Hi everyone,
I had a 2 year old 1.5hp 230v pump that started to trip the breaker every time it was turned on. The pump begins to spin, water begins to move, and within about a second, a small audible poof/pop electrical sound can be heard, and the breaker trips - I haven't been able to determine where the sound is coming from yet but it sounds like the controller (20 year old Blue Haven BH2100 Controller) or the pump itself. I did some research and, although it seemed like awfully early failure (which I've learned definitely doesn't rule anything out with pools), all sources pointed at a bad pump so I replaced the old pump with a new hayward 1.5hp 230v pump.
Looks like I should've done some additional troubleshooting because it's doing the exact same thing with the new pump installed. I've done some basic troubleshooting but haven't found anything. Here's what I've checked since I've installed the new pump
Verified the pump is wired for 230v
Verified the pump's shaft spins freely
Verified the wiring at the pump is tight with plenty of metal to metal contact at the terminals
Replaced the dual post 30a circuit breaker in the main circuit breaker box as it looked like an easy possible fix, but same symptoms with the new one.
The pool system has a circuit breaker installed at the BH2100 controller board that's also a dual post 30a. Not sure if it means anything, or if this opens possibilities to additional trouble shooting, but the breaker at the pool isn't tripping, but the breaker in the main box for the house's dedicated pool circuit is.
I'm not certain what to check next or how to go about doing some of the checks I'm thinking might be required. Your expertise and experience is greatly appreciated.
Here are some of the next steps I'm thinking about doing.
Let me know if I'm on the right track with any of these or way off base and need some redirection:
Thanks again for your help!
I had a 2 year old 1.5hp 230v pump that started to trip the breaker every time it was turned on. The pump begins to spin, water begins to move, and within about a second, a small audible poof/pop electrical sound can be heard, and the breaker trips - I haven't been able to determine where the sound is coming from yet but it sounds like the controller (20 year old Blue Haven BH2100 Controller) or the pump itself. I did some research and, although it seemed like awfully early failure (which I've learned definitely doesn't rule anything out with pools), all sources pointed at a bad pump so I replaced the old pump with a new hayward 1.5hp 230v pump.
Looks like I should've done some additional troubleshooting because it's doing the exact same thing with the new pump installed. I've done some basic troubleshooting but haven't found anything. Here's what I've checked since I've installed the new pump
Verified the pump is wired for 230v
Verified the pump's shaft spins freely
Verified the wiring at the pump is tight with plenty of metal to metal contact at the terminals
Replaced the dual post 30a circuit breaker in the main circuit breaker box as it looked like an easy possible fix, but same symptoms with the new one.
The pool system has a circuit breaker installed at the BH2100 controller board that's also a dual post 30a. Not sure if it means anything, or if this opens possibilities to additional trouble shooting, but the breaker at the pool isn't tripping, but the breaker in the main box for the house's dedicated pool circuit is.
I'm not certain what to check next or how to go about doing some of the checks I'm thinking might be required. Your expertise and experience is greatly appreciated.
Here are some of the next steps I'm thinking about doing.
Let me know if I'm on the right track with any of these or way off base and need some redirection:
- Test the boards in the controller but I'm not sure how to go about testing it
- Bypass the controller board and put 230v from the house's circuit breaker directly to the pump just to trouble shoot the board/board wiring - If that fixes it I'd be tempted to go with a couple hundred dollar mechanical timer instead of replacing the BH2100
- Replace the dual post 30a at the pool equipment
- Replace the hard wires in the conduit leading up to the pump from the controller. They're old and crusty 20 year old wires that have baked in the Florida heat their whole lives. It's only a 5 foot run from the control board's circuit breaker. The insulation I can see looks okay but is getting brittle.
Thanks again for your help!