Is there a better replacement motor then Century?

[Bosqueboy]

My pump motor dies when it rains. Problem traced to the motor itself. It is a Century .9HP single speed. The back cover had rusted and was letting moisture inside and causing the GFCI breaker to trip. Back cover replaced and that seemed to solve the problem until we had several days of rain. This time the pool service person said the plastic conduit/connector was leaking and he would repair that. Before completing the job he said I need a new motor as the bottom of the motor had rusted out. My first motor was the Hayward that came with the pump and it lasted for over ten years. This Century replacement has lasted less than five! Is there a better option than Century? I understand that most motors are A.O. Smith products with various labels, but can't help but wonder if there isn't a better choice out there?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Sounds like the pump is just in a bad placement. Yes, pool equipment is designed to be outdoors but, if you think about it, pool owners tend to have a very high expectation for the equipment to last long and withstand all kids of abuse. We cover our cars and keep them serviced so they last a long time ... perhaps there's a better placement or something simple you can do to keep the pump from getting soaked ? Even if there were a "better" manufacturer out there, I still think you'll eat up pool pump motors.

On a slightly tangential note - perhaps consider replacing the single speed motor with a variable speed motor. The utility cost savings can be substantial and I believe there is a VSP motor made by Century that would probably be a drop in replacement to what you have. A lot of utility companies will give homeowners a credit for replacing an old single speed motor with a VSP. Might be worth a look.

 

[1poolman1]

My pump motor dies when it rains. Problem traced to the motor itself. It is a Century .9HP single speed. The back cover had rusted and was letting moisture inside and causing the GFCI breaker to trip. Back cover replaced and that seemed to solve the problem until we had several days of rain. This time the pool service person said the plastic conduit/connector was leaking and he would repair that. Before completing the job he said I need a new motor as the bottom of the motor had rusted out. My first motor was the Hayward that came with the pump and it lasted for over ten years. This Century replacement has lasted less than five! Is there a better option than Century? I understand that most motors are A.O. Smith products with various labels, but can't help but wonder if there isn't a better choice out there?

Your first motor was a Century/A.O.Smith motor with a gold paint job and Hayward label. Regal Beloit owns Century which bought A.O.Smith motor manufacturing decades ago. Pump manufacturers buy motors, they don't make them.
While pool motors are designed to be outdoors in most climates, yours appears to be subjected to much more water than usual. The bottom of a motor case rusting out is usually the result of a very long shaft-seal leak that allows water to literally be pumped into the motor unless the motor has been submerged or subject to large amounts of rain/sprinklers/yard watering.

 

[InyoRich]

..and then Regal Rexnord purchased them and moved most of the manufacturing overseas. The life expectancy of the motors seemed to be the best when they were made in the US; they got a little worse when manufacturing went to Mexico and worse yet when they went overseas (I'm not knocking the countries of manufacture or the folks who actually make them - but I'm guessing someone found some cheaper components to use in them when the manufacturing lines moved and that is what is causing shorter life).

Most pool pump motors are outdoors with no protection. To add some life expectancy to your motor you might want to try a motor cover to help keep the elements off of them or you can make one yourself. Just be sure that they don't sit directly on top of your hot motor and that the motor gets the airflow around it that it needs.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

they got a little worse when manufacturing went to Mexico and worse yet when they went overseas (I'm not knocking the countries of manufacture or the folks who actually make them - but I'm guessing someone found some cheaper components to use in them when the manufacturing lines moved and that is what is causing shorter life).

This million %

As an engineer I can’t begin to tell you how many products get screwed up this. “Made in the USA” is where all the intellectual property and investment gets put in to create an amazing product. Then the Harvard Business School kids come in and say “but if we spent less on labor, we’d make more profit!!” So then manufacturing gets moved across the border where you get to pay some poor people dirt-cheap wages and no health benefits. But the HBS kids SWEAR!! that all the “high level engineering” will remain in the USA … pinky-promise!!! Then, after a night of drinking, the HBS kids take it a step further and say, “… but if we source all our components from overseas then we can make even more profit!!!!” … but they swear quality-control will NOT be compromised … pinky-swear!!! So then the poor schlubs in Mexico working for dirt wages get parts shipped in from countries with funny alphabets and no one knows what the shipping documents say because no speaks Mandarin or can not decipher the pictographs created by some blonde-haired, melanin-deficient Swede who used to work for IKEA. So not knowing which end of the capacitor is (+), the Mexican dude just plugs stuff in the way he always has. After enough warranty claims start impacting profit, the HBS kids once again get the brilliant idea that a fractured manufacturing process is costing them too much so they look for the cheapest contract manufacturer they can find in Asia to “own the whole process” so that the accountants just have to write one check each quarter. This saves on business processes and allows the HBS kids to use words like “Holistic” and “Synergy” in their quarterly shareholder calls. And everyone is finally happy except for the poor Mexican schlub that lost his job to the Asian contract manufacturer and the actual end user customer who has to constantly replace a stupid motor because the windings overheat too much.

