Pump noise

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MJCP

MJCP

0
Sep 14, 2007
139
Michigan
The only label on my pump is on the motor and it is an A.O. Smith Motor 1Hp It is at least 5 years old

My pump is making a noise it never made before, if I had to guess I would think it was a bearing squeal. It is not all that loud or irritating "Yet". Just a bit worse than a hum. But definitely not the way it sounded before.

The pressure may not have changed at all, but it may be lower. It is at 14psi and everything else is cleaned and backwashed. My system normally runs at 15-18psi. When the filter needs a backwash it gets to about 23psi. Anything lower than 15 (usually 10 -15psi) tells me to clean the pine needles out of the impeller.

Can the bearings be lubricated?
Is this the beginning of the end for my pump?
Can I ignore it till it gets too loud to tolerate?
Is there something else I should check or suspect.

Thanks for any help
 
Hard to say... but 1 thing to check is underneath the pump where the motor joins the housing for a leak, while the pump is running, which would indicate a bad shaft seal assembly which is a common cause for bearing or shaft oxidation and therefore 'squealing'. The bearings can be repacked, it takes a special tool and I have no idea how to do it, but I do know that sometimes the repacked bearings last for years and other times they only last a few weeks :( I'd check for seal failure - if you see water under the pump, change the seal assembly before the damage gets any worse - if no drip, let it ride for now.
 
Thanks for that,

No sign of a leak, I removed the pump housing band, and separated the housing to clean out the impeller ( it wasn't clogged). It was difficult to get back together, I've done this many times before and don't ever remember having problems getting it back together though. I lubed the O rings and put it back together then checked for leaks. Again the noise is not actually a squeal it is more like a high pitched rubbing noise, higher in pitch than a hum, but more like a scraping at high RPM. :sleep: :blah:

If there isn't a way to lubricate the bearings I will probably just ignore it for now, since the end of the season in Michigan is already here. But next season I am afraid that if the pump dies in the middle of my Start Up it might push me over the edge, unless next seasons start up is easy thanks to the BBB method :-D
 
I replaced the bearings in my pump about a year and a half ago. If you're handy, it's a pretty easy job. The bearings cost around $22 and I installed a new shaft seal for another $11 while it was apart. You have all winter to work on it. 8)

It's way cheaper than a new motor and if you screw it up, it was broken anyway. :wink:
 
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