Today's pool pump motors are much more efficient. If you have an older pool pump or it's motor is running loud or just stop working, you'll want to consider replacing your pool pump motor. You do not have to replace the whole pool pump and as this guide will show, replacing your pool pump motor is not difficult. Although this guide is specific to a Hayward pool pump, most of the steps can apply to other models of pool pumps. Caution: You must ensure that the electrical supply agrees with the motor's voltage, phase, and cycle and that all electrical wiring conforms to local codes and NEC regulations. If you are unsure of this voltage or are unfamiliar with electrical codes and regulations, have an electrician wire your pump for you. Failure to wire the pump correctly can cause electrical shock or can damage your pool pump motor and void your warranty.
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Psu Posted: 6/30/2013
I went from a 1 1/2 hp to 2hp motor, I spoke with Matt and he was very helpful, guiding me through everything I needed for the upgrade.My problem is when I was putting on the large o ring before the large coupling it kept slipping down & don't think it seated well.
I now how've a leak around that coupling, when i set it to filter it leaks a little when I put it on backwash it pours out! Could it be the o ring or maybe the ceramic bushing?
Thanks psu
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Anonymous Posted: 6/23/2013
I am incredibly handy and mRk my words this step by step process is awesome as This was my first time changing 2.5 hp hayward to an a. o.smith pool pump motor.If you add a new ceramic plug be sure not to touch it with your hands as I did, the remedy is to take it apart and wipe with rubbing alcohol to dry it, wear latex gloves, this was my only issue and it was my fault as the dealer told me not to bare hand the ceramic plug as it causes big leaks... GREAT VIDEO N DIRECTIONS
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/23/2013
bryan tampa fl - Motors often run hot especially if they are installed in the sun. However, I would check the supply voltage. If it isn't within 10% of the voltage listed on the motor label, the motor will draw more current, heat up and eventually fail. Also make sure that your supply voltage is the same as your motor's configuration. If you have 115V supply and your motor is set up for 230V y, the motor will cycle on and off as it heats up and cools.Reply
bryan tanmpa fl Posted: 6/22/2013
i just replaced my 1hp/.using the theory I matched the green with the green.
I had two white wires which i presumed should both be hot.
primed and ran pool, felt like it was going great. 15 minuets I decided to feel moter and it was very hot. That doesn't sound common? correct?
Please adivse.
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/10/2013
Reduced HP - Generally when you reduce the HP of your pump motor, you have to reduce the size of the pump impeller. If you don't, your smaller motor is trying to move the same amount of water that the larger motor did. It will heat up and eventually fail. Also, if this is a pump for an in-ground pool, you may need to change the pump's diffuser to a smaller size.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 6/9/2013
I replaced the motor but went down in HP do I need to replace the impeller as well? I went from 1hp to 3/4hp and now the motor is running really hot.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/31/2013
cpe.ru90 - Many of the pumps have lock washers on the attaching bolts. Either way, If I put anything on the bolts, I use a lubricant so I could get them off easier the next time.Reply
cpe.ru90 Posted: 5/30/2013
when bolting on the motor plate to the motor should the bolt threads be coated with a lubricant or thread-lock?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 10/18/2012
wiring - Yes that is correct. For 230V both wires are hot and either can be connected to either L1 or L2. They are interchangeable.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 10/17/2012
pretty sure i know the answer, but want to make sure...replaced new 1.5hp pump motor. 230V. has 2 red lead wires (plus green ground). on 230V both are hot, so it does not matter which wire goes on which connection, is this correct ?Reply
Anonymous Posted: 9/18/2012
The instructions were clear and well documented, I found thes exremely uselful, great job, thank you.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/16/2012
Whisperflo pump stopped working - Sounds electrical and not mechanical. Check you motor's capacitor(s). When they are failing they, they will cause intermittent starts. Also some motors have governors at the end of the drive shaft that sometimes get stuck open and prevent restart. Then call your control board manufacturer and see if he has any ideas.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 9/12/2012
Hi, I've got an AOSmith 1.5 hp Whisper-flo Century Centurion pump on an in-ground pool, the pump is controlled through a computer board (controls all equipment, on/off, sets time, etc.). The pump stopped working, and my electrician said that a relay in the computer board blew, he replaced it and it started working. It stopped two more times since, he said the first time there was a loose connection in the motor, which he corrected, the second time he doesn't know what happened, he just played around with it and it started working again. Does this sound like a fluke, or do I need to buy a new pump?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/10/2012
