About The Author: This article was composed by Joseph from WeThead’s Pump Repair. Joseph has been repairing pumps for over 20 years. Please note this information is provided as a reference to help you, Enjoy!
If your pool pump is starting to make some noise like a squealing sound or maybe even a loud screaming, you may be think that the only way to fix this is to go out and buy a new pump. This is in facet not true, you can repair the pump yourself or have someone do it for you for less then half the price of a new pump.
Inside your pool pump is a few parts that can easily be changed if you have the time and then right tools. Many pump shops would love to have your business and would welcome you with open arms if you were to bring your pump in for repair. Many repair shops usually have rapidly fast turn round time because they realize that this is the heart of your pool filter system if you are in facet bring the pump in for repair during the pool season.
Electric Motor Pricing: The Last 10 Years
In the last 10 years the price of electric motors whether they are used for pool pumps or not have gone up very high. Back in 1994 the price for a replacement 1.5 HP electric motor was way under the $100 mark. Today in 2011, the price for some replacement electric motor have exceed to the tune of $300+ and up.
If you rebuild the pool pump motor yourself you can do so with about $40 dollars in replacement parts and a few hours of your time. if you are not handy, it is still cheaper to have a pump repair shop or an online pump repair service rebuild the pump and motor for you. The average price of a pool pump rebuild is around $149.00. The repair shop will change your electric motor bearings, replace your seal and then also check your motor windings, clean and spray paint the pump.
So what you want to ask yourself is, “isn’t it worth it to repair or have someone repair my pump for less then half the price vs spending all that money?”
Tools You Will Need To Repair / Rebuild Electric Motors
You will need some basic hand tools and also some specialty hand tools as well to rebuild your electric pool pump motor. Some of these tools are expensive but also can be rented or borrowed from a friend or neighbor.
Specialty Tools Needed:
Bearing Puller
You will need a bearing puller to pull the bearings from the motor armature / pump motor shaft. You can either buy one or rent one from a tool rental store.
Arbor Press / Bearing Press Tool
You will either need an arbor press or a bearing press tool to replace the bearings. Most local auto parts stores will have a bearing press tool you can either buy or rent. You can also stop by a local machine shop and ask then to press on the bearings for you. You may even know someone with an arbor press. Ask around.
Hand Tools Needed:
Hammer
You will need a basic hammer to bang the end bells free from the motor casing. If you have a ball peen and a rubber mallet that would be a perfect set up for the electric motor repair.
Screwdrivers
You are going to need both a Philips head and a flat head screw driver, in the #2 (medium tip ) and #3 (large tip) sizes.
Nut-drivers
If you have a nut driver set that would make your life so much easier when repairing the pump Vs trying to use quarter inch sockets to remove the motor through bolts. i would suggest that you go out and borrow or buy a nut driver set because sometimes if you use brute force like with a socket you may snap the through bolt. If you snap the through bolt of in the end bell, you still will be able to repair the moor but you just created more work for yourself because no you will have to drill that bolt out.
Open End Wrench Set
You are also going to need an open end wrench set. Just a basic set sizing from 3/8″ to 5/8″ will work most of the time.
Preparing For The Pool Pump Motor Rebuild / Overhaul
If your considering rebuilding your electric motor and pump you should also think about the amount of time that your pump is going to be removed from the filter system. If the weather is hot and your pools chemicals are not balanced correctly you could wind up with a green pool.
The best thing to do is to make sure that your water chemistry in your pool is all in the proper ranges.
As a quick tip:
Your ALK should be between 80 – 120 PPM , Your PH should be between 7.2 – 7.4 PPM and your Chlorine should be around 2.3 PPM.
Then you will also want to run the pool filter system continuously for 24 hours before you remove the pump.
Electric Motor Repair Checklist
Here is a quick checklist to see if you have enough time and tools to rebuild your electric pool pump motor.
- Basic Hand Tools
- Specialty Tools
- Ball Bearings
- Mechanical Seal
- Pool Has been chemically treated
- Have enough time to rebuild the pump
Parts Are Available & Affordable
So now that you have been educated and realize that it it was economically sound to have your pool pump rebuilt rather then buy a new once, you should head over to get some new bearings and a mechanical seal for your pump.