Thanks HBS kids!! Your overpriced degrees made you lots of money and screwed over 99% of everyone else.

 

[1poolman1]

This million %

As an engineer I can’t begin to tell you how many products get screwed up this. “Made in the USA” is where all the intellectual property and investment gets put in to create an amazing product. Then the Harvard Business School kids come in and say “but if we spent less on labor, we’d make more profit!!” So then manufacturing gets moved across the border where you get to pay some poor people dirt-cheap wages and no health benefits. But the HBS kids SWEAR!! that all the “high level engineering” will remain in the USA … pinky-promise!!! Then, after a night of drinking, the HBS kids take it a step further and say, “… but if we source all our components from overseas then we can make even more profit!!!!” … but they swear quality-control will NOT be compromised … pinky-swear!!! So then the poor schlubs in Mexico working for dirt wages get parts shipped in from countries with funny alphabets and no one knows what the shipping documents say because no speaks Mandarin or can not decipher the pictographs created by some blonde-haired, melanin-deficient Swede who used to work for IKEA. So not know which end of the capacitor is (+), the Mexican dude just plugs stuff on the way he always has. After enough warranty claims start impacting profit, the HBS kids once again get the brilliant idea that a fractured manufacturing process is costing them too much so they look for the cheapest contract manufacturer they can find in Asia to “own the whole process” so that the accounts just have to write one check each quarter. This saves on business processes and allows the HBS kids to use words like “Holistic” and “Synergy” in their quarterly shareholder calls. And everyone is finally happy except for the poor Mexican schlub that list his job to the Asian contract manufacturer and the actual end user customer who has to constantly replace a stupid motor because the winding overheat too much.

Thanks HBS kids!! Your overpriced degrees made you lots of money and screwed over 99% of everyone else.

+100
When all manufacturing of motors left this country when NAFTA was enacted, at least 50% of the motors I bought were dead right out of the box. Who ate the time, etc., getting them taken out and returned to the distributor? Who had piles of bad motors at their warehouses? Had one motor manufacturer's rep tell me straight out to quit using their motors as they were now garbage when they were at one time the best, and more expensive. Price didn't drop, just the quality.

 

[JamesW]

You can't make tons of money on motors that last 20 years.

You make a motor that will last 2 years and give it a 1 year warranty and then you will sell 10 X motors.

Your profit per motor is 10 X because you cut costs.

Your total profit is 100 X.

Basic Math.

You buy up all competitors so customers do not have any real choice.

You maybe have 1 competitor so that it gives the illusion of competition.

However, the competitor does the exact same thing so it does not matter where you buy the motor from.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You can't make tons of money on motors that last 20 years.

You make a motor that will last 2 years and give it a 1 year warranty and then you will sell 10 X motors.

Your profit per motor is 10 X because you cut costs.

Your total profit is 100 X.

Basic Math.

You buy up all competitors so customers do not have any real choice.

You maybe have 1 competitor so that it gives the illusion of competition.

However, the competitor does the exact same thing so it does not matter where you buy the motor from.

So did you enjoying living in Boston while you attended Harvard Business School?

 

[Bosqueboy]

Simplified question:
Does anyone know anything concrete about the Nidec ( formerly Nippon Densan Corporation) pump motors being sold by the Pool Supplies Superstore? They hype their Aqua Shield, moisture protection and powder coating!

 

[TinFoilHat]

You should ask who is going to honor the warranty. Also, take a look at the lower customer satisfaction with Toyota cars and trucks.

 

[1poolman1]

Simplified question:
Does anyone know anything concrete about the Nidec ( formerly Nippon Densan Corporation) pump motors being sold by the Pool Supplies Superstore? They hype their Aqua Shield, moisture protection and powder coating!

Very good motors, despite the hype about the Aqua Shield. Most name-brand motors are now powder coated.