AO Smith Century pump not working

[eemueller]

My pool pump was working fine yesterday, but today it won't run. I discovered this by finding the breaker tripped. When I reset it, and tired to turn the motor on, it just hummed. I immediately turned it off. This pump is less than one year old, and the seals were replaced when I replaced the motor. Before I pull the pump out the the system, I was wondering if there are any tricks I can try first. Thanks in advance.

 

[1poolman1]

AOSmith/Century makes motors, not pumps. Which of your StaRite pumps are you talking about? Is the impeller free? You can reach in and try to spin it through the hair-and-lint pot. Do you see anything "oily" dripping out of the back of the motor? That would indicate a blown capacitor.

 

[eemueller]

AOSmith/Century makes motors, not pumps. Which of your StaRite pumps are you talking about? Is the impeller free? You can reach in and try to spin it through the hair-and-lint pot. Do you see anything "oily" dripping out of the back of the motor? That would indicate a blown capacitor.

Thanks for the quick reply. You're correct, it is a StaRite pump. It's attached to a 2 hp AO Smith motor. I do not see anything leaking from the rear of the motor, but I didn't check to see if the impeller spins freely. I'll certainly give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[1poolman1]

It may be time to replace that 2hp motor with a V-Green 2.7 variable-speed motor. They even have an auxiliary electrical output that can turn the SWG on your pool on and off.

 

[eemueller]

It may be time to replace that 2hp motor with a V-Green 2.7 variable-speed motor. They even have an auxiliary electrical output that can turn the SWG on your pool on and off.

The Jandy Aquapure controller takes care of the SWG. I did find the problem with the 2hp pump. Organic debris had gotten through the basket and was wedged between the diffuser and impeller in the bronze seal. Looked like small needles from Yew bushes. I have recently had a large landscaping project completed that included lots of Yews. As soon as I cleaned the debris out, everything worked great.

 

[1poolman1]

The Jandy Aquapure controller takes care of the SWG. I did find the problem with the 2hp pump. Organic debris had gotten through the basket and was wedged between the diffuser and impeller in the bronze seal. Looked like small needles from Yew bushes. I have recently had a large landscaping project completed that included lots of Yews. As soon as I cleaned the debris out, everything worked great.

See that all the time on the larger horsepower StaRite pumps. May need a skimmer sock.