hlwimmer Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 hello: we're still a bit new to the pool-world and this is our first winter with our very small (3K gal) in-ground pool. pump = hayward power-flow2 (1/2HP, self-priming)... the pool is 1/2 in ground and the pump sits right at water level. we're in northern california and it never really freezes -- presently the water temps are cold (mid-40s), but it's been on the cold side the past week. the water has likely dropped 10deg in the past few days. today when the pump kicked on, i noticed it was making quite a bit more noise than usual (25% more?) -- sort of like if you had a small hole in the muffler of a car -- a vibration sound (not really grinding/squealing) that was loud enough to get me out of my chair to investigate. previously it was very, very quiet. everything seems to be running fine. the pump is in an enclosed closet, so it sees no weather (and is fairly warm being adjacent to the house and sharing space with the hot-water heater) and it's less than 6mos old (new install of pool). i cleaned out the pump filter basket -- it was not full, but had a small handful of cedar needles and small leaves not caught by the skimmer. i also hosed out the cartridge filter which also had a few needles/leaves and tan dust which washed away easily, so some small debris did make it past the skimmer and basket. i hooked it all back up and bled the air out and it was still noisy -- no real change. all connections are tight and the pump is securely fastened to the ground. what are the chances that the noise is simply due to the cooler water causing contraction in the pump mechanism? trouble with the leaves/needles that passed through? other thoughts? thanks for any wisdom you can lend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegsOnEarth Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 what are the chances that the noise is simply due to the cooler water causing contraction in the pump mechanism? Basically Zero. The motor never contacts water (at least it shouldn't be, because if it is then we may have found your problem: see bleow) so there is no reaction happening that is being caused by changes in temperature. Based on what you describe, my guess is that you may have a clogged impeller (since you said pine needles were slipping past the basket, and they are notrious for clogging impellers). You may want to start by checking there. The noise you are hearing could also by the motor bearings starting to wear down, as they make a distrintive grindy noise. This can be caused by water leaking past the pump seal and getting into the motor itself. You would probably see a small puddle of water under the pump or signs of calcification if that were occuring (although, since the pump is so new it may be difficult to spot). If the impeller is clogged then you are not moving as much water as you should be. I would check the pump pot during operation. One sign of a clogged impeller is usually cavitation (the pot will not fill all the way to the lid with water). Also check for puddles of water, or water traveling down the motor shaft behind the seal plate. With the pump off (at the break, saftey first), you can remove the lid and basket and feel the impeller for clogs. Try checking out those basic things, first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlwimmer Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 thank you, legsonearth. i should note that i meant, in specific terms, could the temps be effecting the impeller -- not the pump itself (or motor) like many pumps, it's two parts: the pump motor and impeller housing -- the shaft between them is exposed. no water leaking whatsoever. the sound does sound like it's coming from the impeller housing, so i'm guessing this is the likely culprit (something stuck in there). however, it's worth noting that there is still quite a bit of flow happening and little/no cativation... however, the sound is similar to the dry pump start-up before you get to full flow. generally, the pump quiets down significantly once it achieves full flow. i'll try to feel around for clogs -- good call there. is there a way to investigate further without complete disassembly? i can fairly easily remove the pump, but would rather not disconnect the power if i don't have to. you can see the setup in the last picture here: http://redneckmodern.typepad.com/redneckmodern/2012/09/pool-pix.html thanks again. damn cedar tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlwimmer Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Update: I tried to clean out the impeller, but either (1) it was clear or (2) I couldn't get to anything. Then I noticed that a dust seal was lose. I took a picture and video linked at the below blog post. http://redneckmodern.typepad.com/redneckmodern/2012/12/pool-pump-noise.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 That's the slinger. Leave it just like it is, looks perfect. In the event that the seal begins to leak and water starts to travel down the shaft toward the motor, it will get slung of the shaft by that part, and no longer present a problem to the front bearing on the motor. If you can post this, maybe you can also post a short video of the pump/motor in action along with it's noise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Dumb me... Just saw the link in the picture page. That's the armature. Run it till it dies, or change it now. Your choice. Nice video by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlwimmer Posted December 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 thanks, pool clown. "that's the armature"... pardon the newbie-ness, but i'm guessing you're saying the noise i'm experiencing is something internal with the motor. could you confirm? (thanks). the entire pump assembly is less than 6mos old (purchased in june and put into service in september) -- so if it's a hardware problem, i'd like to see if hayward would step up to replace the pump entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlwimmer Posted December 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 I've also updated the post with the receipt from Amazon... Hopefully Hayward will "do the right thing" and replace the part. Getting it out will be a PITA, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted December 25, 2012 Report Share Posted December 25, 2012 If under 1 year it should be warrantied. I would go directly to Hayward with this. Never dealt with a warranty thru Amazon, but it might just be easier to go direct. Hayward would probably give you to a service center close by. Amazon may want to swap the whole pump/motor (ship it back). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegsOnEarth Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 Pool Clown is correct, it is best to deal with Hayward directly. Like he said, they should have a local dealership that is "endorsed" by Hayward. I would assume there shoudn't be any problems since you bought it from a reputable online retailer like Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlwimmer Posted December 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Hayward says warranty on parts only ... labor "would be at my expense". Worst. Warranty. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Go through amazon and ship it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachbreeze Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I have this problem every year when the temperature gets down around 32 degrees. Once it warms up the pump quiets down again. I would wait until it warms up a bit in your area before you start fixing things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william22 Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 as maintaining swimming pool is not an easy task, maintaining pool equipment is also not easy. we use high valued pool equipment for our swimming pool it includes pool pump, salt chlorinator, ozone generator, robotic pool cleaner. due to cold machines used in these euipment get jam or tight and not work properly. so we should take care of these equipment in cold and rainy season. we can take care by wel packing these equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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