Is my pump dead or fixable?

[drharris]

I think my pump is dying, but would like some second opinions before I bite the bullet and just have it replaced.

For several weeks, I've noticed standing water on my equipment pad. It was fairly rainy during that time, so it took awhile before I realized I must have a leak and it's not just rainwater. Since then, I have tried to eliminate each pipe and component until I wound up determining it must be coming from the pump. Assuming the most likely culprit was a cover gasket or drain plug, I reseated/replaced those sorts of things, but it didn't solve the problem. During the same time, I also noticed some sort of corrosion on the metal plate between the pump housing and the motor (not really sure what it's called; not a mechanical guy). And finally, it has started making a really loud noise the past few days.

Video here: Pool pump issues 8/1/17 - YouTube

Now, it's still pumping, and I thought that maybe I could open it up and make sure the impeller didn't have debris, but in general I get no debris in my pump basket (using hairnets in skimmer) so it's unlikely. And given the other issues, I'm less inclined to believe that will solve the problems. The pump is now 6 years old and I'm pretty sure previous owner ran 24/7 (I'm at 8-10hr/day currently). Is it worth trying to diagnose, or is it time to replace it with something more energy-saving?

 

[Jimrahbe]

dr,

I am not a pump/motor expert so I'll let others answer if the pump is repairable...

I see you have a SWCG and run your current pump 8 to 10 hours a day.. You might want to look into replacing what you have with a variable speed pump or at least a two speed pump so you reduce your electrical costs.

Just as a reference... I can run my 3 HP pump 24/7 for less than $20 bucks a month. I suspect your pump is costing you a lot more than that..

Let's see if we can get some our pump people to chime in about repairs..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[crudsrus]

If water is leaking from underneath motor where it meets pump housing, you have a shaft seal leak. The shaft seal needs to be replaced immediately. Don't continue to operate pump with a leaking shaft seal. Water will eventually enter motor housing and destroy your motor. If you're fairly handy a shaft seal is a DIY repair.

 

[thebombardier]

Replacing the shaft seal will only stop the leak though. You pump's motor needs new bearings. The leak already got into the motor and started corroding the armature bearing closest to the seal set. It's really not a job for the layman so you can either try to find a shop that will press new bearings on or you can just replace the whole motor.

 

[COBrien]

I just went through this myself with a 4-5 year old pump motor.

The noise you're hearing is the bearings giving up. As mentioned above, this is due to water getting past the shaft seal(s) and water slinger (which is intended to keep water out even after a shaft seal failure). Replacing the seal will only prevent additional water intrusion; it will not fix the bearings. Once they're compromised, they will only continue to degrade. Replacing the bearings (and finding the right parts) will take considerably more time (and, likely, frustration) than purchasing a new motor. When you purchase a new motor, be sure to purchase a new seal kit for your pump. INYO Pools has a "GO KIT" for just about every pump there is. Since you'll likely be taking the entire pump apart to replace the motor, you might as well install all new seals and o-rings. In fact, most motor manufacturers will not honor their warranty unless you replace the shaft seal(s), at a minimum.

I ran mine until it quit, having stuck back money for a new motor as soon as it started making noise. I walked out to the pool house on Friday July 21 and found my water standing perfectly still -- like glass. I run my pump 24/7 (only because I've been too lazy to install a timer...), so I knew what had happened. Went inside to check my equipment and got a noseful of that unmistakable smell of hot motor windings. I turned the breaker off, gave it 10-15 minutes to cool down (checked with an infrared/"laser" thermometer...), then turned the breaker back on. HUMMMMM. Yep, it's dead.

 

[drharris]

Thanks all. I think the shaft seal leak would definitely explain all of this - extra water on pad, corrosion on that metal plate, and now the bearings are slowly grinding to a halt. Sadly it probably would have been an easy fix 4-6 weeks ago when I first noticed water, but the excessive rain made it seem like no big deal. Live and learn, should have been more proactive about finding where that extra water was coming from.

I think given the pump's age, and the fact I can get rebates from my utility for upgrading to a variable speed pump (not to mention energy savings), I'm going to take advantage of this time to get a new pump. Given I'm paying probably $60-80/mo right now, it should pay for itself in just a few years after that rebate. Wish this were a next-year kind of project given we just replaced the liner, but oh well.

Thanks again for the help!