Confusion on L1/L2 on Century motor

[Katelyn]

Hi, I have a question about the wiring on a Century HSQ-125 motor.

The label clearly shows the hot to L1 and the neutral to L2. But that is the opposite of how the old motor was wired.

To be clear, I am repl the same exact motor (just 11mos old) and the labels/wiring diagrams are exactly the same btwn them.
But I took a photo of the orig wiring before I removed the old motor - and the neutral is clearly on L1, not L2 (using 115v).

So what should I do now? I'm finding a few obscure posts on the web that say they're interchangeable on single speed? Is that true?

What happens if I follow the old wiring conx - will it fry the new pump immediately or just trip the breaker?

Haven't had filtration for over a week, so I'm eager to complete this final step, just needed some clarification.

Thanks!

 

[1poolman1]

Hi, I have a question about the wiring on a Century HSQ-125 motor.

The label clearly shows the hot to L1 and the neutral to L2. But that is the opposite of how the old motor was wired.

To be clear, I am repl the same exact motor (just 11mos old) and the labels/wiring diagrams are exactly the same btwn them.
But I took a photo of the orig wiring before I removed the old motor - and the neutral is clearly on L1, not L2 (using 115v).

So what should I do now? I'm finding a few obscure posts on the web that say they're interchangeable on single speed? Is that true?

What happens if I follow the old wiring conx - will it fry the new pump immediately or just trip the breaker?

Haven't had filtration for over a week, so I'm eager to complete this final step, just needed some clarification.

Thanks!

Doesn't really matter, but following the wiring diagram is always best. Hopefully you have a GFCB along with that new motor.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

Wire it the way the new motor says. It way not make a difference, but this is the best way to be sure it’s right.

 

[Katelyn]

Thanks guys! I went with the label diagram (hot to L1, neutral to L2) and all is well, she's purring like a baby.

Fwiw, I emailed the orig installer of the old motor last year (motor specialist, not a pool boy) and he said

"Single phase motors will accept wiring in either configuration"

But now I have a new leak, so will have to unbolt everything tmrw and try again. I repl the diffuser, diff o-ring, motor seal (ps-1000) and the face gasket. I was extremely careful with not touching the seal and cleaning everything up with a lint-free cloth etc (although I did not use sealant due to conflicting stmts online), so I'm leaning toward the face gasket not seated properly in that last step. And I just noticed my hot wire spade is askew, so I'll straighten that up too. Wasn't a tough job overall, just intimidating to an old lady at first sight

Thanks again! Can't believe I've been lurking since 2014 - so a huge belated thanks for all you guys do here!

 

[JamesW]

I am repl the same exact motor (just 11mos old)

Why is is bad at 11 months?

 

[JamesW]

Did it get flooded?

Are you sure that it is the right motor?

 

[Katelyn]

It was flooded during hurricane Ian (just over 1½ft, one of the luckier ones in this area all things considered). It continued to run when power came back (15days later), but it was loud/bearings. I just kept waiting (and waiting) for someone to get back to me until it finally just fried out last week.

I'm reading over a couple of threads now about using RTV sealant when seating the seal and I'm still confused if I should use it tmrw when I open it up again. Have about 30mins to order some from Prime for delivery tmrw, but not sure which one to buy. Any suggestions?

 

[JamesW]

What pump?

 

[JamesW]

Pump Seals - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Katelyn]

What pump?

SMF Waterway

Thanks James, reading the seal link now

 

[JamesW]

Normally, the orientation of the wires does not matter unless there is a switch for on/off or high/low.

There might be some sort of safety mechanism that disconnects the power in case of a short or other defect.

In any case, the operation should be the same in either orientation.

However, as noted, it is always best to follow the installation instructions.

 

[1poolman1]

Thanks guys! I went with the label diagram (hot to L1, neutral to L2) and all is well, she's purring like a baby.

Fwiw, I emailed the orig installer of the old motor last year (motor specialist, not a pool boy) and he said

"Single phase motors will accept wiring in either configuration"

But now I have a new leak, so will have to unbolt everything tmrw and try again. I repl the diffuser, diff o-ring, motor seal (ps-1000) and the face gasket. I was extremely careful with not touching the seal and cleaning everything up with a lint-free cloth etc (although I did not use sealant due to conflicting stmts online), so I'm leaning toward the face gasket not seated properly in that last step. And I just noticed my hot wire spade is askew, so I'll straighten that up too. Wasn't a tough job overall, just intimidating to an old lady at first sight

Thanks again! Can't believe I've been lurking since 2014 - so a huge belated thanks for all you guys do here!


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Was there a left-hand threaded screw in the center of the impeller? Did you replace it? Was the small rubber "cup" that the screw goes into there? Did you put a thin layer of silicone sealant on the metal-cup portion of the seal? Did it fit tightly into the sealplate? These are some of the things to look for with a leak like that. Since you are going to take it apart, if you can it is best to get another seal.
I use a 1" PVC pipe coupler to drive the seal into the sealplate, works every time. If there is an impeller screw, a bit of silicone sealant in the front of the impeller, then the rubber washer, then the screw seems to help with an older pump, the gasket sometimes gets hard and won't seal properly.

 

[Katelyn]

Thanks poolman for giving me direction on the leak.
I should've asked here first about that dang screw, as I was confused about that too.
Mine doesn't clearly have it? See pic - that 'surface' in the middle is hard - not like a silicone I can pick away at. After a ton of googling, I read where the screw is often not included or 'redundant' on newer motors? But the schematic for the Century HSQ-125 still shows a screw? I emailed the company but didn't hear back.
I also caught that old thread in here of someone who said their washer "melted" into the screw, so now I'm wondering...
Can any of you tell by my photos if there should be a screw under whatever that hard surface is?
I knew the right way was to replace the impeller, but I spent the money on a new diffuser instead hoping an obvious rim crack on old diff was causing some air problems (new diff didn't fix that, darn it).
So I will go ahead and order a new seal (the better vitron one) and some rtv sealant for delivery tmrw.
Any thoughts on my impeller and that screw area is appreciated. (I think the macro shows something melted - but it's hard when I tap it with a ie not rubber or silicone)

 

[JamesW]

This seal looks horrible, did it get replaced?

 

[Katelyn]

Looking back at my photos, I saved this pic because it looked like it didn't have a screw either?

 

[Katelyn]

This seal looks horrible, did it get replaced?

Yes, these are the photos from the teardown last weekend. I repl it with the PS-1000.

 

[JamesW]

Can you show the pump label?

What is the impeller part number?

 

[Katelyn]

I never had any leak issues prior to this (owned this home for 5yrs). Just a new motor last March, then repl that motor now because of the flooding. So something I've done is causing the new leak.

 

[Katelyn]

Can you show the pump label?

What is the impeller part number?

There's no pump label, but it is an SMF Waterway as in that schematic.
Impeller is 313-4140R2
I also didn't jump on a new impeller because I got confused on a repl one (my THP is 1.25, and repl were 1 or 1.5?) And mine wasn't melted or deformed, so I thought I could reuse it?

 

[Katelyn]

Can you show the pump label?

What is the impeller part number?