation of the law

Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around troubleshooting a dirty water pump that stopped functioning after the wires disconnected. The user identified two potential issues: a fallen capacitor and possible internal damage from previous use. Participants suggested measuring the resistance of the wires to identify the main and auxiliary windings, with indications that the winding with greater resistance is auxiliary. After reconnecting the wires, the pump still hummed but eventually started working again after manual assistance. The user plans to further inspect the windings and capacitor in future checks.
Generated by the language model.

FAQ

TL;DR: Humming single‑phase dirty‑water pump after loose wires? Confirm the 230 V feed—"Blue and brown protruding upwards are 230V." Then identify run/start by resistance before reconnecting. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17134083]

Why it matters: This FAQ helps DIYers safely restore a submersible dirty‑water pump and avoid burnout after internal leads disconnected.

Quick Facts

Supply leads: Blue and Brown are the 230 V AC mains on the shown pump. Treat them as live/neutral. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17134083]
Run (main) winding has lower resistance than the start (aux) winding. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17134363]
If colors don’t match, identify windings by measuring resistance with a multimeter. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17133766]
After reconnecting, verify it starts every time, doesn’t hum, and doesn’t heat up. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17135472]
A manual impeller nudge that gets it going points to a start‑circuit issue. [Elektroda, Piotrashd, post #17135448]

My pump hums after I reconnected wires—what should I check first?

Verify run vs start connections using resistance. The run winding should read lower ohms than the start winding. If swapped, the motor can hum instead of starting. As one expert noted, “the main winding has a lower resistance than the starting winding.” Correct the mapping, then retest. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17134363]

Which wires are the 230 V feed in this setup?

On the referenced pump, the blue and brown wires are the 230 V supply leads. Connect them to mains as live and neutral respectively. Keep all connections insulated and strain‑relieved. Verify with a meter before powering. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17134083]

How do I identify the windings with a multimeter?

Use this quick 3‑step check:

Isolate the three motor leads and label them A, B, C.
Measure resistance for AB, AC, and BC; note values.
Use the distinct resistance pairs to identify each winding before reconnecting. “The only solution is to measure the windings.” [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17133766]

Which winding goes through the capacitor?

The auxiliary (start) winding is powered via the capacitor. If the start circuit is open or miswired, the motor may only hum. Ensure the capacitor is in series with the auxiliary winding connection. [Elektroda, osiniak75, post #17133586]

The pump only starts if I spin the impeller. What does that indicate?

Needing a manual nudge suggests the start circuit or starting torque is weak. The OP reported nudging the grinder to get the pump running. That behavior is typical when the start path or capacitor isn’t engaged correctly. Recheck wiring and the capacitor. [Elektroda, Piotrashd, post #17135448]

After reconnecting, what safety check should I perform?

Verify it starts promptly, runs smoothly, and does not hum. Monitor temperature by touch on the housing. If it heats up, disconnect and recheck connections and winding IDs. Don’t let it run hot during tests. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17135472]

Colors don’t match my pump. Can I rely on color codes?

Don’t rely on colors across brands. One member showed different colors than the OP’s pump and advised measurement. “The only solution is to measure the windings.” Use ohms readings to identify, not paint colors. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17133766]

Can miswiring really damage the motor?

Yes. A miswired start/run circuit can cause prolonged humming and overheating. That stresses windings and can shorten motor life. If it hums or heats, stop and correct wiring before further tests. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17135472]

How often should I exercise a seldom‑used dirty‑water pump?

The OP used the pump every 2 months and noted it wasn’t “tragically dirty.” Periodic exercising helps confirm starting and clears minor fouling. Test under supervision and recheck for smooth starts. [Elektroda, Piotrashd, post #17133039]

It hummed, then started by itself after a while. Is that okay?

That behavior was observed by the OP after reconnection. It can point to intermittent start engagement. Continue monitoring starts and stop if humming returns or heat rises. [Elektroda, Piotrashd, post #17135448]

What basic tools do I need to troubleshoot this?

Use a multimeter to measure winding resistances and continuity. Label wires, take clear photos, and insulate connections. Measuring is the decisive step when colors differ. [Elektroda, nikusert, post #17133766]

I replaced the capacitor and it still hums—what next?

If a known‑good capacitor didn’t fix it, verify winding identification and connections. The OP confirmed the capacitor was fine and planned to inspect windings next. [Elektroda, Piotrashd, post #17135498]

Generated by the language model.