Pool pump shutting off at random

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by billybek

Yep. Start here... Would start out with the vent openings.

saved me a hot water heater replacement. if the out vents look clear up high check to see if there is a vent down low for intake air. in or around the fan.

[porsche4life]

Vents all look clear. Motor company seems to think its an issue worthy of sending a new one out. I'm not going to complain!

[porsche4life]

Fark it. I’m turning the pool into a koi pond.


The motor company sent out a new motor and all was good. Pool started getting green a few weeks ago from the combo of being down for a while and me letting the chlorine get away from me. I finally got it looking clear yesterday.


I get home today about 6, see a few spots that still look a little green so I brush the pool, kick the pump on and backwash. Flow is strong and no more green. Thinking I have this kicked now.


Go out just now and the damn pump is off again!!!! Still on at the timer and the breaker. Damn motor is warm to the touch and I can smell warm. What the hell is killing the motors? It was flowing strong and sounded great at 6, and then by 10 it’s shut itself off? Both skimmer baskets are clear.

[porsche4life]

The only thing I can think is that I turned the pop up cleaning system back in before leaving tonight. Could something in that system be causing the pump motor to over work and kick the thermal switch?

[red-beard]

Variable Speed Drive....

I have the pump run from 6AM to 10PM but only run at high speed for 2.5 hours per day. Saves a lot of electricity and the pump and motor will run much cooler.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00IEP7VG4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[red-beard]

That link is now quite expensive. You might just google "Variable Speed Pool Pump"

Sta-Rite SuperMax VS Variable Speed Energy Efficient Pool Pump, 230V

[nota]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Fark it. I’m turning the pool into a koi pond.


.

koi ponds as most people do them
are much more pump intensive with filters and showers and bottom drains
that run full time
plus air pumps

I am considered a Luddite for the way I do my pool/pond by koi fanciers
it is a concrete block 37x17x9 that I just fill and dump every 4-6 days
with no filters as S fla ground water is under 10 ft down and flowing
that does require two pumps one removing one adding to get 120% water changes
but I only part fill the pool/pond as that uses far less water and protects the koi from birds [we have lots of wading birds with the glades and bay near by]

koi keeping is fun but as much or more work then a pool and more pumps filters and stuff to mess with also

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Variable Speed Drive....

I have the pump run from 6AM to 10PM but only run at high speed for 2.5 hours per day. Saves a lot of electricity and the pump and motor will run much cooler.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00IEP7VG4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The pump kicking off is a new thing. My concern is that something is causing it to get hot, and thus would kill a new pump too.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

The only thing I can think is that I turned the pop up cleaning system back in before leaving tonight. Could something in that system be causing the pump motor to over work and kick the thermal switch?

To clarify, did you/they replace the entire pump assembly, or just the motor itself?

If the same thing is happening with a new unit, you might want to check the electrical service (voltage and amperage), and double-check the wiring (pump/timer/breaker/etc.).

Ruling out mechanical/electrical issues with the pump, you may have an issue with the filter and/or an air leak on the suction side that's allowing an over-pressure situation.
Does your filter have a bleeder valve?

[Gretch]

Or put an amp meter on the draw side and see how many amps the pump motor is pulling against its rated specs.

A bad bearing or fouled impeller could increase friction and cause the motor to have to work harder.

[VincentVega]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

Ruling out mechanical/electrical issues with the pump, you may have an issue with the filter and/or an air leak on the suction side that's allowing an over-pressure situation.
Does your filter have a bleeder valve?

Whats the pressure at the filter?How is the water flow at the pool inlets?

[porsche4life]

Yes filter has a bleeder valve and I bleed it any time I open the system out. Flow looks strong at the inlets when it’s running. I shut the pop up cleaner system off tonight and it still kicked itself back off after an hour or so.

Replacement was motor only , seems so strange that it’s been running fine for over a month and then has started with the same issue the last one had. I can’t figure it out.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Yes filter has a bleeder valve and I bleed it any time I open the system out. Flow looks strong at the inlets when it’s running. I shut the pop up cleaner system off tonight and it still kicked itself back off after an hour or so.

Replacement was motor only , seems so strange that it’s been running fine for over a month and then has started with the same issue the last one had. I can’t figure it out.

Weird...

If it was just a motor swap, than I would look at replacing the trap filter lid/seal and maybe re-sealing the pipe joints. If you have a suction-side air leak that builds pressure in the filter, it will eventually get to a level that restricts flow (creates back pressure), putting a strain on the motor.

You can confirm by turning pump on and purging filter valve, then wait a while and do it again. If there was a bunch of air that purges the second time, you will know you are building pressure from a suction-side leak. Another "tell" is if there is any visable back-flow through the skimmer when pumps shuts off (let it run for a while, then pop the skimmer lid and observe the flow while someone shuts the pump off). If the back-pressure builds high enough it can actually "fountain" through the skimmers and pop the skimmer covers once the motor shuts off.

[Cajundaddy]

Sounds like possibly a mismatch between motor and impeller causing the motor to draw too much current. Motor rated HP is ridiculous these days and about the same as wattage ratings on amplifiers. A Super II pump is an up-rated design and if you have an up-rated 1hp motor on a full rated 1hp impeller the motor will trip the thermal switch. Maybe time to go back to square one and verify the motor and impeller "full rating" to be sure they match. You can also test this by checking AC voltage and current while under load to see if current draw is above the rating on the motor label.

The other possible problem is if the diffuser is worn out and the impeller is dragging under load. You should hear that though. My guess is you need to downsize the impeller to match the motor and all will be well again.

[porsche4life]

I checked for a suction side leak and nothing is showing up. After running for about 20 minutes the pump motor felt hot even though it’s in the shade and not miserably hot out.

I’ll check impeller size, but would it have run fine for the last 9 months if that was the issue?

[red-beard]

Sounds to me like there is something wrong with the impeller. Do you have a clamp on am-meter?

[porsche4life]

No but I’ll ask the neighbors. One of them might

[1990C4S]

This would be a worthwhile purchase...

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multimeters-Auto-Ranging-Multimeter-Resistance/dp/B00NWGZ4XC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_60_bs_tr_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CQ9VK7GFM2XCW8SQ07MZ

This one appears to measure DC with the clamp feature...

https://www.amazon.com/MS2108A-Range-Digital-Current-Tester/dp/B00SQ4UETO/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1507386464&sr=1-4&keywords=dc+clamp+meter