Brand new pump stopped working

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Liviesmommy

0
Jun 13, 2015
78
Clinton, Utah
We just bought and set up our pool this weekend, I had left the pump running overnight as per the instructions for our SWG, and when I got up this morning the pump was not working. It was the basic pump that came with our pool, I'm trying to contact Coleman, but what should we do in the meantime? Should I keep the kids out until the pump is replaced?
Will we have to start all over with the salt we put in the pool of it takes a few days to a week to get a new pump?


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Test and add chlorine/bleach to the target level for your CYA, brush the pool to mix it wait 20 min and the send the kids into the pool to mix it more.

Use the Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart to determine you FC level.
Use Pool School - PoolMath to calculate how much to add.

it is important to keep the chlorine level above the minimum level at ALL times to keep your pool sanitized and algae free. Aim for target or 1-2 ppm higher and test daily. Especially until you are familiar with your pool and its chlorine consumption.
 
Keep in mind when your pump isn't running, the salt chlorine generator isn't working too...so you'll have to dose the pool manually with chlorine until you get it going again.

Try the simple things first...have you plugged something else into the outlet where you have the pump plugged in? Have you plugged the pump into a different circuit? GFCI or simply a tripped breaker could be the issue, especially if you're running the pump via an extension cord.
 
We are using an extension cord right now, I haven't tried plugging anything else into it. I will do that now! I checked for tripped breakers and tried to reset the pump. Hopefully when my hubby gets home we can figure it out. I added my cya last night and will add more chlorine today as it was only at 2ppm last night. Thanks for your help everyone! I honestly do not know the brand of the pump...it's the pump that came with our Coleman 16x48 pool


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Update:
It's not the pump...it's our electrical outlet, but it's looking like it had something to do with the pump running and possibly the sprinkler system going off. I'm not sure at this point, but we have several outlets that are now not working. :( the breaker looks fine...not tripped.
So, Jeffchap, how do we know if we have an undersized pump? Are most pumps that come with the pools undersized? We just paid 179.00 for the SWG....I'm gonna have to wait on a better pump for awhile. :(


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The rule of thumb used to be whether or not it was enough to turn over your pool x times per day (2 times, 4 times? I don't recall). If your pool is 5000 gal, your pump will turn it over almost 5 times per day provided you run it 24x7. But most people don't want to do that.



But the old rule has fallen out of favor, and most folks just base it upon whether or not it keeps your pool clean enough. My first metal frame Intex was 14'x42", and I used the cartridge filter it came with for a while. Buy it didn't stir the water up too well and I always had a lot of sediment on the bottom to sweep up every day. Oklahoma is very dusty in the summer. Once I swapped it out for a larger pump, it stayed a lot cleaner.



But my biggest reason for the swap was to replace the cartridge with a sand filter. It seems like I was always rinsing out or replacing cartridges, and the sand is much more maintenance free. Backwash a couple of times per season, and that's it. And I don't even mind the backwashing. It's kind of fun to see what comes out of it. I know, I may need professional help....



You may find the standard pump works okay for you. But most people feel they are jst about the minimum size you would want for the pools they come with. Worst case is you may have to vacuum and skim a little more. Try it and see. If it works for you, stick with it. You can always upgrade later.
 

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Even if the breaker looks like it's not tripped, did you flip it ALL the way to the off position, then back into the on position? Sometimes they need reset even if they don't look tripped. Also, when you do that, be sure take the load off of it, like don't plug the pump in, while you're testing. You may need to replace that breaker.
 
My Pool is a little over 5,000 gallons. I really do not want to have to run my pump 24 hours a day! :/ What size of pump should I get if I decided to invest in a sand filter pump? Would a 1200 GPH Sand Filter be sufficient? This is the one I was looking at: http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Sand-Fi...4463458&sr=8-1&keywords=Sand+Filter+Pool+Pump

Sandra- We actually found out last night that all of those outlets were on the same circuit and it tripped the GFCI outlet in our garage....after we replaced the breaker LOL! We are good to go now!
 
Glad you found the tripped GFCi. I remember when that happened to me once....something wouldn't work and I finally figured out it was the tripped GFCI in the bathroom, far from the problem outlet! The pump you linked looks good....it says "Pump Flow Rate: 3,000 gph (11.3 m3/hr). System Flow Rate: 2,450 gph (9.2 m3/hr)"; I'm not sure which number to use for the gallons per hour (gph), the 3,000 or the 2,450, but say it's the 2,450. It will take it 2 hours to filter your entire pool water of 5,000 gallons through the pump/filter. If you want it to flow through 3 times per day, a good rate, that's about 6 hours run time on the pump. Sounds very reasonable. I have a sand filter and love the low maintenance of it.
 
I know this thread is older, but:
Don't forget though that with the SWCG, you may end up needing more than 6 hours run-time to generate enough chlorine... It all depends on whether your pool is in the sun all day, what your CYA level is, and how much use it gets, and when.

In sunny AZ :sun: 6 hours of run-time probably wouldn't be enough to keep chlorine in the pool at safe levels for the other 18 hours of the day, even at that turn over rate.

You have to experiment with how long to run the pump & SWCG, and at what time of day... If you do most of your swimming in the late afternoon or evening, running the system in the early morning, or overnight might not work best, because by the time people are getting in FC could be zero, which wouldn't be safe and sanitary :oops:... even if it managed to keep the algae away.

We had to use trial and error, and lots of testing :testkit:.. to work out when to run ours.

My dh and kids used to tease me about getting out my "chemistry set" with all its "tubes and beakers"... They even called me a "pool nerd"... Until I pointed out our pretty, sparkly water... And the laughing stopped. (well, at least about that). :clown:
 
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