Polaris pump only makes humming sound.

[Cactusrob]

Moved from here.
I have the exact same issue with my Polaris pump. I replaced the capacitor - nothing. I replaced the relay switch inside the panel with a new one - nothing. I removed the endcap and the pump shaft spins freely. Any other suggestions? Trying to avoid buying a new pump if possible! ~ thanks!

 

[Cactusrob]

I replaced the capacitor in my Polaris pump yesterday thinking that is why it wasn't starting but that did not fix the problem. As I'm sitting here at lunch, troubleshooting and searching this forum for possible solutions, the question occurred to me "Is there a polarity for the capacitor? Could I have connected the wires to the lugs in reverse order??" I figured since both wires coming out of the pump were black, it didn't make any difference.
Can someone enlighten me on this? . - - Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[superuser]

Some capacitors are polarized, the ones for AC motors are not.

 

[Texas Splash]

Can you post a pic of the motor label and tell us how long it has been installed? With that info, we can tag a motor expert for some additional help.