Pump won't run.

[Aesop]

Hello all, I'm having a bit of trouble with my pool pump and I'm not sure how to proceed.

The pump is a Jandy PHPF1.5 and has a label that also says A.O.Smith Centurion.

After skimming the surface this morning, I tried to vacuum the bottom of the pool and came upon a stuck manual switch. I removed the two metal set screws/trips that activate the pump at night. The switch was locked almost in the off position, but not quite. And the timer was stuck at 3am, when i have it set to run. After removing the trips, I pulled the dial forward and set the correct time and flipped the manual switch to on. Nothing happened, no noise at all.

I checked the breaker for the house and flipped the pool pump breaker off and on again, back to the pool pump and the motor just hums and trips the breaker.

I removed the access cover for the filter on the pump's wet side and cleaned it out. I also removed the small cover on the backside of the pump to see if the pumps rotor would turn and it does.

Being that the pumps rotor spins freely(with a wrench easily, and by hand if you put some muscle to it), I'm at a loss as to what I need to check next.

I can take pictures if need be. The rest of the equipment is a mix of Jandy and Hayward.

 

[Bama Rambler]

That sounds like the start capacitor or the centrifugal switch contacts. It's fairly common for the capacitor to go bad and it's easily replaced.

 

[bobodaclown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEIv5ClLqXg



They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Aesop]

I ordered a replacement run capacitor with the same specs(30UF, 370VAC, 50/60HZ). Old cap is an ECCOL II, PN: 628318-308. Most pool supply places i found online listed the cap for $35-45, i found the replacement on Amazon for $8.

I removed the "hump" cover that's on top of the pump motor, and tested the cap. I didn't get any resistance reading besides 0, and nothing happened when I tried to discharge the cap, I even hooked it back up and attempted to start the pump in order to energize the cap, still didn't get an arc when I tried to discharge it.

I also removed the pumps rear cap but I didn't notice a secondary capacitor anywhere.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Was it the new cap that you didn't get any reading on?

Did you check the centrifugal contacts? They look like a "V" under the back cover.

 

[Aesop]

Oh, no I'm sorry. I'm currently waiting for the new cap to arrive. The old cap was the one i didn't get any reading on. I just mentioned removing the pumps rear cover because I was looking for a second cap to test.

 

[Bama Rambler]

There should only be one and since you go no reading I bet the new cap fixes it.