Pool pump may be dead. . .

[giulietta1]

We've had a lot of rain here, and that often results in the circuit breaker to my booster pump tripping (it's on a GFCI). Last night the circuit for the main pump was also tripped. That has only happened once before, so I wasn't too worried about it. THEN I switched it back on, went back to the pool, and the pump still wasn't running. Inspection revealed that the grounding wire was broken. I tried reattaching it, but that didn't help.

I'm hoping the problem was caused by a little rainwater which will have dried out in today's lovely sunshine. I have to admit, tho, that my pump may be dead. I'd have to say that wouldn't be altogether TERRIBLE news, but it would be a nuisance.

The pool guy made to my house VERY promptly the last time I needed help/repair; this could be a good opportunity to get a timer installed if I need a new pump. My pool is small enough that I could probably get by with a 3/4 hp; I really like the two-speed feature of my current pump, tho. I will have to check out prices. . .

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be the problem? I haven't checked the pump strainer pot or anything. Tonight I will tinker with it a bit more.

 

[JasonLion]

If water got into the electrical connections it would trigger the GFI right away until it dried out. If the GFI keeps tripping as soon as you reset it, chances are everything will be fine once it all dries out. Of course rain shouldn't trip GFIs if everything is installed correctly. Water must be getting into the wiring somewhere and that could cause several intermittent problems that will tend to get worse over time as the water eventually corrodes things.

If the GFI resets and doesn't trip again I would suspect the GFI. Try the test button on the GFI and make sure that trips it. If it doesn't then the GFI is broken.

And, yes the pump might simply be broken, but that is the last place I would suspect a problem.

 

[Matt 633]

Hi Jules.

If you don't mind sharing, what was the resolution to this problem?

You've been keeping us pool equipment junkies in limbo. :?

Thanks

 

[giulietta1]

Hi Jules.

If you don't mind sharing, what was the resolution to this problem?

You've been keeping us pool equipment junkies in limbo. :?

Thanks

Thank you for your concern about the health of my pool equipment. :lol:

As it turned out, the main pump was fine. The junction box was full of water and apparently there was an ant's nest behind the pump switch. Bill, the pool guy/electrician, emptied out the water and cleaned out the nest, then asked me to flip the circuit breaker off and then back on. The power came back on and the main pump worked!

The junction box was in a location where water draining off the roof would pour right onto it. Bill caulked it up so it shouldn't get waterlogged again (we hope!)

I also got a new cover for the pump strainer basket to replace the old cracked one. Now there are no air bubbles coming out my returns and my pH has actually been steady for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT! It was a minor miracle that the local pool store had that cover in stock; that pump is no longer made.

Unfortunately, now my booster pump doesn't work so I can't run the solar heater. When I try turning that on, it hums for a few minutes then shuts up altogether. Guess I need to call the pool store again. Might be another quick fix. . . if the booster pump is dead, maybe I could just bypass it, put in an automatic valve and a timer system. I don't really know which would be cheaper! The booster pump is only 3/4 hp and should be fairly cheap to replace, but it would be nice to have some automation.

Any suggestions? The main pump is 2-speed, so what I'm thinking is, if a timer could be set up to kick it to high power during the (usually) sunny hours of the day, and an automatic valve to the solar panels could be set to open at the same time, that would provide sufficient pressure. Does that sound possible? I know that the automatic valves can be used with a thermostatic systems, but those are a bit more than I want to spend right now. It would be a very helpful upgrade, tho, better than just a time clock. I could probably scrape up the $$$ with a little encouragement!

Would greatly appreciate some advice!

 

[Matt 633]

Hi Jules.

Thanks for the reply. Just another piece of info to put into the data base. :-D

Is your booster pump like one for a pool cleaner? One possibility is that something is caught in the impeller and not allowing the motor to turn. Taking the pump part off and trying the motor would answer that question. By the time that you replace the seals, o-rings, and the motor, you could just abot get a whole new pump. Labor costs would be extra of course.

Perhaps now is the time, as you've mentioned, to evaluate the whole system. Is this the correct pump for your application? I know it has worked, but how well? I'm thinking that you could devise a system that would eliminate this pump altogether. Perhaps you can find a way to make it work for you and save up for one of those nice variable speed pumps and automation systems - maybe even have one of the relays start the coffee for you too. :-D Then you too could share with the rest of us how many watts that you aren't using anymore.

 

[JasonLion]

Given that there has been water in the electrical wiring, I would strongly suspect that something is wrong with the wiring and the boster pump is fine. Once there is water in the electrical box it can flow throught the conduit to other places and cause other problems.

 

[twittke]

Pump Humming then tripping the breaker

I used to work on pool pump motors when I was younger. I would change bearings, seals, etc, etc.
People would bring pumps in all the time with the problem of it humming and then finally tripping the breaker. Just like someone else said, it could be something stuck in the impeller but most of the time not. 90% of the time its that the elctrical contacts that start the motor are corroded.

If you pop off the rear cap of the motor (with the power shut off of course) you will see two electrical contacts that engage the switch. The contacts are normally located on the right side and have 2 copper arms that are in an upside down v shape. Where the point of the upside down v is, take a piece of fine-medium grit sand paper and insert a little piece in there. Rub it back and forth a few times and this will clean the corrosion off. Put rear cap back on and plug in and you will most likely not have to get a new pump.