I made a new fitting for my hot tub from aluminum. Learned all about aluminum-chloride in about 3 days. 1 inch diameter chunk of aluminum dissolved almost completely.
Sounds like a poor seal. Might need to put it on your list for replacement every one or two years? Or find a different brand of pump. Many years ago the local school district funded a pool. Of course they used an architect who gets a percentage of the total cost. He speced a prototype aluminum pool. Yep, an aluminum pool in a chlorinated environment (that obviously no one else wanted). Then to top that off he used power poles as rafters in the humid pool environment. Needless to say he walked away with a wad of money and in ten years the building and pool had to be replaced. He even wanted to use the pool deck for billiards!! At least they balked at that! Sadly that is not uncommon for architects who pocket the money and leave the responsibility for others. They always recommend the most expensive way so their fee is highest, often the least effective way for the customers. Even a fool could have told them aluminum and chlorine are reactive and wood rots in humidity and warmth! So much for tax dollars.
Pretty interesting it’s always nice to take things apart just to see how things fail. Perhaps there’s ways you could prevent it from happening, but maybe not good video. Look forward to the next thing you bring out.
When I replace a motor, I take out the four long screws and apply anti-seize. also, the contacts on the centrifugal switch may have went bad, causing it to be in the fast run mode not able to spin smoking run windings. start capacitor would not have been engaged during this time.
If the pump is going to be used in pool water it should be designed for that application. 316 Stainless is non reactive as are other materials. Failure should not be engineered into the product. I would look for another pump manufacturer who is competent. Also wouldn't hurt to put a small three sided box over the pump for some protection. Wouldn't be very hard to do.
I know a couple people brought up replacing the seals in the comments, have you thought about doing a scheduled maintenance and replacing seals every year or every other year? It couldn’t cost much to buy the seals and watching you disassemble the motor and pump didn’t seem to be too difficult, especially if you had it apart once a year. Just rambling on, thanks for the video, see you all next week.
This is the first seal failure I've had in about 10 years. The motor normally fails in other ways before the seal fails. Periodic seal replacement would be a good idea but it would be a 4 to 6 hour job.
Pandora's box. Looks like a bushing broke down and the axis went crooked and that is that. Overheats and turns smelly. Never got to run speed so the internal start winding is toast.
I made a new fitting for my hot tub from aluminum. Learned all about aluminum-chloride in about 3 days. 1 inch diameter chunk of aluminum dissolved almost completely.
That's why I rebuilt the pump and clean the motor every other winter. New seals new grease. I never have a problem.
Sounds like a poor seal. Might need to put it on your list for replacement every one or two years? Or find a different brand of pump. Many years ago the local school district funded a pool. Of course they used an architect who gets a percentage of the total cost. He speced a prototype aluminum pool. Yep, an aluminum pool in a chlorinated environment (that obviously no one else wanted). Then to top that off he used power poles as rafters in the humid pool environment. Needless to say he walked away with a wad of money and in ten years the building and pool had to be replaced. He even wanted to use the pool deck for billiards!! At least they balked at that! Sadly that is not uncommon for architects who pocket the money and leave the responsibility for others. They always recommend the most expensive way so their fee is highest, often the least effective way for the customers. Even a fool could have told them aluminum and chlorine are reactive and wood rots in humidity and warmth! So much for tax dollars.
Thanks as always Frank!
Frank. Those rotary seals are easily available. We buy them all the time for well pumps. The pump end looked good to me just needed a new motor.
Take the capacitor off and you can put a 7/16” open end wrench on flats on the shaft to hold it while removing the impeller.
Nice work. Unfortunately things break, mostly at the most inconvenient time. He he. Nice work
The seal should be ceramic to ceramic. That is why it leaked.
Test the capacitor 👍
Could be handy along the way.
Pretty interesting it’s always nice to take things apart just to see how things fail. Perhaps there’s ways you could prevent it from happening, but maybe not good video. Look forward to the next thing you bring out.
When I replace a motor, I take out the four long screws and apply anti-seize. also, the contacts on the centrifugal switch may have went bad, causing it to be in the fast run mode not able to spin smoking run windings. start capacitor would not have been engaged during this time.
If the pump is going to be used in pool water it should be designed for that application. 316 Stainless is non reactive as are other materials. Failure should not be engineered into the product. I would look for another pump manufacturer who is competent. Also wouldn't hurt to put a small three sided box over the pump for some protection. Wouldn't be very hard to do.
I know a couple people brought up replacing the seals in the comments, have you thought about doing a scheduled maintenance and replacing seals every year or every other year? It couldn’t cost much to buy the seals and watching you disassemble the motor and pump didn’t seem to be too difficult, especially if you had it apart once a year. Just rambling on, thanks for the video, see you all next week.
This is the first seal failure I've had in about 10 years. The motor normally fails in other ways before the seal fails. Periodic seal replacement would be a good idea but it would be a 4 to 6 hour job.
Pandora's box. Looks like a bushing broke down and the axis went crooked and that is that. Overheats and turns smelly. Never got to run speed so the internal start winding is toast.
The motor is replaceable, half the price of new. I am on my second motor in ten years, never stops 24/7.