Brand new SuperFlo 1HP noise (video included)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
JamesW said:
Can you describe what the pump is mounted to? What is the black thing that the pump is sitting on and how tight is it bolted down?
Click to expand...

It's mounted on a black rubber mat made of recycled tire (I thought it might help with vibration). It's not really bolted down tightly right now, but it was when I first started hearing the sound. It doesn't seem to make a difference if a push down on the motor to alleviate vibration. Whatever the noise is, it's definitely coming from inside the motor.
 
Call the company you purchased it from and tell them you have a DOA unit and show them the video. Infant mortality qualifies as DOA. They should swap it at no cost to you. The good news is there won't be any plumbing changes since the union ends are there, leaving only the electrical connection.

Scott
 
Alright, I just wanted to give you guys an update.

I called the company I bought the pump from and they told me to call Pentair for warranty service. I did and they sent a local pool company a new motor and a guy came out and did the switcheroo. He said my motor did sound a little louder than normal, but he wasn't terribly alarmed. After he replaced the motor, he turned on the new one and it was much quieter. I thought, "great, problem solved!" Until two days later when that rhythmic sound came back!! I couldn't believe my ears! So, there is obviously something else going on here. Or, the unbelievable odds of having two bad motors in a row?

New things I've tried:
- I took the top off the filter's multiport valve because i thought there might be something stuck in there restricting flow - there wasn't, it was fine.

- The noise is still there when I backwash/waste (I thought it might be some kind of return-line blockage, but it doesn't appear to be)

- I don't hear any cavitation - wouldn't that indicate a suction blockage? Is there any way to test the pipes for blockages?

Also, I started noticing a puddle forming under the new pump. I'm assuming the pool guy messed up the gasket/connection between the pump and the motor when he swapped it out. I'm guessing that's not related to the noise I'm hearing, but maybe?
 
Is it as loud as it was the first time? Since they have to come out to fix the seal anyway, have them bring along a new impeller and see if that helps. If the impeller has any significant imbalance, it could possibly damage the seal as well. BTW, did the installer replace the seal when they replaced the motor?
 
Have you tried bypassing your sand filter? It seems like the issue of the pressure gauge and whether or not it is accurate was dropped. Also, I noticed in the first video that the pump is not grounded to the ground lug on the back. It's not your issue, but I'm sure someone could deny you warranty on a failed motor because of it.
 
Mark - Yes, it's about the same loudness as the first motor. I couldn't find much information about imbalanced impellers on the web. Is that a common problem?

thepoolman - Yep, I tried bypassing the filter - no change in the sound. I also replaced the pressure gauge because the old one decided to get stuck after a cold night. The new one has about the same pressure ~14-15psi. Also, I had the ground wire connected, then I disconnected it when I was fiddling with the motor placement which was also when I took that video. It's back connected to the ground now.
 
There are only so many moving parts in a pump and since the motor was replaced already, the only other things that could cause a vibration like that is the seal, the impeller and maybe the impeller ring. Since the pump is leaking and if he didn't replace the seal when replacing the motor, it could also be the seal. But if the installer had replaced the seal, then it could be the impeller which is causing damange to the seal and the vibration noise. Since it didn't make noise for a couple of days, I was thinking it could be the later scenario which is why I suggested replacing the impeller just to make sure.
 
I didn't see a final 'What was it?' with this post, so I thought I would share my experience.

I came across this blog, because I was essentially suffering from the same conditions as creativour, only difference was that my SuperFlo is a 1.5 HP model.

Thanks to this blog, I don't think I have sufferred as bad.

After the first day of running with no issues, the second day, it would not turn over.
My Superflo made similar sounds.......the hum, with no movement.

I then found this blog...and performed the following.

I removed the filter basket and I found sand in the bottom of the filter basket area.

Removed the cap off the rear and rotated the shaft, it was the sand !!
I could feel it in the rotation....as soon as I moved it, I felt the grit, and then it became free.

Pump is running fine now!!

I should also note, the prior owner of this property put in the in-ground pool, and I have to believe he did it himself.
When I purchased the property the pool was covered, and I never really paid attention to the 'pavers' he had as the frame to the pool itself.

These concrete pavers are held in place by sand, (roughly a 1/16 of an inch between each paver), and thus, this pool is constantly getting sand in it :grrrr:

Thanks very much for all the insightful comments in this blog, it definitely avoided me many more hours of frustration and contacting the pump manufacturer!!

Murph
:goodjob:
 
Some people have asked for an update about this pump noise, so here goes...

There was really only one other thing I tried in troubleshooting. I took the motor completely off the pump and turned it on to see if the noise was still there. It was. So it's obviously something going on with the motor. The question is - did something damage it to make it start making the noise (i.e. plumbing, etc), or would it have made the noise on it's own if it were attached to something else (say, a grain mill, or a washing machine)? I don't know. Maybe there's an issue with my house's power; I guess I could disconnect the motor and take it to a friend's house and plug it in to see if it sounds the same. Maybe I could switch it to a 120v circuit (I'm no electrical engineer, but I assume this wouldn't make a difference)? I guess there is some more troubleshooting I could do... :hammer:

So, for now, it's still there, loud as ever. I've pretty much just come to terms with the fact that I have a loud pump. I've had the same pool guy come out to check other things (I have an unrelated leak issue in my return line - a story for another day), and he said a lot of pumps make that noise and that it's just in the "nature of the design." I think that's Crud, but I don't know what else to do. I've checked everything I can within my means, so I guess I'm stuck. It especially drives me crazy because it was quiet at first, then became loud - so I know it's capable of being quiet! :roll:

If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be happy to try them out! I don't have an ammeter to check the current and I was floored at how expensive they are at Lowe's.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I don't think you should settle for the fact that you have a loud pump, there is a pump at one of the houses I walk by in my neighborhood, that as you walk past it you have to actually put your ear to the fence to see if it is running and it's only about10 ft from the fence. It's also a one speed. Yours sounds like the one I just replaced and it was 12 years old. There is something definitely wrong with that pump, don't settle make them fix it!
 
Oh my gosh I think I fixed it! (sort of)

What was bugging me about this whole ordeal was that the sound the new pump was making was so similar to the sound that the original pump was making which is what inspired me to replace it in the first place. It made me think it was some other variable with the setup that was causing the sound.

So, just for curiosity's sake, I switched the pump over to a different 115v breaker and wired the pump for 115v, and sure enough the pump sounds normal (very quiet!) I couldn't believe it actually made a difference - I was really expecting that I was wasting my time even trying. I was grinning for hours.

I still don't really know what the problem is, but I'm happy to run the pump at 115v instead of 230v. I really don't see what the difference is - except that now it's super quiet and before I was going mad listening to it. I'm guessing there's either something screwy with my house's electricity or maybe just with that 230v breaker. Other 230v appliances in my house seem fine (A/C, dryer, stove), so I'm guessing it's just that breaker. Or maybe these pump motors are just more sensitive. Who knows...

Either way, I'm really happy the pump is quiet, and I really appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. This forum is awesome. :party:
 
Thanks for the help. I had a similar problem with my last 2 pumps. I did a quick re-wiring of it from 230 to 115 off of an extension cord and got the exact same result. The annoying rhythmic thrumming was gone and it was a little bit quieter. Go figure. Now I have to wait for a free weekend to re-wire my timer and pump to run on 115v.

That was part of the problem I was having and a partial reason for replacing my last 2 pumps in 12 years.

Thanks for the tip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply