IBB Electrical Motor/Electrician Experts - Pool Pump Question

[giles45shop]

So in preparation for the hurricane yesterday I switched off my 1 HP pool pump for my above ground pool at the switch on the motor. Came back out this AM, and when I switched it on, the motor went a few revolutions and stopped. I checked the GFCI breaker and it had poppsed the breaker. Reset it and tried switch again with same results. I isolated the timer from the circuit and just plugged the pump directly to the GFCI outlet by the pump. Same result.

Could this be a start capacitor issue w/ the motor, bad GFCI or something else? Any easy way to diagnose vs just swapping parts?

This has worked without issue for 5+ years and my buddy who's an electrician did the wiring, so it isn't likely a fundamental wiring issue.

I'd call him, but he works for the local electric Co-Op on the transmission side and is a little busy right now dealing with the aftermath of Milton :)

 

[Void_of_Light]

When my capacitor goes bad is growls like it's going to start but never does. It will pop the breaker but not for a few seconds.

 

[M92PV4U]

If the windings are wet it will short out QUIT TRYING TO START IT if you have a megohm meter you can check for a short to ground, otherwise let a fan blow on it to dry it out.

 

[M92PV4U]

Edit, did it actually get submerged?

 

[Landslide]

Only thing I have is this isn’t PBB

 

[u2slow]

Dry the motor out real good.

I was specifically chasing a number of ground faults at work this summer. Half of them were to do with humidity and wet equipment.

 

[giles45shop]

It never got submerged, but it is 100% out in the weather. So it sees rain on a regular basis, but not necessarily 12" in a day

 

[posford]

PBB? Ban't

 

[M92PV4U]

It never got submerged, but it is 100% out in the weather. So it sees rain on a regular basis, but not necessarily 12" in a day

Probably wet inside, let it dry out.

 

[giles45shop]

Probably wet inside, let it dry out.

Thanks! Will give it a day in the sun and see what happens

 

[2JZ]

Not uncommon for it to stop working like that. I see it a lot. We'll show up on a job site to work on something other than the pump/motor, and the damn thing doesnt turn back on. Customer always thinks we broke it

Verify proper power, and replace the capacitor. Keep your fingers crossed it makes it more than a few weeks.

 

[78bronco460]

Give it a rap or two with a hammer near the bottom. Sometimes the centrifugal switch will get stuck.

 

[giles45shop]

Just wanted to follow up on this. I let it sit for overnight and still had same symptoms where it would come on, turn a revolution and pop the breaker. I tapped the bottom and back of the motor and tried it - same result. Tapped it at few more times and it worked!!. Plugged the timer back in and it has been working fine for 18+ hours and cycling as it is supposed it. I'm guessing it was the centrifugal switch. Thanks IBB!