Pool Motor Overheating - High Amps

[captjake]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help me. I'm at my wits end.

Hayward Super II Pump
1hp Marathon motor running on 110V, 12.6A
C1200 filter

In short, motor under load is drawing 18-20A. Motor will run for a while, thermo will pop from overheating, cool, and then restart.

Called electric company. No known voltage drops. Wires into house checked. All tight.

Electrician called. Voltage drop at timer. New wire run from timer to motor. New 20A breaker installed at main panel. Voltage back to 118-122V. Motor was still drawing 20A. Electrician said the motor was bad.

New 1hp motor installed. Still does 18-20A under load when pumping water. 10-12A without load. New impeller, shaft seal, gaskets, etc. Good water flow, clean basket, no obstructions. I've replaced everything that can be replaced.

I'm out of ideas. What am I missing...??!!! Please help...!!!!!

[greg340]

make sure you have the right impeller on it.

[captjake]

100% positive on the impeller. Confirmed with store and online.

[Allen G Myerson]

The motors come wired for 230 volts. Did you change to 115 volts?

[Allen G Myerson]

Also, what is the voltage at the terminals under load?

[Allen G mYerson]

If you're measuring the voltage with no load, then you could still get a good voltage reading even if the wires are bad. The problem won't show up until you put the wiring under load and then the voltage will drop way down.

[Allen G Myerson]

Try configuring the pump for 230 volts and connect it to a 230 volt supply to see what current the pump draws under load at 230 volts.

[captjake]

112V
20A

Under load at the motor.

[captjake]

Just did a bench test about 6 feet from the main breaker panel

118V
8.9 - 9.3A

[Allen G Myerson]

That's a lot of current draw for a motor that is not under load. The current under load is also too high.

Try switching to a 240-volt configuration and get enough wire to run two test wires from a 240-volt breaker to the pump to see what current it pulls under load at 240 volts. Use wire size # 12 AWG.

What is the pressure at the filter?

Perhaps your neutrals are bad.

[captjake]

Thanks for your input, but I'm not ready to run 75' of wire through the attic only for a test at 240V. For now, I want to concentrate on fixing the problem at 115V.

This setup has been in place for 7 years. There is no damage to the wire from the main panel to the timer.

Pump pressure is about 10.

[Allen G Myerson]

You don't have to go through the attic. Just run the wires directly from the circuit breaker to the pump via the easiest and most direct route. You will remove them after the test.

At least try a bench test at 240 volts near the circuit breaker like you did with 120 volts.

I'm thinking that this could be a problem with your neutral wiring.

[captjake]

Attic is the shortest route. Panel and pump are on opposite sides of the property.

Just disconnected the timer and light transformer. Hard wired to the motor direct. Still drawing 19A at the motor under load.

If you're thinking the neutral is bad, where in the circuit do you think it is originating?

[Allen G Myerson]

For the neutrals, it could be on the supply side. Ask the power company to check to see if it's on the supply. If the supply is good, get an electrician to check your system.

Can you do a bench test at 240 volts?

For a 240-volt test under load, I'm thinking you could just run the wire through the house and out a door or window to get to the pump. It's just for the test, so it doesn't matter where it goes.

I'm not sure what is causing the problem. Checking the current draw at 240 volts would help diagnose the problem. If you use much less total power (volts x amps) at 240 volts, then that would indicate a problem with the neutral.

Does the pump sound like it's running properly or does it sound like it's straining?

Are you having any other electrical problems? Things like lights flickering, or increasing or decreasing in brightness?

[Allen G Myerson]

Also, if you're going to rewire, I recommend that you switch over to 240 volts. It's better to run larger appliances at 240 volts to better distribute the power loads. You want to reduce the use of the neutral as much as possible.