Troubleshooting a Dead Pool Pump Motor

[cooltouch]

Several days ago, my pump's motor just decided to stop working. No humming or buzzing or overheating. It just quit. And then, as I was researching replacement motors, it fired back up again (I'd left it on the timer), sounded fine, wasn't getting hot, and it ran for a few days. Then it quit again. That was three days ago. So I'm back to thinking about my options. After doing some searches on YouTube, I'm now very acquainted with capacitor replacement, but almost all of those videos described a humming motor that failed to start. Mine isn't humming. So I'm wondering if it's a capacitor or something else.

At this point, I'm just hoping for a bit of perspective. Later today, I plan to pull the rear housing off the motor and check the capacitor with a multi-meter. That should at least let me know if that's the culprit. But let's say it isn't. What else might be a problem, and is it worth getting the motor fixed, or should I just plan on replacing it? Seems a waste, to be honest. The motor is barely two years old.

 

[ajw22]

What model pump?

Post pics of the motor data plates.

 

[JamesW]

It's probably not a motor problem. It's probably something with the power supply.

 

[scottts]

Several days ago, my pump's motor just decided to stop working. No humming or buzzing or overheating. It just quit. And then, as I was researching replacement motors, it fired back up again (I'd left it on the timer), sounded fine, wasn't getting hot, and it ran for a few days. Then it quit again. That was three days ago. So I'm back to thinking about my options. After doing some searches on YouTube, I'm now very acquainted with capacitor replacement, but almost all of those videos described a humming motor that failed to start. Mine isn't humming. So I'm wondering if it's a capacitor or something else.

At this point, I'm just hoping for a bit of perspective. Later today, I plan to pull the rear housing off the motor and check the capacitor with a multi-meter. That should at least let me know if that's the culprit. But let's say it isn't. What else might be a problem, and is it worth getting the motor fixed, or should I just plan on replacing it? Seems a waste, to be honest. The motor is barely two years old.

A failed motor run capacitor will cause a failure to rotate, humming, and eventual breaker trip.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Michael,

The number one test when looking for a motor problem is to check the incoming AC power right at the motor connections. If you have AC power, and the pump is not working, then it has to be something in the motor.

Keep in mind that if your system uses 240 VAC, than you must measure between the L1 connection and the L2 connection.. You can get an error if you try to measure L1 to ground and then L2 to ground.

You need to measure the input voltage when the timer is on and the pump is not running.

Let us know what you find.

Thanks,

Jim R.