Overnight, pump got painfully loud

[Kelly Gordon]

Hi all:

We got 6+ inches of rain last week, and since we're closing our pool this week, I spent some time outside getting water off our cover and shaping things up for winter. Once I got the water off the cover, I found the pool water level had dropped several inches; not sure where it went, but maybe the pressure of all the rain on the cover forced it out somewhere? It was at the bottom of the skimmer boxes, so I turned the pump off (our pump normally runs 24/7, because it is on a different level and on the other side of the yard from our pool) so I could add water to the pool.

Once the water level was up again, I re-primed the pump and got everything started again. Almost immediately, my Aqua Rite SWG system started to rebel. The power light went off (which I'd never seen happen) and then back on, and then off, and then back to on and generating chlorine. I left it overnight to see if it would balance out by morning.

Instead, the pump got REALLY loud overnight. Painfully so. I went out this morning and backwashed, but the sound remains the same. Pressure is a little higher than it was at the start of the season. (Is it normal for the "normal" pressure to slowly drift up a pound or two?) And the SWG system is still back and forth.

Questions, in addition to the ones above:
1. Is my pump going out?
2. Can a faulty pump affect the SWG, or is something funky with it too?

Thanks,

Kelly

 

[Isaac-1]

It is hard to say, can you describe loud, was it squealing?

 

[duraleigh]

Is your pump staying primed? Any air in the pump strainer basket ?

 

[Kelly Gordon]

The pump was primed at the time of the squealing. It's a very loud grind with a high pitch whine. The pump is right next to our bedroom wall, and it was so loud, it woke me up.

(Probably not related but I'lll ask anyway: I turned the pump off last night so I could sleep. And once again, I lost prime. Is the normal? Or maybe it's normal for our pool set-up, since the pump is essentially a floor above the pool? I'd love to run the timer on our pump next summer, but if the pump loses prime every time it's shut off, it's not worth it. I don't want to accidentally run it dry. Plus, getting prime back takes a ton of work when the pool is at a different level.)

 

[Isaac-1]

It sounds like you may have a bearing failing in your pump motor. The bearing are technically replaceable, however many people replace the entire motor. If you do replace the motor get a new pump seal while you are at it.