Problems with pump shutting off

[Randios]

The pool came with a IntelliFlo 4 160 pump, which seemed to work well when I first moved in (about 2 years now). Recently, I noticed the pump was shutting off after about a half hour to an hour and kicking back on and off in about 20-30 second intervals after that. The error and user's manual seems to be indicating an over-current error, so the motor is just under too much load for some reason. Their troubleshooting however is kind of pathetic. First and Second step is basically: check the mechanical assembly of the motor (e.g. does it spin freely when not powered). The motor does spin freely, and the impeller is clear. If I run it at lower speeds it continues to run, but the pressure it can sustain is pretty low; it should be able to run at full speed continually, right? Any other suggestions for things to check? Maybe the motor is just dying?

I guess in the case of needing a new motor/pump, does anyone have a sense for whether I would be better off trying to replace the motor on that unit or buying/upgrading to a new motor/pump assembly? For example, is that model worth keeping or are there much better options now?

 

[ajw22]

Post pics of the pump and the motor data plate.

 

[Randios]

Thank you for the response; sorry for the delay, some stuff came up. Here's the pictures of the pump and motor data plate as requested:

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

It does not make any sense to run an IntelliFlo pump at full speed... Sigh!!

It does make sense to run at a lower RPM, as that is what the pump is for.

As an example.. I run my pump (most of the time) at 1250 RPM.. At that speed my filter pressure is only about 1 lb.

Filter pressure is backwards from what most people think... The filter pressure is actually the amount of effort it takes to force water through the filter.. The higher the pressure, the harder it is for water to get through the filter.

When was the last time you cleaned your filter?? What is the filter pressure now and at what speed was it take??

While anything is possible, I suspect that the pump is not the problem.

What color is the water???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

It could be the over temperature protection given your heat and sun in Vegas. Try and put a shade cover over the equipment.

What filter PSI do you have at what RPM?

Note your motor is not connected to a bonding grid.

 

[Randios]

Thanks for the response, Jim.

It does make sense to run at a lower RPM, as that is what the pump is for.

I've never ran the pump at full speed other than when we did inspection for the house (2 years ago).
I used to keep it at the preset "3" (out of 4) speed during the summer, and "2" during the off season, but now it can't even maintain the 2nd level without shutting off.
According to the user's manual the presets are as follows:

1 - 750 RPM
2 - 1500 RPM
3 - 2350 RPM
4 - 3110 RPM

When was the last time you cleaned your filter?? What is the filter pressure now and at what speed was it take??

I clean the filters once a month during the summer months. After I set the speed to the "2" setting I have to manually adjust the speed down about 200 RPM to stop it from shutting off (so around 1300 RPM). This results in about 10 psi according to the gauge on the filter.

What color is the water???

Water is clear, and the pool stays clean for the most part, but the circulation doesn't seems great, especially at certain points in the pool.


Allen:
I thought about the sun - so I tested at night and made sure the area around the pump was clear of debris - same results. The house blocks direct sunlight during the hotter parts of the day too (picture above was taken early morning). I should double check all of this still though.
As far as pressure and speed, as I mentioned above, it's running at around 1300 RPM and just about 10psi.
Thanks for the note on the bonding grid!

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

Well, these are pretty good pumps, so initially I would have bet the problem was not with the pump, but maybe with the workload it was under.. But, based upon your answers that does not seem to be the case.. ☹

We have not seen this particular problem before, so I have no idea what is causing it..

If this were my pool, I would buy a whole new IntelliFlo rather than a new motor and control head. I would suspect a bad control head rather than the motor, but there is no real way to tell for sure.

Thanks,

Jim R.