Reasons for Pump Overheating

[jblizzle]

So, my pump has recently started overheating (to the point of shutting itself down ... and the smell in the backyard is great ) and even though I will likely be replacing it with a smaller 2-speed, I would like to know why it is now overheating ... I have not changed anything, sound has not changed, pressures have not changed.

So, what are the possible causes? Here is what I have found after searching:

1. Bearings going bad (usually a change in sound) ... I see no water leaking and no sound change
2. Low voltage ... I have not checked this although it would surprise me
3. Impeller bigger than motor ... mine worked the last 2 years and I did not change any hardware
4. Shorted armature ... no idea what this is or how to test for it
5. Blockage not allowing water to move ... this is more a wet end issue right? ... my water is flowing fine

So what else could it be? Do the motors just eventually get tired and give up?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Most likely it's a short in the windings. The insulation eventually gets weak and goes bad causing a few turns to short and that starts the overheating which causes more insulation issues which rollercoasters into more overheating until eventually enough turns short to cause a trip and eventually a complete burnout.

 

[jblizzle]

Thanks for the response.

I think I may have previously had the wrong idea about what the insulation you refer to actually is.

Is this insulation the coating around the wires themselves or something else?

 

[JasonLion]

Bama was talking about the insulation around the individual wires inside the coil. The insulation used in the coil is much thinner than the isolation used on wires outside the coil.