If your pool pump motor is smoking of cycling on and off, it is severely overheating. This guide discusses some of the conditions that cause your pool pump to overheat. If this problem isn't corrected, it will burn out your motor's windings and cause it to fail.
Note: A running motor that is too hot to touch is not necessarily overheating. If the automatic protector is not tripping and the actual running amps do not exceed the maximum amps on the nameplate, the motor is not overheating.
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Will Posted: 11/13/2021
Hello, My booster pump turns on for about 2-3 sec then clicks off. I took the back cover off and can see the shaft turning when it is on. I can also see behind a black circular part with three wires going to it glow hot while it is running. Is this the capacitor or something else?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 11/15/2021
You are likely describing the capacitor but I can't be certain. I'd just start troubleshooting the motor and circuit with a multimeter to make sure the capacitor (and everything else) is working fine. Using the Proper Test Equipment to Troubleshoot Pool MotorsRelated Articles: How To Use a Multimeter to Test a Pool Pump Motor - Winding Resistance - How To Determine Why a Motor Won't Start or Shuts OffReply
Mck. Posted: 11/7/2021
I have a Pentair Challenger pump. Had a leak in the pump, replaced seals and gaskets, leak fixed. But when I turned the pump back on I had no pressure but pump was running and moving water. Turned it off, checked all O-rings, etc. When I turned it back on, only humming, Moving no water. I replaced the impeller and diffuser after noticing the inside of the diffuser was corroded and damaging the impeller and replaced the capacitor. When I turned it back on, smoke and a hissing sound came from capacitor but no humming or any sound at all and nothing in the pump is even attempting to move. More than frustrated at this point. Help.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 11/10/2021
After the pump was reassembled the first time, you likely had air in the system, which is typical when you break the seal on the plumbing. If the filter has an air release valve, it should have fixed that problem. However, the subsequent attempts to get the motor running may have been a wiring issue, or the motor was already on its last legs; the back and forth pushed it over the edge. That new capacitor is shot, but you can try troubleshooting the motor circuitry to determine if there are any other issues.Reply
Ryan S. Posted: 7/6/2021
I have a Waterway Champion 56 that is just over a year old. I have it on 50ft of 10gauge wire with it being the only thing on the fuse box. It keeps over heating to the point where it automatically trips and will go off for 3 min then only on for 3 min. The motor is too hot to touch for a long time. What part is the main suspected culprit to try and buy and change out?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/3/2021
First, is this a new install, or has this pump been in use for a while? Second, have you tried putting the pump on a different breaker or tested the voltage reaching the motor with a multimeter? I would start there to make sure the motor isn't overheating due to lack of voltage. Pool pump motors naturally run hot; they can get up to 220 degrees before the motor shuts itself down. They usually operate around 150 degrees, 115 degrees registers as hot to the human touch.Reply
KG Posted: 7/23/2020
I have a 1 h/p A.O. Smith pool/pump motor about 4 years old and it keeps shutting off with about 3 hours of operation. I can smell a burned smell and the cover of the motor is burned black on half of it. I can wait till it cools down, about 20 minutes and I can turn it back on and it runs again. The overload device has been replaced about 2 years ago. No odd sounds when it is running. Do I need to replace the motor?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/24/2020
Have you done any of the troubleshooting mentioned int he article? We layout a list of things you can try to determine what the issue is. I can't determine what the issue is based on the description provided. An overheating motor is something that needs to be tested/checked, it cannot be diagnosed without some legwork.Reply
Luis Posted: 5/12/2019
I have a 1Hp UST1102 Century pool motor that bought last year around March 2018. I just can't remember who I bought it from. Anyway, my motor gets real hot to the touch and then it turns off. When i wait a little bit it will turn on again and stays on about 30-60 minutes. I do smell like plastic burning. I bought the capacitor that belongs to the UST1102 but it still those the same thing. Do i need a new motor and if so how can Century replace my motor themselves if I'm under warranty.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/13/2019
First, did you do any of the troubleshooting to determine why your motor is overheating? If not, that would be something to do before anything else.Also, Century motors only carry a 1-year warranty; with it being May, you would be just out of its coverage.Reply
Motor heating up Posted: 12/7/2018
