Pump repair or replace advice

[Remi21]

Hi, my pump recently stopped working. I discovered a tripped breaker, reset it, and turned on the pump. Heard a loud hum for about 5-10 seconds then breaker tripped. From what I have read it sounds like it could be the capacitor, seized bearings, or motor has died. I removed the pump so I could more easily access the motor.

The pump is a Hayward Northstar made in 2006, with a 1.5HP AO Smith Century pump, model #SP1610-Z-MNSC. I plan to check the current capacitor to see if it no longer works, but I vaguely remember the pump being fairly loud when it ran. It is in an enclosed shed so that could have been it.

If replacing the capacitor works but the pump sounds as if the bearings are about to go, it seems like I would be better off replacing the motor or the whole
Pump. Given this pump is already 15 years old, if I replace the motor is it likely that the pump would soon be in need of replacement? Also, if I upgrade to a newer Hayward, is it likely that I will need to do a good bit of re-plumbing or is the height and distance between the intake and discharge connections standard between models?

If I go the route of replacing the whole pump I am in a bit of an odd scenario. At one point in time the previous owners had a much larger pool. A few years back they decided to build a smaller pool and use the original pump and filter from the larger pool. The current pool is approximately 11’ wide x 27’ long x 4.5’ deep, and holds less than 12,000 gallons, I estimated a bit high. The current pump is described above and the filter is a Blue Haven 450 Smartfilter, not sure on the age but guessing similar to the pump.

Given the size of the new smaller pool,
everything is significantly oversized. From what I have read here, having an over sized filter is actually a good thing, correct? If I buy a new pump I could go somewhat smaller for the size of the pool and not have any issues with the filter. Should I be worried about the filter assembly reaching the end of its useful life and then having to replace that as well? Guess I am wondering if I should really reduce the pump size, and how much I should actually reduce it? I don’t have a clear idea of the head pressure since I am not sure how much original piping they reused from the larger original pool. The equipment sits about even with the bottom of the pool, and pool has two drains, two skimmers, and a vacuum that screws into the wall.

Any advice or input would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Texas Splash]

With a pool your size and the equipment apparently below the waterline, you have many options. But basically you could go with a 1 or 1.5 HP pump no problem. Make sure it's a 2 speed motor if you don't get a variable speed. The larger filter is fine. Getting 15 years out of that previous motor is outstanding, so if you elect to pull the trigger on just a new motor you can. If you are handy, you should be able to just replace the motor and the required seals (seal plate, shaft seal, etc). Sometimes they come together as a "Go Kit". Your wet end (pump pot), if not weather rotten, should still be good. That would save you the plumbing issue. But if you elect to replace with an entirely new pump, that's fine as well. You'll just need to have some extra PVC and the appropriate fitting for the new pump's in & out bulkhead ports. But if you have any other questions let us know.

 

[Remi21]

I replaced the capacitor and made sure impeller moved freely, which it did. Hooked it back up and runs great, motor sounds decent too. Thank you for the response, will take it into consideration as I plan a future replacement so I’m not caught off-guard again!