JR - If you can replace the motor by pulling the pump and if it would be difficult to clip away the cement, I would go ahead and put in unions to the pump. On the other hand, if you are not replacing your motor with an identical motor you may have to replace the motor base anyway.Reply
JR Posted: 9/8/2012
Trying to replace my 1hp motor. AFter removing the four bolts holding the motor I noticed the mounting base is partially covered with cement from the cool deck. This makes it impossible to rmeove the motor since the lip of it is between the base and the round water-intake part of the pump. The intake and output piping on the pump do not have quick disconnects. Should I install the quick disconnects and leave the mounting base in it's current location (assuming the new motor should go back in the exact same spot) or should I remove the cement covering the mounting base and take it out with the motor. Just looking for an opinion before I go further. Thanks.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 8/22/2012
shorting capacitors - Generally it is sufficient to discharge only the capacitor you are replacing.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/20/2012
Is it necessary to short out both capacitors or just the one that I will have to actually touch. My motor has the start capacitor (fin) mounted on top and the run capcitor inside..Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 8/7/2012
Charlie - I'm not sure what the issue is. Your pump motor should run counterclockwise when looking at it from the pump end: CCWPE ; it will run clockwise when looking at it from the lead end, CWLE where the electric power comes in.Reply
Charlie Posted: 8/4/2012
I just replaced my 1 1/2 hp Stay rite maxi glass with a new motor but it runs counterclockwise and not clockwise, Anyone know how to fix this?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/27/2012
JBandAB - First, when you are replacing your 1 HP motor with a 1 1/2 motor, look at their Total HP (THP) and understand the difference between a full rated motor and an uprated motor. THP os the product of HP and Service Factor (SF)- see motor label. An uprated motor has a low SF of 1.0 to 1.1. A full rated motor has a SF of 1.5 to 1.6. If your current 1 HP motor has a HP of 1.0 and a SF of 1.0, it is an uprated motor and its THP is 1.0 (1.0 x 1.0). If you have an uprated 1 hp motor and you want to go to a 1.5 THP motor, select either a 1.5 HP uprated motor or a 1.0 HP full rated motor (1.0 x 1.5 = 1.5 THP). When going to a larger motor, you will probably need a larger impeller and possibly a new diffuser and a GOKIT. Lubrication for the gaskets is provided in the GOKIT.Reply
JBandAB Posted: 7/26/2012
We have owned our house for 7 years, and recently we had a pool maintenance person tell us our 1 HP pool motor was too small, and we should consider getting a 1.5 HP. Our pool is an in-ground 32*16 with a 3.5 ft shallow end and an 8 ft deep end; slightly sloping walls. My question is, can I just replace the 1 HP motor on the pool pump with the 1.5 HP motor? If so, what items do I need other than the motor, and Go-kit?? New impeller, etc??? Please help!Thank you. JB
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 4/26/2012
Sunshine sally - You have a couple of options at this point. 1- You can replace you 1 HP MOTOR with a 1 1/2 HP MOTOR. 2- Keep your current pump and go to a robotic cleaner rather than a suction cleaner. It is self contained and does not rely on water flow. For option 1, (assuming your new pump is also a Super Pump) you need to purchase a 1 1/2 HP Up Rated AO Smith Motor, PN UST1152. You will also need to replace the impeller with PN SPX2610C for a 1 1/2 HP Up Rated motor, and if you've used your 1 HP for a while, you might consider replacing the shaft seal with PN SPX1600Z2. Unfortunately you cannot go from a 1 HP motor to 2 HP motor. It's too big a jump for this pump. One other option is to go with an Energy Efficient 1 1/2 HP motor, UCT1152. It cost a little more initially but will save you 25% in operational costs.Reply
Sunshine sally Posted: 4/25/2012
Our original Hayward Super pump was a 2 HP pump that worked great for 10 years. My husband went to buy a new one and the salesperson convinced him to buy a 1 HP pump which would save him electricity. Well that may be so, but it takes forever to vacuum the pool now (large in ground pool). Can we upgrade this new pump to have more horse power?SS
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 4/16/2012
CBD - Generally, if the leak is under the pump, you have a housing gasket problem, where the motor and pump come together (see Steps 48 and 49). Make sure that gasket is set properly. Get a new one if you didn't already. If the water is coming from the bottom of the motor, you have a shaft seal problem. This seal has to be replaced with a new one when you replace a motor. Also make sure you have the right shaft seal. They are different for each motor. Give us a call and we will confirm the shaft seal part. Worse case - check to make sure that you don't have a crack in the pump housing.Reply
CBD Posted: 4/15/2012
Bought a 2 THP motor from you guys.Followed instructions...
