My 4 year old motor, Hayward Super Pump, started tripping the gfi circuit breaker after a heavy rain. After trying to diagnose issue I discovered that it only tripped in the morning startup but after the Sun came out it would be fine. I thought the problem was that the motor got really wet and moisture in morning was the problem. I since covered the motor only and it was working fine but I got rain last night and it tripped this morning. My power stays on up to the switch so the problem is from switch to motor. Can wet exterior wire to motor be causing a short. Stumped
Tripping problem
- Thread starter Shepperd1
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,469
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
A GFCI trip is not caused by a short. All it takes for a ground fault trip is a bit of corrosion and moisture to divert some of the electrons off of its normal path.
Open up the electrical connection in the back of the pump and see if there is corrosion ont he electrical connections that can be cleaned.
Otherwise it can be dampness internal in the motor causing the ground fault.
A GFCI trip is not caused by a short. All it takes for a ground fault trip is a bit of corrosion and moisture to divert some of the electrons off of its normal path.
Open up the electrical connection in the back of the pump and see if there is corrosion ont he electrical connections that can be cleaned.
Otherwise it can be dampness internal in the motor causing the ground fault.
I already removed the cover from the back of motor and it looks clean. It seems to restart in the afternoon after sitting in the Sun for hours. Can surrounding moisture after rain or early dew in morning cause this issue? Why did it suddenly start, after years of no issue sitting out in rain, and it doesn’t seam to have dried up after a week in the Sun?
- Dec 13, 2020
- 769
- Pool Size
- 19600
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
As @ajw22 said, it can be _any_ path from a hot wire to ground in either wiring or motor internals. If 240vac, both power wires are hot.
Possibilities include failed insulation anywhere combined with moisture to create a bridge to ground, carbon tracks to ground due to arcing at a loose connection or flaky switch/relay contacts, conductive corrosion tracks, conductive mineral/salt/metal deposits due to evaporated leaks, etc. etc. Or a mix of more than one of these.
It doesn't take much of a path: 5ma trips a GCFI. At 120vac, 24,000 ohms will do. It would not be at all unusual for one of the above things to create a path that's normally not strong enough but becomes so when it gets damp.
Why now and not earlier? Stuff breaks down over time and with weather exposure. Electrical stuff is pretty tough, but it breaks down, too.
Possibilities include failed insulation anywhere combined with moisture to create a bridge to ground, carbon tracks to ground due to arcing at a loose connection or flaky switch/relay contacts, conductive corrosion tracks, conductive mineral/salt/metal deposits due to evaporated leaks, etc. etc. Or a mix of more than one of these.
It doesn't take much of a path: 5ma trips a GCFI. At 120vac, 24,000 ohms will do. It would not be at all unusual for one of the above things to create a path that's normally not strong enough but becomes so when it gets damp.
Why now and not earlier? Stuff breaks down over time and with weather exposure. Electrical stuff is pretty tough, but it breaks down, too.
Last edited:
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,469
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Yes.
Machinery decides on its own when it wants to fail.
You probably have some corrosion internally in the motor. Replace the motor or get a VS pump.
Ok, I disconnected the wires running to the back of the motor and turned on power and it didn’t trip buy after reconnecting it tripped so problem is definitely in the motor housing. After waiting two days, with motor in the sun, the pump started and running as usual. How can I solve the problem? I am closing two week so should I remove motor and pump and store it away for the winter and wait until startup to see if it’s ok or what do you recommend? Again, this is the first issue in 5 years. Thanks for all your help.