I have a 240 volt motor for our water pump that draws high amps for a long period when it turns on. I know that the motor will draw high amps at start up, but the high amps stays high for about 8 to 10 seconds. The pump and motor are in a pit with an air bladder. Is there anything I can do so that the high amps will be less in time, like 2 to 3 seconds? Then my generator will handle the motor, the generator is new and rated for this motor, but the long time with the high amps shuts it down. The amps go up to 55amps, then settles down to about 5 amps.

You should check on your pump, it sometimes happenes that your pump is the one that is actually not well lubricated and just as the saying goes that any electrical problem is considered electrical unless proven otherwise. It could even be your shaft not being straight and don't let your motor suffer because of your pump if it is so.

What is distance from generator to pump, and what is wire size? Could voltage drop be increasing amperage draw?

Original question was posted Feb 2009.

Thread closed.