Pump shut off today. I think it overheated?

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Decoy205

Decoy205

Silver Supporter
Jan 11, 2022
532
Central NJ
Pool Size
10300
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi all, this summer was going too smoothly I guess something had to go wrong.

got home from the store today and saw the pool wasn’t running.

Checked it and electrical was fine but no sound.

Pump basket was full of Crud from rain last night and it was very hot. So I’m assuming it overheated.

I put a bag of ice on it. Cleaned the basket out. Opened up the back and then the power kicked on and it was humming. Spun the impeller and it moves freely. Closed it up again and it turned on so I shut it. Put the screws back in and the. Turned it on again and it only hummed?

Let it cool a bit more did same process. Turned it on again and only hums then smoke started coming out. So I shut it.

I’m gonna let it cool for a while. But now afraid to turn it on.

I bought it last year so it’s not even one full season. Should I check warranty? Not sure if it’s toast or not .
 
I would make a warranty claim- they will probably tell you to keep it in which case you can probably fix it & have a spare.
But I wouldn’t go about working on it yet as that might void your warranty.
 
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Just keep adding liquid chlorine each day - use the brush to stir it around as you pour it in really slowly.
If you have a submersible pump you can use that to keep the water circulating, just throw the hose in the pool.
You’ll need to Run your bot & skim the surface regularly while the pump is out of service. If you have the pleated filters in it that will make it like a little roving cartridge filter.
(Add your bot to your signature as I am assuming you have one based on your avatar pic)
 
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The smoke was caused by the windings in the motor overheating. If the motor can't spin, it can't be cooled. Electricity flowing though a seized motor causes the windings to overheat and the varnish on the windings to burn. The varnish is what insulates the individual wraps of the wire within the windings. When the varnish burns, the windings short together and causes excessive current draw, and more heat. Hopefully the breaker trips before the fire starts.

Bottom line. Smoke from motor is BAD! Motor windings ARE damaged.

Even if you are able to get the pump/motor to start working again, the chance of motor failure is significantly increased. That motor should be replace. Fix the pump....replace the motor.
 
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Decoy205 said:
Hi all, this summer was going too smoothly I guess something had to go wrong.

got home from the store today and saw the pool wasn’t running.

Checked it and electrical was fine but no sound.

Pump basket was full of Crud from rain last night and it was very hot. So I’m assuming it overheated.

I put a bag of ice on it. Cleaned the basket out. Opened up the back and then the power kicked on and it was humming. Spun the impeller and it moves freely. Closed it up again and it turned on so I shut it. Put the screws back in and the. Turned it on again and it only hummed?

Let it cool a bit more did same process. Turned it on again and only hums then smoke started coming out. So I shut it.

I’m gonna let it cool for a while. But now afraid to turn it on.

I bought it last year so it’s not even one full season. Should I check warranty? Not sure if it’s toast or not .
Click to expand...
Once you let all the smoke out, the motor is toast. Means the wiring inside has burned.
 
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Thanks everyone for your help! I had a feeling it was toast when I saw smoke. I called the store and they said it was under warranty since it was not a year old and they would replace. So I took it down there.

They tried to kick start it ( i did that too) didn’t work for them either even though the impeller spins fine and it started to smell like burning in the store. Then the manager was like technically it’s not under warranty it’s “1 season” and I’m like so that’s not right really? I used it for 2 weeks last year closed and put it away. Then used it for 4 months this season and it’s done?

He honored it cuz he knew it was Bs.

Good news is they gave me a new pump the bad news is it’s only single speed. Honestly it’s fine anyways since I usually only run the one speed so I took it and I’m back in business.

Here’s the label on the one that died:

g9g3gnL.jpg
 
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That business about 1 season is complete BS. That’s not how warranties work.
I will say, at least you got it at a brick & mortar & could return it as the amazon reviews about dealing with the manufacturer for the warranty are hit or miss.
 
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Yeah this store is ok. They don’t have the best stuff but seem to take care of the customer , the warranty definitely says 1 year. And I put it away in the winter so it wasn’t exposed to the elements .
 
Decoy205 said:
the warranty definitely says 1 year.
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That's what holds up. Unfortunately with seasonal items, you can buy it before the season, and when it has a problem the beginning of the second season, you're up a creek at 380 days. (Etc etc). Usage time doesn't matter, only 365 days from purchase.


Just an FYI for next time (hopefully long long from now) Calimar makes a 1.5 HP VS pump for $45 more than the bluetorrent. For $70 more than that ($519) you can get their 3HP VS.
 
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Decoy205 said:
I ran it on high for 12 hours per day.
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That’s a bit of overkill & pricey. If I didn’t need to run my swg I would maybe run my single speed pump 8 hours a day & thats just because I like the pool to be skimmed while I’m looking at it.
I could get away with 5 or 6 hours & notice zero difference in clarity.
 
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Mdragger88 said:
That’s a bit of overkill & pricey. If I didn’t need to run my swg I would maybe run my single speed pump 8 hours a day & thats just because I like the pool to be skimmed while I’m looking at it.
I could get away with 5 or 6 hours & notice zero difference in clarity.
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Yeah I ran my old pump 8 hours and it was probably enough. I thought I need more? I think I’m gonna drop it back down to 8 especially now that the weather is changing. I think you are right .
 
Decoy205 said:
think I’m gonna drop it back down to 8 especially now that the weather is changing. I think you are right .
Click to expand...
Welp. The environment is shedding so filtering demand increases this time of year. 🤦‍♂️

You'll need more in the spring too, then it drops a good deal for the regular season. You can road test it at any time. If the pool is stupid clear, chances are you can lower the filter time. If the pool lost a bit of sparkle, but the #s are TFP spec, then you need a bit more filter time. Adjust as necessary, or get a VS pump and run it 24/7 for $20 a month.

I've never wondered if I was filtering enough since 2012.
 
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