Power cord is HOT

Jump to latest Follow Reply
danpik said:
So, if i understand you correctly, there is less load on the motor if the pressure goes up. This would equate to less energy usage then or not
Click to expand...
Yes, less load on the motor and less energy use as pressure increases. The "power" delivered to the water is related to both pressure AND flow rate. In fact, it is proportional to the product of the two. As you move from left to right on the head curve (lower head & lower pressure), the product of pressure and flow rate increases so input power to the impeller must also increase. Efficiency in the pump and the motor then come into play such that the electric power delivered to the motor is much higher than the hydraulic power delivered to the water.

However, although energy use decreases with higher pressure, flow rate also decreases and faster than energy use so the energy factor, a measure of efficiency (GPM/watt), also decreases so the pump is less efficient even though it is using less power.
 
I called the pool company who sold me the pool last year, and the electrician, who arrived yesterday morning, and they both thought the motor is just running hot because that's how it runs, and because we had 100 degree heat last week. The users guide for the pump states that it runs hot, over 140 degrees. It has a Thermal overload sensor as dobeluvr pointed out so it's designed to shut down if it gets too hot, then will restart when it's cooled down. So, I am very embarrassed to say, I fussed over nothing the last week, although the problem I had with the previous motor over the 4th did have a very hot cord, and I wonder if it had anything to do with having the wrong sized breaker (15) and the rest was set up for a 20 amp line to the pool.

Now Im working to get the cloudy pool water back to sparkling for our wedding here next week!

Thank you all for your patience and expertise, I am grateful for it.
 
Good news finally!

CJadamec's post was excellent and explained the temps ratings on the label well. After reading that, it did sound like the pump was actually running as expected and its nice to see the electrician agrees. The cord getting hot was actually a problem that you had corrected, so you should be very pleased with that.

This thread I'm sure will be a help to others in the future who have hot running pumps and/or cords. Really good info in here.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Anything stuck in the impeller or something broken. Also, spin the impeller by hand and see if is smooth and not binding.
 
You really need to measure volts and amps under load.

Also, I suspect that the pump cord is undersized.

What size is the power cord?

Can you show a picture of the wiring at the pump?
 
I apologize, Ive been fighting a headache for a week, so I can only work on this when I can think. I'll get a picture posted.
We had the same problem with a previous motor in June and Doughboy replaced it. This one is only two months old.
 
I apologize, we have several things needing repair suddenly in our home and the pool thing seems very overwhelming. But, Here's the latest update with our pump/motor/power cord:
Yesterday I went out and looked it all over and realized I haven't emptied the small basket on the pump itself for several days and it had a plastic label from a bleach bottle stuck in there, actually lining the inside of the basket. :crazy: I must have vaccumed it up last week when it was super cloudy and I was shocking the pool and vacuuming every day. During the slam I ran it almost 24/7 for 5 or six days.

I guessing this could have have damaged the motor and or the power. cord. Does this sound like it's the problem?

I'm sorry, I'm listening to what you all have suggested, and will move forward on your suggestions, just moving at a snails pace with this.
 
Sorry to see you having so much trtouble, We just put up a pool and we were told the min. for an above ground pool is 20 amps. From what I am reading, you have possibly a compound problem. First you want a 20 amp circuit for that pump! It probably ran ok last year, but progressively started to draw too much current. It sounds like there might be a problem in the filter which is causing the pump to work too hard and with the 15 amp circuit not supplying enough current and the pump laboring, together you will keep cooking pumps. A 20 amp circuit from the service entrance to where the pool is using AWG 12 outdoor wire should fix the electric problem, Get the filter checked out and you should be O.K. Hope this helps, You can rum the pump 24-7 when these things are corrected.
 
I have been running a Doughboy above ground pool for 30 years. (No Kidding). I have seen it all. I worked in electronics and IT hardware for 40 years. If an AC motor is too hot to touch it is defective. It should have a thermal safety switch that should turn off the motor if it overheats. My motor requires a 20 amps at 110 volts circuit. It never gets hot. Such motors often have a set of starting windings then a centrifugal switch applies power to just the running windings. If the starting windings stay energized the motor will probably overheat. Any competent electrician should have a device to measure the current draw of the running motor. It is a clamp type of fixture that the electrician clamps around the motor wire. The motor should be removed from the pump and bench tested.
 
Ok, I got a pool serviceman out today. He says the motor is runnng at 14.8 amps consistently. Which is almost full throttle. He said the motor should not be running as hot as it is (see my posts above from July!) it's only 70 degrees here today. So he is calling the manufacturer. Against, this is my third motor, and we just opened the pool last June. Pool Guy says the filter is fine and its got a strong return. The flow all seems fine. We talked about the fact that our pool would have been fine with even a 3/4 hp motor, but they set us up with a 1-1/2 hp.

Now I am thinking about getting a variable speed ( or two speed even?) motor instead. He said he could give us credit towards an $1100 Pentair Variable Speed, and it's a 1-1/2 hp. I'm so confused.

STEP: We got the 20 amp breaker put in in July at the same time we got the pump/ motor replaced.
ASERIES: I just saw your post, the pool guy agrees with you, but I can't figure out why we keep getting duds. It's a very reputable company. (Century apparently makes the motor)
 
All things being equal and this being a recurring problem over multiple motors. With the amp draw that high you have a voltage problem. Have that same electrician measure voltage at the pump while it is running and drawing that high amperage. Then have him measure the voltage being supplied to the pump at the breaker panel in the house. If there is more than a 3% difference that is a problem. There should be no less than 116volts at the pump while it is running. Assuming you have 120volts at your breaker panel. New circuit or not the issues you are repeatedly having point to damaged or undersized wiring to you pump. Putting an expensive VS pump out there is a poor bandaid that hides the underlying cause of the problem. The VS pump will likely have a short life if the real problem isn't fixed.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply