Low speed squeal?

[davelinde]

From new my pump always made a little squeal at very low speed, when it first started up. Usually just two squeaks and it's fine. Now I'm noticing it seems to be louder (maybe my imagination) and longer - though still gets quiet at full speed. Today I was playing with it and found that at a low speed setting it will squeal continuously.

If this isn't OK, what could it be indicating? I'm sure I'm still under warranty - so I'm inclined to ignore it until it dies or it gets closer to the end of the warranty... still.

 

[bobodaclown]

If it's under warranty I'd get it swapped out. It shouldn't squeal at all. Bearings.

 

[davelinde]

If it's under warranty I'd get it swapped out. It shouldn't squeal at all. Bearings.

I did kind of expect it to be quiet even down at low rpm (750 or so). At first when it did that I started wondering if I did something to it? I just pumped out and replaced most of the water in the pool and when the pool got low I lost prime once and it took about 5 minutes running the pump to eventually get it back. I was wondering if that was too much time running dry? But then I remembered I'd heard that noise at low speed before, even from new.

Now I've got to figure out how to attempt a warranty repair on this...

 

[davelinde]

The Jandy guy just came by - he listened to the chirp and said it is the normal noise all the variable speed pumps make at startup. For the steady state chirps (600 rpm or so) he said the noise would vary with back pressure and speed and in general I should just run it a bit faster (the pump does quiet down a bit above 1000rpm).

There's still plenty of months on the warranty if he was wrong - but by his reaction when he heard the noise I believe him (eg that they all start up with that chirp).

 

[thepoolman]

I will second his comments. I've seen it a bunch in different situations where they make that chirping noise at lower speeds. Not really sure what it is, but it's always at speeds where most people aren't running anyways. The display at my store has a sweep elbow coming directly from the discharge and it has made the noise since day one. Pumps with longer straight runs from the discharge don't do it as bad.

 

[davelinde]

I will second his comments. I've seen it a bunch in different situations where they make that chirping noise... Pumps with longer straight runs from the discharge don't do it as bad.

fwiw mine discharges straight up and immediately (in <10") into the filter inlet.

thanks for the x2, makes me feel better and "chirp" is a better description than "squeal" I guess. I wonder if there's a way to attach an audio file in the forum?