My water pressure was way low - felt in the impeller and seemed clogged up (motor running fine, not overheating) - took housing apart and cleaned all the crap out of the impeller - then put it all back together - turned it on and motor started heating up and shut down - (smelt like burnt wood) - let it cool down and fired it back up - same thing motor got real hot and shut down. Any Ideas?? JamesReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 12/10/2018
James - did you check the voltage or amperage as the guide suggests?Reply
Matthew Posted: 8/7/2018
The clear first step would be to replace the bad breaker. Secondly, start troubleshooting the motor using the tips provided in this guide.Reply
Gupta Posted: 6/18/2018
My pump stopped working and it seems like the breaker may have got damaged. There was no burning smell. What should I do?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/25/2017
Britt w - Humming might mean that your motor's capacitor has failed. Try replacing that first. However, if your motor ran dry for an extended period of time, you may have other problems. The seals and gaskets may have been damaged or you may have burned out parts of your motor.Reply
Britt w Posted: 7/24/2017
I got home from work, had no pressure so I went out to check the pump. The motor is very hot. I flipped the breaker off waited a few minutes then flipped it back on. The motor hummed but wouldn't engage to rotate the shaft. What could this be?? Thanks for the help in advance.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/24/2017
Anonymous (loud pump)- If your pump is older and starting to make noise, the bearings may be going and it is probably time to replace it. Go through the checklist in this guide for possible causes. If no solution, I'd look at buying a new motor.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 7/23/2017
Just cleaned filters, primed pump... sounded a little louder than usual. Seemed like everything was running good but after about 10 minutes, pump overheated and shut off. Any idea??Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/27/2017
Graham - Thank you very much for your comment. This is great information to be aware of.Reply
Graham Posted: 6/26/2017
Had this problem of the Hayward pool pump overheating and then auto-shutting off in a cycle. Once it cools down, it starts back up again. Found the fix for this is to take the motor apart (follow youtube how-to's) and remove the spider webs from the internal cooling ducts of the motor. When these internal ducts get blocked by spider webs, it can no longer keep itself cool, and the thermal breaker trips. Once apart, used pipe cleaners down each duct, then your motor will keep itself cool and be back to normal. Did this operation successfully a few years ago, but the spiders came back and had to do it again recently. You can visibly see them all clogged. Now, how to keep the spiders out permanently?Reply
Michael Posted: 6/13/2017
I have a hayward super ll i am trying to just use this pump for a small pond and waterfall yesterday it keep su ki g all my water from the priming reservoir but it would also overheat and shut down so i took it a part cleaned and repa k all fitting today i tryed to test it and it keeps cli king and flow is interrupted but it dosnt seem to be overheating but i havnt let it run long enough to do so i changed the wiring set up to the 115v diagram i need helpReply
Jeff Posted: 6/4/2017
Follow-up on the speck pump shutting down, I measured the voltage at the pump and it was 247, which is not uncommon. I sent the speck es90ll back and installed a pentair superflo model 340038 and it works flawlessly. The speck I tried to use was the same model as the original only with a different brand motor than the original. The new motor just couldn't handle the voltage.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/31/2017
Kathy - Make sure your motor is configured for your supply voltage. The default factory setting is for 220V. If you're setting this motor up for 115V, you need to change the Voltage setting on the motor. See the motor label for instructions. If your motor is configured correctly, you may hav4e been sent a bad motor. Contact your supplier.Reply
Kathy Posted: 5/31/2017
Replaced pump motor and immediately it was very hot and shutoff within a couple of minutes. Followed instructions that came with the new motor. Any ideas?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/2/2017
Mommabear - You may have had water blown into the motor through the motor vents which may have shorted out a part of the motor. Take the cover off the back of the motor to expose the electrical circuits. See if you see any burn marks. If not, turn on the pump and see if you see where the smoke was coming from. If you are lucky, you may be able to replace one or two damaged components. Also, check the motor's fuse.Reply
Mommabear Posted: 4/30/2017
Hello, so we just had a assist storm overnight and early morning. We had heavy heavy down pour, I left my.pool pump on throughout it all, when I went to check on pool the pump was not on. So we turned off at switch and turned to backwash due to over filled pool. The pump starting to work then smelt burning and shut off. Is it broke possibly now? Can running my pump during a storm cause it to overheat.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 4/17/2017
