How to Troubleshoot and Maintain a Pool Pump Motor

Maintain your pool's pump to keep the water clean and clear.

The motor attached to a swimming pool pump system is the driving force behind pool circulation. The motor spins a shaft, causing water inside the pump to move through the pool plumbing. The impeller inside the pump and attached to the motor spins, during operation, to create the suction that moves the water. Troubleshooting and maintaining a pool pump motor involves cleaning the pump, as well as troubleshooting the motor's internal components.

Things You'll Need

• Wrench
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Disconnect the motor and pump from the PVC pool plumbing. Loosen the bolts holding the motor and pump together with a wrench and pull them apart.

2. Remove any debris stuck to the disc-shaped impeller on the motor section's shaft. Spray the impeller with water from a garden hose to remove any small debris. Debris on the impeller causes it to grind against the material, wearing out the impeller and emitting a loud grinding noise during pump operation.

3. Rotate the lid of the pool pump counter-clockwise to remove it. Pull out the strainer basket inside the pump and empty out any gunk and debris trapped inside. Replace the strainer basket into the pump. Copious amounts of debris in the strainer basket prevent water from entering the pump, causing the motor to become hot and potentially damaging it without the cooling effect of the water.

4. Fill the interior of the pump with water from the hose. Screw the lid onto the pump once the pump is completely filled with water. Priming the pump reduces the risk of air becoming stuck in the pump housing, which causes the motor to run hot.

Tips & Warnings

• Perform maintenance on your pool's pump once every month to prolong the pump's life.

References

• Pool Center: Pumps