If your pool pump isn’t turning on, you’re not alone… I know how annoying it can be, especially when you want to go for a swim. And the worst part about it is that all your memories start flooding back to you of all those great times you’ve had in your pool, that you took for granted and now you can’t swim at all. But don’t worry yourself, you’ll find that these diagnosis’s will help you to be back in your swimsuit in no time!
You may even be able to diagnose and repair your pool pump problems by yourself before you’ll need to bring in the professionals. The possibilities of the problems being electrical or blocked debris are quite high. So, let’s quit the chat and get right to it.
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Is Your Pool Pump Not Turning on?
If this is your current issue; then it most likely could be an electrical problem. Which possibly means either loose connections, overloaded voltage or a dodgy capacitator. I know that it seems like it’s a complex issue right now and I can see that you’re already running to call the electrician… it’s ok, keep reading and you’ll see that it’s fairly simple. Before we get any deeper into it, if you have an automatic pump; first check on the timer to see if it’s already on, so that can be ruled out as an issue.
Check the Connections
Don’t go blaming the pump straight away, they didn’t mean for this to happen. Make sure you’ve checked all possible power sources that you’re using to connect your pump, as power outlets hold their own power breakers and there’s a high chance yours needs to be tripped. (No, don’t worry, no-one’s getting tripped up.) And if that’s the solution to the problem, then go and get your swimsuit on now. But if the problem was to arise again then it’s best to check that your power outlets match the pump’s voltage.
Check Your Breaker Box
Another problem could be your breaker box. Check to see if any fuses blown or sizzled and chewed up power cords. (You never know, some people have interesting appetites.)
If after reading this, you discover that the problem doesn’t seem to be electrical; you’re going to want to keep scrolling down.
Check Your Capacitator
The next step here is to check your capacitator, this is an important part of your pool’s pump; this is the system that shoots the electricity to the pump to get it going and that’s where the party starts. Make sure that the governor is closed, and the capacitator hasn’t gone bad.
It’s possible for you to replace the capacitor by yourself, but I’ll be honest with you, it’s going to be a bit complicated. I would only recommend you do this if you have some experience in this area, you know, for safety reasons.
Check the Motor
If your pump isn’t starting, this may mean that your motor is jammed. So, if there’s a humming or buzzing sound, (you could maybe check for bees too), but there’s a great chance that either the power is extending to the motor but isn’t able to start it or the motor is blocked. (This might also be a good opportunity to check for rust on the motor.)
If the problem here doesn’t trip your circuit, then it’s most likely going to be a big jam sandwich. And the only way you’ll be able to check this, is by opening your pump… which may get a bit sticky.
Open the Motor Shaft
This is where you’re going to have to open up that ‘sandwich’, making sure that the pump isn’t connected to a power source, you know again, safety reasons. You’ll need to check your motor shaft; it’s going to be the horizontal tube which is inside of the pump. This is what rotates, with the help of their friend, the impeller. You’ll need to see if the impeller will spin around and if it doesn’t, then most likely there is a buildup of debris which is blocking the impeller… and all hopes of going for a swim are slowly swiveling down the drain. Just kidding, keep on reading.
Now it gets messy. Get yourself ready to take the gasket away and remove the impeller so that you are able to start successfully clearing out the debris. Once you’ve thrown all that out, make sure you remember which order all the parts go back in… tell everyone to put their swimsuits back on and get ready to dive in.
Check Your Bearings
So, if you’ve removed the impeller but there was no sign of any dirt, then I’m sorry for all that hard work you put into it, but you’ve got some more investigating to do. If you opened the pump and everything looked great, then the possibility is that your bearings might be eroded. (The pumps bearings, not yours.) The bearings reduce any friction for when the motor shaft rotates, so if you find that your bearings are eroded, sadly they will have to be changed. Or even worse; you might even have to completely replace the whole motor. Not even lubrication is going to be the answer for this one. Sorry.
Fortunately, a replacement bearing is pretty low-cost. Yey! However, it’s the hard labor that will make it difficult. To install a new bearing; you need to have a unique bearing puller along with two different bearing sizes. So, I think at this point if you’ve read down this far… you may already know what I might say next…Hold on, it’s going to be tough…
You Need A New Pump
There… I said it. Now that’s over and done with, it’s a great time to start browsing through the stores for your next perfect pool pump. Think about it as a chance to regain some of those memories you have from the younger years you spent in your pool. You’re basically extending your pool’s life so just think of how many more swims you’ll be able to take now!
But on serious note, make sure to choose your next pool pump carefully. Investing in a more expensive pump now will pay off in the long run. So, it’s definitely better for you and for your pool. But to avoid having to revisit this article, (I won’t forget about you… ever), just make sure to get one with some lifetime warranty!
You’ve Finished the Final Lap – Proud of You!
Now that you’ve got your pool pump under control and potentially stopped yourself from waking up to a swamp in your garden with some alligators swimming around, I think it’s safe to say that you’ve done a fabulous job on that one!
Let’s have a look at a few extras that you can add to enhance your new swimming experience:
If your new pump needs a faster flow rate, then I suggest you try out a booster pump. This will improve the performance.
Also, you can save more time with speed-variable pumps so jump in a grab yourself one now.
Now I feel like I’m ready to release you from my wings and let you handle any pump situation you may face after this. I know you’ve got this! Go swim and enjoy every moment!