Jeff - Check the supply voltage level at the pump motor's terminal. If the voltage level is too low, it will cause the motor to overheat. Low voltage can be due to power company brownouts during periods of high power demand or undersized wiring between the circuit breaker and the pump.Reply
Jeff Posted: 4/12/2017
I just replaced my pool pump ( speck es90 II) with a new one. All was good for the first day but on the second day it kept shutting off after an hour of running and would not turn back on for an hour or so of after that. Then did it again, seems like an overheating problem but not sure why.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 12/19/2016
holiday inn - If it's squealing, your bearings may be going. Or The motor windings are failing. I would have the motor checked and probably replaced.Reply
holiday inn Posted: 12/15/2016
i connect my pump and i smell a sent of burned wood coming from my motor what should i doReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/28/2016
Karl - One very effective way to keep your motor cooler is to clear all the debris away from the bottom vents under the motor. If that doesn't help, pull the motor out of the pump housing and check to see if any debris is jammed between the impeller and the pump housing.Reply
Karl Posted: 9/27/2016
I noticed my pump was getting very hot to the touch , I replaced the impeller and shafts seals etc. It's still running to hot to touch after 10 minutes or so. Filters is clean no bloggers and volume of water it is moving is fine. Any ideas ?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/5/2016
Londoaleksandra - Your motor may be jammed. Check to see if the motor's impeller is clogged with debris. Sometimes a nut gets jammed it the impeller and keeps the shaft from turning. See our guide on "How To Clean Out a Pool Pump Impeller". Then check the component in the control unit for damage. Here's is a link to the Emerson VS Motor Troubleshooting Manual. It says for AC but I think it is applicable for pool pumps also. Starting with page 14 shows you how to access the control components.Reply
Londoaleksandra Posted: 9/4/2016
My emerson variable pool pumpm motor is showing High mapa on the display pad, them shuts off after a coupé of seconds. I see it is a motor overload, but have no idea what that Means or how to fix it. Please help. Any advise will be very much appreciated.Reply
Londoaleksandra Posted: 9/2/2016
Hello, I have had an 2 Emerson variable speed for about 1.5 yr. it is not covered. The motor was working great until the other day. I turn it on and after about 2-3 seconds it turns off. The display pad is saying high amp. Do I need to replace my whole motor or is it something reasonable to trouble shoot and fix. Please help....thank youReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 8/22/2016
Kevin - This is a strange one. If your motor ran on 115 with wires one size smaller, it should run easily on the oversized wire with half the current. If the motor conversion from 120 to 230 wasn't correct, you would have fried the motor before the breaker opened. Can you take the motor out and wire it next to the circuit breaker to see if it runs for 10 seconds and eliminate any intermediate wire issues? Does motor shaft turn easily? Also, if your motor has a governor, check to see if it's stuck open. If you find out what this is, could you send me another comment? I generally don’t get the “it works” responses. ThanksReply
Kevin Posted: 8/21/2016
Flotec pump (Model FP5172-08 (9.9 Amp Max.)) starts but kicks a 20 Amp breaker after 2-3 seconds. Pump ran fine on 120 VAC earlier this summer. I converted it to 230 VAC due to distance from breaker panel. Switched motor voltage by moving jumper from 115 to 230. Oversized wire by one size just in case. Measured L1-122 volts and L2-123 volts at pump disconnect box. Replaced 20A dual throw breaker in panel. Still trips within 2-3 seconds. No indication of short or bad connections. Nothing else on circuit. Circuit without pump does not trip breaker. Pump motor sounds normal at start. No sound of electric short or mechanical binding.Do I have a capacitor problem? A contactor problem? Cerainly not overheating in 3 seconds! Why is it tripping the breaker?
Help much appreciated.
Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 7/25/2016
Rick - If you have 118/119 V coming in on both leads, you are running on 220V. Make sure your motor is configured for 220V and not 115V. Also try setting the motor on bricks to keep debris from clogging the motor vents. One customer found that this helped keep his motor significantly cooler. try to get this resolved before your warranty runs out.Reply
Rick Posted: 7/23/2016
Thanks for a good place to start. Pump runs for a while, overheats and shuts off. I mean the pump casing boils water. The voltage is 118,119 receptively to the leads. This give me some more things to check, and i appreciate it. Pump is less than a year old.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/14/2016
Laura - It sounds like your motor is configured for 220V and you have 115V coming into the pump. Check you supply voltage. If it is 115V, change the motor configuration to 115V. The configuration instructions should be on the corner of the motor label.Reply