Pump failure /freezing temps

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Pittdave79

Active member
May 11, 2021
31
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Pump wont run. It was running on freeze protect. Happened to head out to collect trash and realized the pump was not on. Breaker was tripped. Now it wont run at all. At first, i was getting a message pump not communicating with msp, i resolved that but the pump still will not run...I am in central PA and took advantage of the mid 70s weather last week to deal with algae and open the spillover. Wasnt planning on a pump failure.

Details:
Salt pool
Hayward Tristar vs950, 3 years old.
Omnilogic.
gfci 20 2pole homeline breaker.
I have good power at the pump.
I did smell the acrid odor of melted plastic at in the pump, but a visual inspection revealed no burning.
I attempted to reconnect the on-board display but it did not work.
I have also been trying to solve a poor prime on this pump since last year, and cannot find any leaks. No matter if pumped from the spa, main drains or skimmer, just wont prime all the way. Could this be why it is dead?
I do have a duplicate pump that is hooked up to the spa jets I could use, it primes perfectly. Would hate to kill two pumps.

My pressing issue is the nightime temperatures
the next several nights. Any suggestion on how to keep the pipes from freezing or should i just shut everything down and blow the pipes tomorrow, hoping my pipes dont blow tonight. I was also in the middle of a SLAM as this happens.

Any thoughts? Thank you.
 
Sorry about the pump problem. If a pump runs with no flow for an extended period, it gets really hot, which can be fatal. "Extended period" depends on the pump, minutes to hours. I'm sure you know priming problems are due to air leaks. That's a topic covered heavily here. Use "suction side leak" as a search term.

I looked at weather underground. Looks like your low tonight is around 29F and only 4 hours below freezing. I'm not an expert, but have been through pretty much exactly the same (failed pump; mild freezing). IMO there's not too much risk with these temps. It would still be a good idea - if for no other reason than to sleep better - to set all valves at 50/50 and drain the pad as well as you can. Open pump drain plugs and any others that apply. I'd pay special attention to the heater if you have one. Its internal pipes are small, metal, and coiled. All add freeze risk.

I did the above and no issues for a couple of days until pump parts arrived.
 
Last edited:
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Following up on the pump. Upon further review in daylight conditions, I have found the source of the burning smell. The gasket that seals the power board had a leak. A small amount of water made its way onto and rolled back on the underside of the board. I was able to clearly follow the water stain on the bottom from a burned mark on the board to the L2 power post, which obviously resulted in a short. Explains the smell and explains the gfci trip. The power board is toast, but i bet the breaker saved the pump and everything down line. Now to find a replacement board! Lesson learned: Check ALL gaskets frequently!
 
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I think you will find the SPX3400DR - Motor Drive is only available as a complete unit and costs around $900.
 
ajw22 said:
I think you will find the SPX3400DR - Motor Drive is only available as a complete unit and costs around $900.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you will know this answer...
The drive on my machine is the SP3200DRZ2(B).

It appears newer models of the tristar vs950 are equipped with the part you suggest.

Do you happen to know if these are interchangeable? From what ive read, the newer models of the vs950 are mostly the same but with some seal improvements but i havent seen if these parts are interchangeable.
 
Pittdave79 said:
Perhaps you will know this answer...
The drive on my machine is the SP3200DRZ2(B).

It appears newer models of the tristar vs950 are equipped with the part you suggest.

Do you happen to know if these are interchangeable? From what ive read, the newer models of the vs950 are mostly the same but with some seal improvements but i havent seen if these parts are interchangeable.
Click to expand...

Dunno. I got that part number from the manual.

Maybe @1poolman1 knows.
 
Pittdave79 said:
Perhaps you will know this answer...
The drive on my machine is the SP3200DRZ2(B).

It appears newer models of the tristar vs950 are equipped with the part you suggest.

Do you happen to know if these are interchangeable? From what ive read, the newer models of the vs950 are mostly the same but with some seal improvements but i havent seen if these parts are interchangeable.
Click to expand...
Drives are not interchangeable, they mount differently. If you don't have automation, a Nidec Neptune NPTQ270 complete motor is less than the EcoStar drive. Even with automation, relay inputs can control it as well.
 
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