I think my pump died - what to do?

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lvrpl

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Jun 18, 2015
148
Dallas, TX
This morning I noticed my Polaris was running but my waterfall and pool returns weren't going. Upon inspection, I found that the filter pump was not running...

The pump wasn't making any noise or anything, just wasn't running, but the motor was hot to the touch. I played with the timer for a few minutes flipping it off and on, and at one point, the pump started making a loud noise like it was running but no water was moving through the pump basket.

Am I correct to assume that this is a shot motor? Is the pump/impeller half ok to keep (meaning I'd just need to replace or fix the motor)?

For what it's worth, the whole unit is probably at least 5 years old, maybe even 10 or more. Looks like the plate says it's a WhisperFlo WF-28. However, we're very likely selling the house and moving in the next 3-6 months so I've got no desire to use this as an opportunity to upgrade to a fancy new 2-speed or multi-speed pump.

Thanks for any help or advice.
 
I agree with duraleigh. The same happened to me and I replaced the capacitor. It fired right up after that. I paid $18 at Grainger for it. If yours is like mine there is a metal hump on the motor housing. The hump is the cover for the capacitor. Just remove and replace. The polarity of the wires doesn’t matter if you only have 2 wires.
 
Irv,

Definitely agree with the others suggesting you try the capacitor. If you can easily remove the pump motor I've found that if you can start the motor by spinning the motor then switch power this means the motor just need a start capacitor. Considering it's pretty cheap just to buy the capacitor this is the best way to go for most people. You can also test the capacitor, it's pretty easy and you can Google for video's. Last thing is be careful with the capacitor; it can give you a real jolt if you don't discharge it before handling.

If the motor turns out to be bad you definitely can just replace it or have it rebuilt. There are plenty of shops in your area that can rebuild it usually for well under 1/2 the cost of a new one. If you go this route do the buyer a huge favor and replace the pump seal also. It costs about $20 and will be your good deed for the day.

I hope this helps.

Chris
 
Thanks for the guidance so far, everyone.

So if the capacitor is bad, will the motor get hot when it's supposed to be running?

And also, perhaps more for future reference, would you have any hesitation continuing to use the same impeller/pump in my case if the whole motor is bad?
 
lvrpl said:
Thanks for the guidance so far, everyone.

So if the capacitor is bad, will the motor get hot when it's supposed to be running?

And also, perhaps more for future reference, would you have any hesitation continuing to use the same impeller/pump in my case if the whole motor is bad?
Click to expand...

Irv,

Seems like it may have gotten hot but don't remember that... could be thermal limit switch keeps it from overheating.

No hesitation at all on my part to use existing impeller/pump. Pump impellers and housing can last a lot longer than the motor so long as the housing isn't cracked.

I hope this helps.

Chris
 
Thanks for the help so far.

After leaving the pump alone for a few hours today (and letting the motor cool off), I went out to try turning it on to see what would happen. When I manually turned it on, the motor made a loud buzzing/whirring sound for 5 or 10 seconds, and then shut off. It wouldn't turn back on right after that (I haven't tried it again since then). The water in the pump basket was slightly moving, but I wouldn't even call the water movement anything close to pumping.

With that, would it still make sense that it's the capacitor? Seems like it kicked on for a few seconds and I would assume that means the capacitor is fine, but am I missing something? This is the first time I've tried to work on or diagnose an electric motor like this.
 
lvrpl said:
Thanks for the help so far.

After leaving the pump alone for a few hours today (and letting the motor cool off), I went out to try turning it on to see what would happen. When I manually turned it on, the motor made a loud buzzing/whirring sound for 5 or 10 seconds, and then shut off. It wouldn't turn back on right after that (I haven't tried it again since then). The water in the pump basket was slightly moving, but I wouldn't even call the water movement anything close to pumping.

With that, would it still make sense that it's the capacitor? Seems like it kicked on for a few seconds and I would assume that means the capacitor is fine, but am I missing something? This is the first time I've tried to work on or diagnose an electric motor like this.
Click to expand...

Irv,

Capacitors are kind of finicky so I'd test it. It's really easy to do. Here's how I do it:
  1. Turn off all power to the pool equipment at the main breaker... not just the pump breaker!
  2. Remove the pump connection cover or housing. Double check power is off with a voltmeter at the power supply to the pump.
  3. Remove the capacitor cover and expose the leads.
  4. Short the capacitor terminals with a screw driver then remove the leads.
  5. Set your multi-meter to ohms and touch it to the terminals
  6. If the needle deflects then goes down your capacitor is good.
  7. If the needle deflects and stays high or if it doesn't move your capacitor is bad.
  8. You can watch a short video on this here.

It does seem like your motor is bad but it's so easy to check I'd do it. $15 for a capacitor, $300+ for a motor. Pretty good potential return.

If you need a new motor check around for a place that will rebuild it. I had this done one time in the Dallas area for under $100 and the motor lasted for years. There is also an industrial supply company (I think near Plano) that has quality bearings and seals very cheap. If you need this info let me know and I'll see if I can find it in my records.

I hope this helps.

Chris
 
Hello Irv,

Per Chris' note above - try Tolbert electric - they can test and repair/rebuild as needed and have been around a long time! If it is just a capacitor great, but once off and in their hands I might think about having the bearings replaced if it is 5+ years old.

I took my 18 year old motor to them (pretty much knowing the windings were toast - would pop breaker immediately). They validated and sold me a new motor at a very reasonable price and I was on my way in 15 minutes. They have locations in Dallas and Garland. I used the Garland location.

T. Gray Electric - Home
 

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Thanks everyone for the help so far. I'm just installing my new motor this morning and have fast question. Of the three wires on the electrical connection, one is obviously ground. The other two are neutral and hot, but I don't which is which because the wire insulation is faded. Is there any easy way to tell? Or does it matter because it's AC?

Thanks again for any help.

Also peirek - thanks for the tip on T. Gray Electric - they were a great help and got me the motor I needed after testing my old one.
 
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