Does the timer wear out? Or is it the pump?

[concretegardenstx]

This has been the source of panic attacks today, so I hope someone has some feedback.

My pool has one of those timers that's aon a wheel with little tabs that pull out when you want it to run, kind of like timers you would use for indoor lights (sorry I don't know the name of it.) Since I have been fighting off algae this week (and winning! Woohoo!) I have been running the pump 24/7, as opposed the the 6-7 hours a day I have been running it (been increasing the run time as the weather gets warmer.)

So this morning I'm cleaning the "yard" (we have 2.5 acres) and I happened to notice that the pump wasn't running. I thought maybe the breaker had tripped, but no, it had not. I flipped the main power switch off and on but nothing happened. There was plenty of water in the pump, so it wasn't running dry. I felt the pump and it was warm/hot, but I don't think I have ever felt it before so I don't know what it should feel like (we have officially been here for 2 months now). I left the switch off and decided that it should cool off and try it again. About an hour later I went to turn it on and nothing, but then I manually advanced the timer a notch, just to see, and the pump came on! Hooray!

And then about 20 minutes later, my husband noticed that the pump wasn't running again. I went out and advanced the timer again and it came back on. I adjusted the timer to run from 5pm to midnight, and left the pool off for now. I'm worried that the pump could be going out (it is about 9 years old) or maybe it's just the timer? For all I know it has been shutting off during the day, and I just haven't been home to notice it. Or maybe there is a problem with the timer? I don't know. I hope the pool comes on at 5 and everything is ok. But I guess I'm looking at second opinions. Has anyone heard of a timer going out?

(Sorry for the long, rambling post)

 

[Ohm_Boy]

If advancing the timer kicks the pump on, then the problem seems to be that the timer is cutting it off.
Could you post a pic or two of the timer? Might give us some insight...

 

[concretegardenstx]

[attachment=0:1rzwdxbu]timer.jpg[/attachment:1rzwdxbu]

Please note that the time says around 11, because I forgot to turn the main power back on after I reset the timer (it's about 4:30 now). I would have been very upset not seeing the pool come back on at 5

 

[Ohm_Boy]

According to the pic, the pump should be off now. And it'll stay off for another 11 or 12 hours. That about right for you?
And just for info, if you manually click the pump on by rotating the little black knob, the very next advancing "pushed in" tab will shut it back off.

 

[baudilus]

If the timer stops spinning, then it may not be getting power, but I suspect that it's a setup issue as Ohm_boy stated.

 

[concretegardenstx]

Ohm_boy:

I had all of the tabs pulled out, the pump was supposed to be running constantly. When I took the pic, I had adjusted the timer to come back on at 5 and run until midnight.

Yes, when I advance the wheel to a tab that was pulled out, the pump does come on. What happened earlier is that ALL of the tabs were pulled out, but the pump was not running. I then advanced the knob a click or two, the pump came back on, and then shut off a little while later.

It didn't come back on at 5, but maybe my perception was off and it wasn't supposed to have turned on yet. I advanced the knob and the water did come back on, and has been running since 5 (It's 8:15 now). So I guess I will see a) if the pump is off in the morning like it should be and b) if the pump will be running by the time I get home from work tomorrow.

On the plus side, it warmed up enough that today was the first day we were able to get into the pool