hayward super pump won't turn on.

[stlpoolnoob]

Well, I am at my wits end. I just threw my tools in the garage and said "F-it, fill in the **** pool".

Three weeks ago our 1hp hayward superpump just up and quit. No humming when switched on. Flip the switch...Nothing.

I figure it is no big deal, winter is almost here, its soon to closing time.

Then the midwest gets super hot fall weather over the past 3 weeks, so now my pool is super grungy green and filled with leaves.

Week one.
-maybe it is the capacitor. I'll order a new one. Pool is blue, there is no need to pay for additional shipping.

Week two
-Get new capacitor. Nope. Maybe its time for a new motor? Pool is turning green. Order new motor, pay for additional quick shipping.

End of Week two.
-Install new motor with new rubber and ceramic seals. Turn the Switch...Nothing. Grab multimeter. 120 black, 120 red. 240ish total. Okay....Maybe I was sent a broken motor. Pool is murky, emerald green, there is a scummy film on top. The wife is making suggestions. Quickly pack up motor, order new motor.

Tonight.
-Install new motor with new rubber and ceramic seals. Turn the Switch...Nothing. Grab multimeter. 120 black, 120 red. 240ish total.


Seriously folks, any idea what is going on? There is juice to the motor, shouldn't I hear something?

 

[mas985]

Did you ever try running the motor without the wet end installed?

Are you measuring voltage between the black and red directly?

 

[stlpoolnoob]

Yes and yes.

I tried hooking up just the motor with two of the three. No impeller and whatnot. flip the switch...Nothing.

I tested black to ground = 120
I tested Red to ground = 120
I put the multimeter across both black and red and got 240.

Any ideas? I mean thats, three motors, I must be missing something easy right?

 

[pooladdict]

Wire?

Have you changed it or are you using the same one?

 

[stlpoolnoob]

same one that comes from the power box. I eliminated the timer.

 

[pooladdict]

wires show power? This is beyond my comprehension...baffles me...hopefully someone with more electrical experience will chime in...good luck

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Disconnect the motor physically from the wires, breaker on, switch on, everything on, and carefully read each wire. Do you still read 120 from each wire to a good ground ??

 

[pooladdict]

Sorry if repeating myself, but you have checked it not connected to the wet end right?

If not, could be the impeller stuck.

 

[JamesW]

I would suspect a bad breaker, wire or switch. In some cases, you can get voltage with no load, but the voltage drops out under load. For example, if the wire is broken, but the two ends are touching, then it could show voltage, but it wouldn't support a load.

Try checking voltage line-to-line with the wires connected to the motor and the switch on. Connect your test leads at the motor line terminals with insulated clips.

Note: Don't do anything that you're not sure that you can do safely.

 

[stlpoolnoob]

we are beyond my safety zone. Time for the pro's.

Thank you guys, I appreciate the time you have put in with these responses. I will update with what I find out. Hopefully we all learn something.

 

[Seldon67]

As a retail end guy, it is embarrassing but not impossible to have 3 bad motors, especially if you are buying inferior or rebuilt brands. Take your motor to a pool store, they'll usually bench check it for free.

 

[schurtj]

This sounds like something I just went through. I finally hired an electrician and he discovered that the wire from the panel to the motor was shorting out because some of the insulation was missing off the wires. New feed cable and pump fired right up.