Low pressure output, high amperage on motor.

[ursaursa]

Pool was running great this summer til I found motor not running. Have Sta-Rite pump and A.O. Smith motor. Found bad capacitor & replaced. When I restarted the motor it would not transition from start to run mode. I thought I had bad motor. Replaced motor, impeller and diffuser. When I started pump, it primed ok but then started to make a surging sound and I noticed the output pressure on top of the sand filter housing was only 2 psi, water was returning to pool but with much less velocity and measured motor amps which were higher than rated.(7.6 amps rated but measured 11.6)
Motor sounds normal as it is pulling water into strainer basket but when system is pressurized motor sounds like it is overloaded. Any ideas?

 

[CNJ_EC]

ursaursa,

Can you post some close-ups of the rating plate off both the old & new pump.

Is this a new or re-built motor? Where was it purchase?

When the original impeller & diffuser was pulled ... what condition were they in? Who did the work?

What's the exact Model# of your Sta-Rite pump, and where were the parts purchased?

My immediate advice would be to power the pump down until we can figure out what's going on.