I have a Pentair whisperflo pool pump. One year ago, the pump would hum, then trip the breaker, so I replaced the capacitor, and it’s been fine. Now it is doing it again, so I again replaced the capacitor, but the problem is still there. I can get the pump going by nudging the shaft with my fingers, so the pump isn’t frozen. I tested the capacitor with an ohmeter and the needle jumps halfway up and slowly goes down, so the capacitor looks fine. Do I need to replace the motor?
Hello Crawford - It sounds like a bad phase winding. Sometimes they will run continually once they are helped along. Other times, they will be weakened enough that eventually, they will trip the motor overload. At this point, we would recommend replacing the motor. What is the catalog or part number on the motor label?
Its a 2HP motor. It looks like 011774
The replacement motor is model B2859. We recommend replacing the seals when you replace the motor. The seal kit is part number GOKIT32. If you have salt water use, GOKIT32SALT.
You also have a PL2859. What is the difference?
The B2859 is what Pentair originally uses on the Whisperflo pumps. The PL2859 is an aftermarket motor by Pureline. The PL2859 s relatively new to the market but so far they have worked well for our customers.