Pump tripping breaker after seal replacement

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Mikey311

Well-known member
May 31, 2016
73
Powder Springs, GA
I replaced the pump seal and gaskets on my hayward super pump today and when I got it all hooked back up, turned breaker on, and turned the pump back on... main breaker in house immediately tripped.

Never had any issues with the breakers before and it is a new panel, set of breakers, etc.

I don't think the motor got wet, nor do I think I did enough to create a short in the wires, kinda perplexed.

There was some water that flushed out when I removed the pump but didn't really seem to get motor wet... any clues??
 
Mikey311 said:
I replaced the pump seal and gaskets on my hayward super pump today and when I got it all hooked back up, turned breaker on, and turned the pump back on... main breaker in house immediately tripped.

Never had any issues with the breakers before and it is a new panel, set of breakers, etc.

I don't think the motor got wet, nor do I think I did enough to create a short in the wires, kinda perplexed.

There was some water that flushed out when I removed the pump but didn't really seem to get motor wet... any clues??
Click to expand...
Disconnect the pump and see if the problem continues, don't just turn it off at the switch/timer, you have to have no connection at the pump . Then re-check the wiring in the compartment. Any time you disturb an installation wires can come lose or break and short.
 
1poolman1 said:
Disconnect the pump and see if the problem continues, don't just turn it off at the switch/timer, you have to have no connection at the pump . Then re-check the wiring in the compartment. Any time you disturb an installation wires can come lose or break and short.
Click to expand...

I did have to cut the connection terminals to the motor to get the wires out of the conduit to remove the pump.

Not sure if I understand your suggestion about disconnecting the pump.

I've inspected all the wires into the panel and even re-seated the breaker at the pool panel. Unfortunately I can't really inspect the lines all the way to the panel because they are in conduit.
 
Disconnect the wiring at the pump and check. If the breaker doesn't trip, that's probably where the problem is. Since you cut the connection, that is the place to start, you disturbed something and now have to fine out what. Sometimes you just have to redo the whole electrical connection to be sure it is correct. It happens to everyone who does this work once in a while.
 
Mikey311 said:
if i leave the pool panel breaker off that is just for the pump, the rest of the breakers on the pool panel don't trip, nor does the main house breaker.

only turning the pool pump back on trips the breaker... just to clarify.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear.

The pump is connected to a breaker in the pool panel and that breaker did not trip. But the main breaker in the house trips?

Which breakers are GFCI?

The pump 120V or 240V?

Post pics of the pump wiring, the pump breaker panel, and the house main breaker panel.
 
GFCI breakers will have a white or red test button on them. You must have a very large short to trip the main breaker and not the pump breaker. And, if the pump breaker is not tripping, it need to be replaced.
 
1poolman1 said:
Disconnect the wiring at the pump and check. If the breaker doesn't trip, that's probably where the problem is. Since you cut the connection, that is the place to start, you disturbed something and now have to fine out what. Sometimes you just have to redo the whole electrical connection to be sure it is correct. It happens to everyone who does this work once in a while.
Click to expand...


I did that just now, breaker didn't trip with lines disconnected to the pump. In 230 mode, it doesn't matter which hot line goes to each terminal correct?

So my new connections could be bad?

Motor could be wet?

What else can I check?

It's an old pump, was trying to track down a leak but might be time to replace.

Thanks for the help.... daughter got covid and now this, wasn't the weekend I had planned... ha.
 

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Do you have a multimeter?

If so, disconnect the power lines from the pump and measure the resistance at the L1 and L2 screws. See if you have resistance or a direct short on the pump.
 
Doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal for power except they have to be on separate ones. Those wires should be one on either side of that separator. It looks like they are both on the same terminal. That is a dead short and will cause this problem. That's why we just start over if that is the case.
 
Check the pump capacitor...

1660421463885.png
 

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1poolman1 said:
Doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal for power except they have to be on separate ones. Those wires should be one on either side of that separator. It looks like they are both on the same terminal. That is a dead short and will cause this problem. That's why we just start over if that is the case.
Click to expand...

So I noticed this right when you posted this and moved the line down... boom, it's running no trip.

However now the pump is continuously on.... not being controlled by the panel.

Ha, what the heck.
 
Mikey311 said:
So I noticed this right when you posted this and moved the line down... boom, it's running no trip.

However now the pump is continuously on.... not being controlled by the panel.

Ha, what the heck.
Click to expand...

That short may have welded the relay contacts closed.

Your lower middle and right relays are not being used. Swap it with your pump/filter relay in the upper left.
 
Mikey311 said:
So physically move and rewire the relay block itself?
Click to expand...

That will probably be the easiest.

Turn off the CB in the main panel feeding the panel.

Label each wire for where it connects to the line and load screws. Then disconnect them all.

Then disconnect the wires.

Move the good relay into that space and then reconnect the wires.
 

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