Is It Time to Replace Your Pool Motor?

Are your one of the 10 million American homeowners with their own pool? A quick dip in your own personal pool is a great way to beat the heat on a summer day.

Your pool motor is responsible for forcing water through your pool's pump system. It's integral in keeping your water clean.

If it breaks down, swimming is off the table. Keeping your pump in working order is one of the most important parts of pool maintenance. 

Read on to find out everything you need to know about fixing a pool motor.

Diagnosing the Problem

Before you can consider repairing or replacing your pool motor, you'll have to determine if the motor is actually the cause of the issues you're facing. What seems to be a motor problem could actually indicate a fault with the pump.

Your pool pump has a protective housing. Take a look at the housing and make sure it's in good condition. If it's cracked or shows signs of damage, the pump itself is the likely cause of your problems.

You'll also need to remove the housing and take a look at the pump's internal components. Look for rust and signs of leaks and make sure that its tubing and wiring are in good condition.

Whole pump replacement is usually much more expensive than fixing an issue with the motor, so ruling out the pump as the cause of your problems could save you a significant amount of money.

Signs of Pool Motor Issues

Once you've removed the pump from the equation, it's time to figure out which part of the motor needs your attention. The process is usually as simple as listening to the sounds the motor makes. You'll need to keep the pump housing open to make the most accurate determination.

Screeching

If you hear a screeching sound coming from the pool pump motor, you likely have an issue with your motor bearings. Bearings play an important role in helping to reduce the friction between rotating parts in the motor. The sound you hear is the metal components scraping against one another.

Rusted bearings typically cause screeching. The good news is that replacing the bearings is fairly easy and budget-friendly.

If you're skilled with tools, it's possible you could perform this work on your own, but it might not extend the lifespan of your motor. Motors with rusted bearings are usually quite old and will need to be replaced soon.

Grinding

This sound can also be caused by failing motor bearings. In this instance, it's probable that your bearings are nearing the end of their life. They might not be rusted but will still need to be replaced.

Popping

Hearing your pool pump motor make a popping sound is indicative of electrical issues. It's not drawing enough electricity to power itself.

Determining the cause of this sound may take a bit more work, as a number of things can contribute to it. You might have wiring issues within the motor or a problem with the line supplying power to it.

You'll probably want to consult with an electrician in this case. Working with electricity can be dangerous if you don't have the proper training.

Humming

If you notice your motor making a distinct humming sound while it's in operation, you have a failing capacitator. Most pool motors have two, one to start the engine and another to keep it running.

A capacitor failure is usually caused by a power surge. When this happens, capacitors overheat.

Replacing the blown capacitator will get your motor running again, and you'll be best served by letting a pool service professional handle the issue for you.

Age of the Motor

Pool motors are built to last, but offer spotty performance as they reach the end of their lifespans. You might be able to get around 15 years of use out of one, but many fall short of that mark. 

If yours is showing signs of aging, a full replacement is on the horizon. Swapping out all of its components individually will prove more costly and may not extend its life.

Complete Failure

If you attempt to turn on your pool pump motor and nothing happens, the motor has failed. It'll need to be replaced.

Repair or Replace?

Budget-conscious individuals might gravitate towards repairing their existing pool motor, but doing so might not make financial sense. 

Unless you're particularly knowledgeable about pool motors and their inner workings, you'll need to hire professional help. Since you'll need to pay a technician for their time, your expected savings might not be worth the trouble of worrying about additional issues. 

New motors come with a warranty, which gives you peace of mind and could represent significant savings in the long run. If you use your pool regularly, the warranty makes replacing the entire motor a better choice. New parts won't come with a warranty of any kind.

Replacement parts also might not extend the lifespan of a failing pool motor. Even inexpensive components, like bearings and capacitors, are more of a hold-over kind of fix and might only add another year to your motor's life. You wouldn't want to sink hundreds of dollars into a repair only to have the motor fail again a year later.

Getting a new motor allows you to upgrade to the best technology available. Motors are more energy-efficient than ever before thanks to variable speed options, so you'll even save money on utilities. 

Pool Motors You Can Trust

A pool motor powers your pool's pump system so you can have pristine water to swim in. If you're having issues with your motor, you'll have to investigate the cause.

Make sure to rule out the pump system as the culprit. After that, listening to the sounds of your pool motor while it's in operation can help you determine the cause of your problems.

Need to replace your pool motor? Supreme Water Sales offers incredible deals on motors and other pool parts. Head to our store and browse our collection of motors today.