Extension cords with pumps?

mmm6075 · Postby **mmm6075** » Thu 06 Apr, 2006 16:36

I just purchased a 15' round pool with a Waterco Aquamite 1.5 HP pump. The pump only has a 6' cord, and I was told that you cannot use an extension cord with the pump, or it will burn out the pump and void the warranty.

My outside outlet is about 16' away from where the pump will be.

Is there no way to use an extension cord with this pump? There has to be an easier solution than having the electric company come out and wire up a closer extension.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks
-Mike

Pool Helper · Postby **Pool Helper** » Fri 07 Apr, 2006 03:33

As far as I know, cutting off the end of the cable might void any warranty, but using an extension cord of the right capacity will not.

A suitable extension cord cannot cause the pump to burn out, regardless of its length. After all, the cord does not "use" power or alter it in any way. The end of the cord would, however, need to be situated in a covered, waterproof place.

mmm6075 · Postby **mmm6075** » Fri 07 Apr, 2006 11:35

I got this e-mail from Waterco today:

You can connect to a short extension cord without voiding the warranty as long as the cord is a 14/3 heavy duty outdoor rated extension cord. The 14/3 means 14 amps 3 wire cord. The reason that extension cords are a problem is that the longer the extnesion cord the more amps that are drawn creating a possible overheating condition in the motor. Your run of 9 additional feet is not a problem as long as the cord is 14/3 rated.

Thats a relief.

-Mike

Pool Helper · Postby **Pool Helper** » Fri 07 Apr, 2006 15:03

Great!

We often have to supply electricity to new pool at the bottom of the yard and regularly run 40 yards or more of wiring to the new location. Haven't had a problem yet.

At least the recommended 14 amp cable is your run-of-the-mill cable that won't set you back too much.

Dave · Postby **Dave** » Tue 11 Apr, 2006 05:50

As an electrician, I agree.
It's the voltage drop over the distance that will cause the pump to require a greater current flow and eventually burning out the winding.
Use the heaviest gauge wire practical that suits the plugtops fitted to the lead.

MT · Postby MT » Wed 18 Jul, 2007 10:43

My father and I each have the same hayward DE filter for our above ground pools. His runs great, requires almost no maint. great pressure.......mine loses pressure all the time, I cannot find any visable reason for this. I maintain both, so any user error would be equal. But, he had an electrical line drawn to his pool and uses no extension cord.....I use about 75 ft of extension cord. Could that be my problem?

nyhcbri · Postby **nyhcbri** » Sun 24 Apr, 2011 11:13

14/3 means 14g wire dumbass

mmm6075 · Postby **mmm6075** » Sun 24 Apr, 2011 13:44

If your "dumbass" comment was directed at me, that post where I mentioned 14 amp was copied directly from an e-mail I received from Waterco, so take it up with them.

Postby **czechmate** » Sun 24 Apr, 2011 14:40

You getting all excited over nothing. You posted grand stupidity and the guy called you on it. Your source is irrelevant in that matter. He on the other hand posted 14g-(14grams) instead of 14AWG-( American wire gauge).
See, nobody is perfect. The "electrician" post states that running pump on small gauge cord will burn the pump. Hardly. 50ft cord 14AWG copper may have little voltage drop, but will pull 12-14 amp just fine.
Pump motor is protected by it's own overcurrent protection trip, that will protect motor even if it is frozen shut and drawing starting current.
Besides, in some days in summer, with whole neighborhood running A/C you may already have up to 5% voltage drop in your breaker box anyway.

mmm6075 · Postby **mmm6075** » Sun 24 Apr, 2011 17:54

I am not getting excited about anything. I am not an electrician, so I came here for a little advice, and instead get "called" on posting grand stupidity. I did not know anything about amps or wire gauges when I made the post. Thanks for the "help".

Bubba · Postby **Bubba** » Thu 19 May, 2011 14:49

nyhcbri wrote:14/3 means 14g wire dumbass

It's a shame everyone is not as smart as you MF.

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Sun 26 Jun, 2011 02:53

That's sad that you can't even post on a pool forum without some d-bag making a mean comment. People need to get a life! Hope you had luck with the extension cord issue. That's what I'm trying to figure out for my pool.

wow · Postby **wow** » Fri 12 Jul, 2013 13:44

wow, what a bunch of asshats in here! If you dont want to help someone, just dont respond.

The fact that a couple of you take time out of your life to leave stupid jackass comments just to be a jerk or make yourself feel bigger or better than you really are says a lot more about YOU than the people you are calling names! I've never even posted here but was on a search for information. Just can't believe people think it's ok to call other people names ... we dont put up with that kinda sh*t in Boston!

Unless you're 12 and your a bully because mommy didn't teach you compassion or manners, you have no excuse for being a jerk. Life's hard enough without having to deal with adult bullies who need to put others down on the internet to feel better about themselves!

shelstef10 · Postby **shelstef10** » Sat 09 Jul, 2016 16:00

14/3 means 14 AWG and 3 conductions/prongs most extension cord packaging lists the amps that the cord is rated for as well so the email was correct. They were not stating that the 14 in 14/3 meant the amps. They were talking about the amp rating separately. If the description does not have the amp rating listed you can go by the AWG the Lower the AWG the thicker the wire and the higher the capacity. You can also look up this information and get a more detailed explanation at Home Depot's website. The perks of doing so are you don't have to deal with ignorant people that call you names for posting what a company sent to you. They generally have people who review and delete comments posted by people with such low IQ's who feel the need to degrade others.

Vagabond26 · Postby **Vagabond26** » Sat 24 Jun, 2017 02:28

nyhcbri wrote:14/3 means 14g wire dumbass

I came on here to see if there was a solution for the cord on my pool pump being too short. The first pump I had my husband swapped the 6 ft cord that came with it for a longer cord. The cord had 8 guage wire so it was not too small. Still the motor only lasted 1 year. I am thinking it may actually be better to just use a heavy duty extension cord rather than change the wires. I was shocked to find the name calling on what is supposed to be a help site. Not everyone is aware that a smaller number means a larger guage wire, apparantly the pool company was not even aware of this as the person stated he simply copied and pasted the email he recieved. The fact that you felt the need to call him a dumb ass proves you should not be on this site. I admire his restraint because had that comment been directed at me I would not have been so polite. No doubt there was a point in your life when someone told you this little tid bit of information and most likely they did not call you names for not knowing. I do however suggest you refrain from asking questions in the future as what goes around comes around and I would hate to see you get your feelings hurt.