Polaris Halcyon pump trips 20A breaker

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G

GuitsBoy

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Apr 22, 2013
79
Hi all -

I recently finished rebuilding my pool which hadn't been opened in 9 years by the previous owners. One thing that came with it was a polaris 380, which I dont have any experience with.

I purchased new hose and fittings and plumbed the pump back into the system to test it out. I had left the pressure line fully open with no restriction, and plugged the pump in. After about 30 seconds of operation, the breaker had tripped and the pump's plug was hot to the touch. Is this normal operation? Does the pump require some load or restriction in order to limit it's current draw? I assume it's wired for 120V as its a regular NEMA 5-15 plug on it.

I reset the breaker and attempted to give it another go, this time with the polaris 380 plugged in to give it the necessary load, but as soon as I plugged it in, I noticed muddy water boiling and spitting through my pavers, so I have to find the break in the line before I can try again.

I just want to know if I should go through all the hassle of pulling up the pavers and trenching down to the line, or should I just resign myself to vacuuming by hand for all of eternity? If the pump seems to be bad, it will certainly affect my decision.

Thanks,
-Tony
 
I'd say there is a problem with the pump as well, the plug shouldn't get hot. It means the pump is pulling to much current, possibly bad bearings, shorted windings, or blocked impeller. Others may chime in as well.
 
msgtdan said:
I'd say there is a problem with the pump as well, the plug shouldn't get hot. It means the pump is pulling to much current, possibly bad bearings, shorted windings, or blocked impeller. Others may chime in as well.
Click to expand...
Well, it was getting hot with no load - no water being pumped. Its possible that the added RPM caused it to pull more amps, but I would think adding a load would pull more than free spinning. Im not sure one way or the other.
 
When the pump seal on mine went bad things got hot and tripped the CB, I'm pretty sure something is going on with the pump/motor. Might be an easy fix or could be a total replacement. I couldn't get the impeller off mine so took it to the pool store and they replaced the impeller and seal for the price of the parts ~$30. If the windings are shorted out then you're looking at a motor replacement.
 
faby3003 said:
The booster pump on for my Polaris 280 is wired to 240V.
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I believe the higher voltage wiring would pull fewer amps, but would barely move if plugged into a 120V. Still, I don't think this is the case here. The pump has a straight blade plug meant for 120V, and there are only free 120V outlets coming form the conduit. The sole 240V receptacle is used for the filter pump. The setup looks obviously well used, despite the pool having not been opened in 9 years.
 
msgtdan said:
When the pump seal on mine went bad things got hot and tripped the CB, I'm pretty sure something is going on with the pump/motor. Might be an easy fix or could be a total replacement. I couldn't get the impeller off mine so took it to the pool store and they replaced the impeller and seal for the price of the parts ~$30. If the windings are shorted out then you're looking at a motor replacement.
Click to expand...

Thats actually encouraging. If it were the impeller seal, that would mean loss of prime and loss of load, similar to running the pump dry (as in my case). If it were the bearings going out, that might mean increased load instead.

I guess its all just speculation until I actually get around to replacing the PVC supply line. So. Much. Work...
 
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