Pump is Making Noise

[kmb997]

I swapped my motor, on my pump, out for a brand new one, yesterday. After putting on this new motor, I hear a rattling noise and the motor housing is hot to the touch. The rattling sounds like it is coming from the area of the front plate. The old motor was an A.O. Smith and I'm not sure what the new one is, but it is definitely running hotter than the first one. I took the pump assembly apart today to see if I could find the problem, but wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for. I put it back together and the rattling stopped for about 10 minutes and then started again. The sound is louder when the pump is on low speed, I don't hear it as much when on high. I only replaced the motor, everything else is the same and I never had this rattling sound before, so I'm thinking I didn't put it back together the right way. Does anyone have any ideas of what I can check?

Thanks

 

[PoolOwnerNumber9]

Check that the supply voltage is the same as the voltage requirements of the pump. Check the current draw in amps and compare it to the rating on the pump label. Make sure that there are no missing pieces, like a diffuser gasket. With the pump off, take out the basket and feel the impeller to see if it turns smoothly. Did the impeller screw on tightly? Was it warped or have a bad thread? Did the new motor have all of the same specifications as the old motor? Did you replace the seal?

 

[kmb997]

I have never fooled with pumps other than taking this motor off and swapping it out with the new one. This is what makes me think I probably did something wrong. I have the book that came with the original pump and it looks like I connected everything the right way.

By supply voltage, you mean the supply coming from the breaker box? Both pumps are 115 volt, 60hz, PH1 and the first one worked fine. I don't have an amp meter, but I will try to borrow one tomorrow and check the supply and the amps.

I don't know what a diffuser gasket is and the book doesn't have the diffuser gasket listed in the exploded parts diagram. Are you talking about the o-ring or the trap outlet gasket that is between the front plate and the pump basket? If so, both of those looked good and are installed.

The impeller does turn smoothly and it was screwed on as tight as I could by hand. I didn't go overboard trying to tighten it. Should it be screwed on tight or somewhat loose? It didn't look like it had any warps and it screwed on pretty smooth. I didn't replace the seal. Are you talking about the shaft seal?

My last pump said 2hp on it, so I made the sales guy compare the two to make sure they were the same. Everything matched up except the old one said 2hp and the new one says 1.5, but the service factor on both are 1. That shouldn't make a difference, right?

Thanks for the help. Is there anything else I should do?

 

[LeeD]

The first thing I notice that could be a problem is the shaft seal. When replacing a motor, always replace the shaft seal. They don't handle being removed and reinstalled well, and could be causing undue friction. They're not too expensive, so it's not a major ordeal. The impeller should be tight, and have no play, but don't over tighten and strip the threads. Make sure there's nothing stuck in the impeller, such as hair or rocks. What brand and model of pump? (housing) If we can picture how it is assembled, we might be able to help better.

 

[kmb997]

The motor is an Emerson, model# C55CXJKP-4529. It replaced an A.O. Smith. The pump came with an instruction manual saying it was an Aquatools. Here is a pic. of the exploded parts diagram: