Should my pump be too hot to keep my hand on it?

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FloridaPoolGal

FloridaPoolGal

LifeTime Supporter
Jan 8, 2016
119
Altamonte Springs, FL
Pool Size
20000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I was doing my daily visual inspection of my pool and pool equipment. I reached down and touched my pump and it was hot. So hot that I could not leave my hand on it for more than a few seconds. All my plumbing was sweating like crazy because today was in the mid-70's but the humidity was 80+% and the pool water is about 68 degrees. I bring this up because there was cool water moving through the pump and it was still very hot.

Should the pump be so hot? Has it always been this hot to the touch? I have touched it before in summer and it was hot but I don't remember it being as hot as it was today. The pump hit it's first birthday this month.

The pump is 1 hp. I cleaned the filter cartridge when it hit 10 lbs and it is back down to 8 lbs. Skimmer sock is clean. Basket is clean. Nothing has changed. This picture was not taken today.



 
Looks like a new motor on an old pump. If only the motor was replaced, the motor might be under sized for the impeller.

What is the model of the pump? What are the hp and service factor for the motor?

If you feel comfortable, you could check volts and amps to see if they are good.

You could get a non-contact infrared thermometer and scan the motor for hot spots. Anything over about 150 f is too hot.
 
Ale_Brewer said:
Is it the pump that's hot or the motor?


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I guess I am using slopping terminology and I'm talking about the motor.

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JohnT said:
It's normal for them to be too hot to keep your hand on it. Not hot enough to burn, but uncomfortable.
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Yes, your description is what I am experiencing. If I move my hand to the 'end' that is not connected to other hardware, it is cool.
 
Ale_Brewer said:
Is it the pump that's hot or the motor?


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I did have a pro do the replacement so hopefully it was done right! I will say that I thought it was noisier than the old one but I don't really know for sure. I attached a picture of the spec plate (hope it's clear enough). I want a silent motor!
 

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The total horsepower is 1.25. That might be enough, but we need to know the pump model. Really we need to know what impeller is installed. Was the impeller replaced?

Hot is a relative term. A non contact thermometer can check the surface temperature. They're pretty cheap. You can get a cheap one for less than $20.

You just point it at the motor and read the temperature.

You could also check volts and amps if you feel comfortable.
 
The motor is the part that is hot. The pump is the part that makes the noise. If something sounds different, the pump/motor combination could be different. Also the impeller like James said


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