I currently have 1hp PAC-FAB challenger pump. I think it is about 10 years old. I run the pump 24/7 6 months out of the year in Alabama. This year I noticed the pump was little louder than what I remember. However, yesterday I noticed the noise was even louder. When I checked on the pump I couldn't even put my hand on the motor it was extremely hot. The motor however has not stopped running all summer and I assume its been running hot the whole time. Should I wait for it to die and do I need to just go ahead and replace now? Is it just a matter of the bearings becoming worn? Water is still flowing properly thru the unit. Any advice appreciated.
Do I need a new pump?
- Thread starter rtpatter
- Start date
What part of Alabama are you located in? Not that it has anything to do with your pump issues. 
It sounds like the bearings are going out and binding up. The choice is yours. You can either, wait till the pump goes out completely, or you can go ahead and replace the bearings now and you may get a few more years out of it.
If it's not a 2-speed pump I'd recommend replacing the existing pump with a new 2-speed model. You'll get more efficiency and by running it 24 hours a day on low you'll save a good bit of money on electricity even at our Alabama rates.
It sounds like the bearings are going out and binding up. The choice is yours. You can either, wait till the pump goes out completely, or you can go ahead and replace the bearings now and you may get a few more years out of it.
If it's not a 2-speed pump I'd recommend replacing the existing pump with a new 2-speed model. You'll get more efficiency and by running it 24 hours a day on low you'll save a good bit of money on electricity even at our Alabama rates.
I'm in Birmingham. I think I gonna try and just replace the pump motor instead of the impeller and pump basket. I could save couple hundred by just replacing the motor instead of the whole unit. I don't know if a two speed motor would be worth it or how that would work when the booster cuts on for the polaris.
A 2-speed motor cost more than a single speed and since you run the pump 24 hours a day for 6 months the payback would be very short, "but" you'll have to add the cost of a timer to switch the pump to high when the cleaner is running if your existing cleaner timer doesn't have a set of contacts to do that, so that's an added expense you'll have to overcome. To me it'd be worth it, but you might think differently.
I do have the pump and polaris on a timer. However, since I'm only going to be replacing the actual motor and not the pump basket and impeller I figure I better match up the motor with the same that came out. Maybe I'll just start running the pump 15 hrs a day instead of 24. Hopefully that will help extend the life a bit.
You can just buy the 2-speed equivilent of the motor you have now and it'll bolt right up and work the same. But that call is up to you.
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