We opened our new AG pool in June. There has been some sand/light gravel carried in from our unfinished yard and I have vacuumed it up. This week the pump is making almost a grinding noise and I back washed today. It sounded better for a minute then went back to the grinding noise. Could it be sand in the pump? Or any other ideas?
Month old pump making a grinding noise.
- Thread starter Tfaff
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I would think that any sand/dirt normally vacuumed would simply slip through the pump's impeller with the water and keep going to the filter. Nothing gets to the electric motor itself since it's sealed and separated from the "wet-end" portion. The only thing I could think of is if some debris got wrapped around that impeller (like twigs or something). You can try and reach in there (with power OFF) to see if you notice any junk lodged in that impeller area, but even then if there was, I wouldn't think those type of items like grass, twigs, and stuff would sound like a grinding noise. It's possible there is some residual rust or junk stuck inside the "dry-end" motor section where your bearings/motor shaft spin if your pump sat all winter. Perhaps remove the back cover and blow-out that motor area with some compressed air. I would certainly keep an eye out to see if it progressively gets worse and consider contacting the manufacture since the motor should still be under warranty.
If I missed something, others will chime-in I'm sure with more suggestions. Good luck!
If I missed something, others will chime-in I'm sure with more suggestions. Good luck!
I would contact the manufacture. I've had a new pump have bearings go bad within the first year before. Vacuuming up sand should not have affected the motor. Has the pump ever run dry?
No it hasn't. It's all brand new, one month old. I back washed it again today and it sounded much better. So I'll see, I am so not mechanical, so this is a foreign language to me so far. But I'll learn as I go. Thank you for your responses. Could the pump get loud like that when it simply need to be backwashed?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I sort of doubt it. Although not being there to actually hear the sound makes it tough. But keep an eye on it. Being so new you shouldn't have any problems getting an exchange if needed. Have a nice weekend.
Post a link to an audio file of it starting and running with the noise. Typically grinding noise is attributed to bearings or something in the motor ubbing but since you say it gets better when backwashed it may be something different.