Pump Damage?

[phalcon51]

My son and his girlfriend came over to swim while we were gone. Apparently, the pool cleaner hose kept getting in their way so they took it out and set it on the deck. Problem is, the cleaner valve was open and it pulled all the water through and then began sucking air. He didn't know any better as I'd never really told him about it but the end result is when we came home 1 1/2 to 2 hours later the pump was still just sucking air. It was running at about 1700 rpm the whole time. Btw, it's a Hayward variable speed pump. I was under the impression that it was able to sense when there was no water running through it and to then shut itself off, but guess not. Anyhow, I immediately shut it off, primed the pump and the intake line and then started it up. As soon as it pumped some of the residual air out of the line it seemed to operate normally with no abnormal sounds. What is the likelihood that there was damage done to any bearings, bushings or seals from running dry for so long? Is there any way to check it short of disassembling it and inspecting each part? Is it likely to have shortened the life of the pump to any significant degree? What signs or symptoms should I be on the lookout for?

Thanks for any help.

Gary

 

[mas985]

Running dry can damage or at least reduce the life of the seal so keep an eye out for any leaks. However, at that RPM, I doubt that the shaft would get hot enough to melt anything or damage the bearings so those are probably ok. Is the filter pressure the same as before?

 

[phalcon51]

Thanks for the reply. As far as I can tell the filter pressure is the same as before, though it's a bit high as I need to clean it. If a seal is leaking would it just leak out of the pump housing onto the ground or would it leak into the motor bearings?

Gary

 

[mas985]

It can leak in both places but you will usually see hit the ground somewhere near the motor mounting flange.

 

[phalcon51]

Thanks Mark, I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Gary