Went to prime the system and noticed water is leaking directly from bottom of pump/de-fuser sections.
It is a free flow leak in volume. Started all over and turned the white and rubber seal around just for grins and same exact result. Pump does work though, but the leak is a huge amount. Any ideas?
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 3/26/2012
Ray Ray – If you have diverter valves, check to make sure they are set correctly to allow enough flow into the return lines. Also check the impeller inside the motor to see if it is clogged. Check for leaks in the lines and pool equipment. See our How To Guides for more specific instructions.Reply
Ray Ray Posted: 3/23/2012
My in ground pool pump is not working like normal. I'm only receiving a low volume of pressure into the pool and I'm not able to use my cleaning tools to clean the pool.thanks, Ray
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 3/14/2012
bw - Depends on where the leak is. If water is dripping out of the bottom of the motor, you probably have a bad shaft seal or you need to check that you purchased the correct shaft seal for you pump. If the water is spraying out at one of the gaskets, make sure the new gasket is seated correctly or you may have a defective gasket. Last, and worst, you may have a crack in your pump housing in which case you will need to buy a new housing.Reply
bw Posted: 3/13/2012
everything went as planned until iI turned on the pump and I had a leak. I redid the whole prosses and it continued so I'm not sure. Any ideas?Reply
Randy Posted: 12/23/2011
Just installed the new pump (AO Smith), GOKIT3, and impeller. Worked like a charm for about a 1/2 hour. It started to trip breaker. Looked at it the next morning and noticed that there was a small nick in a yellow wire going to the start-up cap and it was shorting to the capacitor. Piece of electrical tape and it works like a charm. This is my third pump in 4 years. Had the super pump replaced with an Emerson which lasted less than 6 months. My guess is the pool guy reused the old seal..regardless the bearings went out on that pump and not sure if that could be caused by the seal. Will look into getting it rebuilt and keep as a spare.Very pleased with INYOpools, knowledgeable with a sense of humor. Merry Christmas guys!
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 11/19/2011
Steve, Recheck your wiring. See also our guide on "How To Wire a Pool Pump". Make sure the motor shaft rotates easily. If this doesn't work, give us a call at 877 372-6038.Reply
steve Posted: 11/18/2011
when I turned on my new motor it just made a small buzz and then nothing. Any ideas?Reply
Ian Posted: 11/16/2011
Hi,I just want to say TY for providing these clear instructions so I could make this a DIY project and save the cash.It took about 45 minutes to gater my tools and do the disassemble.And about another 45 minutes to do the install...NICE JOB GUYS...Thanks again....Ian...Also I feel more confident knowing that I can DIY and tackle more jobs that arise...
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InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 11/1/2011
You might try epoxy. Make sure the bolt lines up with the insert. I'd put the motor an 1" from the housing, screw in a couple of "good" bolts to line them up, place the "loose" bolt though the motor hole and screw it into the insert, then epoxy the insert in. Can't guarantee it will work but it's worth a shot.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 10/31/2011
How can I fix the problem of one of hte brass inserts that the six bolts screw in to pulls out of the pool pump housing? Is there a way to re-seat it?Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/23/2011
Okay, I did it, and saved at least $150 by doing it myself. These instructions were very, very helpful. But probably spent 15 hours, including all the research and internet shopping to get the best prices. This is a "moderate" difficulty project only compared with say, rebuilding your car's engine, I suppose. It certainly wasn't simple. There are a lot of ways to go wrong, but my attitude was, give it a shot, and the worst thing that can happen is you'll have to call a pro to bail you out.Reply
Orlando Posted: 5/19/2019
Excellent info and steps. Keep up the great service.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 7/30/2011
was able to replace my Hayward pump w ease thanks to this guide. IT WAS GREAT! the new pump is exceedingly quietReply