I have an Ecostar 3400VSP that had been intermittently throwing breakers, and now has fully shorted. I have confirmed that the drive has gone bad. Replacing the part costs as much as buying a whole new pump, and I do not have a warranty.
I took the drive apart since at this point I have nothing to lose, and honestly I don't see how these things can last more than a year or two. Having sensitive electronics bolted directly to the motor like that seems like a recipe for disaster. In my case, it looks like a piece of solder shook loose and and managed to get stuck between a contact on the board and the housing. I'm am stipulating this based on the loose chunk of very burnt solder that I found stuck between the board and one of the screws. With the amount of vibration these have to endure, it seems like only a matter of time before something breaks loose. The research I've been doing, reading forums and customer reviews, seems to back me up.
So I'm gun shy about buying another variable speed pump. A pool repair guy I called to validate my findings said we would work with the Hayward rep to see if they would offer any kind of "goodwill" discount on a new Ecostar, but I'm doubtful anything will happen. I don't see paying full price for another Ecostar - once bitten... My neighbor's pool guy is installing an Intelliflo today for $1000 (less rebate from local power co.), which is a great deal but it seems like they are subject to the same problems as the Ecostar.
Is there a two-speed motor that will bolt up to the wet end of my Ecostar? It feels like that would be a more reliable solution, although it wouldn't be quite as fancy or efficient as a VSP. Would definitely cost less in the short run. I'd rather not buy a new pump every other year.
Any other thoughts or advice? I've been reading this forum since I bought a house with a pool 6 months ago, and I find it to be one of the most helpful I've ever used, on any subject.
