How To Wire A Pool Pump

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Pool pumps are wired to run on either 230V or 115V. Most are run on 230V and are preset at the manufacturers at 230V. If you are going to wire your own pool pump, you must first know what voltage is coming to your pump from the house circuit breaker. Also 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 a professional electrician wire your pump for you or at least check your work.
Failure to wire the pump correctly can cause electrical shock or can damage your pump motor and void your warranty.

Things You'll Need

Video

Step by Step

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Step 1

Measure the voltage on the wires going to your pool pump. See "How To Use a Multimeter to Test a Pool Pump Motor - Voltage". This voltage will be either 230-240V or 115-120V. Pool Pump manufacturers commonly list these as 230V or 115V. Generally you will have three wires coming to your pump. For 230V you will generally have a red, a black and a green wire. The red and black wires are both hot. There is no neutral. The green wire is always ground. For 115V the three wires are generally black (hot), white (neutral) and green (ground).

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Step 2

CAUTION: Before you start wiring your pool pump, turn off all power to the pump at the breaker box.

Step 3

Unscrew the two screws that hold the cover over the back end of the motor. Remove the cover to expose the electrical connectors.

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Step 4

Screw a metal elbow onto your pool pump at the end of the motor.

Step 5

Run conduit from the metal box to the pump. String your three wires thru the conduit and metal elbow into the end of the motor. Screw the conduit collar onto the end of the elbow. Ensure that your wire size is adequate for the HP rating and distance from the power source. Check your pool pump owners manual for the correct size. Wire sizes generally run 14 AWG for motors up to 1 HP and from 14 AWG to 10AWG for larger motors depending on HP and Voltage.

Step 6

If you are wiring for 230V, the three wires coming to the pool pump from the circuit box are red, black and green. In this example for Hayward pool pumps, red will go to the L1 terminal and black will go to the L2 terminal. The green wire will be under the green screw to the far right. In addition there is a black plug with two wires coming from inside the motor , a black wire and white wire with a black tracer line. The black plug is positioned so that the white arrow on top of the 2 prong black plug is pointing at 230V.

Step 7

For clarification, this picture shows the terminals without the wires. The red wire is attached to terminal 1 of Line 1 (L1). The black wire is attached to terminal 3 of Line 2 (L2). The green wire is attached to Ground (GND). The black plug is positioned so that the black wire is attached to terminal 5. For 230V the white wire is not attached.

Step 8

If you are wiring for 115V, the three wires to the pool pump will be black, white and green. Attach the black (115 V) wire to terminal 1 of Line 1 (L1). Attach the white wire (0 V) to terminal 3 of Line 2 (L2). Attach the green wire under the Ground screw (GND). The black plug is shifted in position so the black wire is attached to terminal 4 Line 2 (L2) and the white wire is attached to terminal 5. Note: in this position the white arrow on top of the 2 prong black plug is pointing at the 115V label.

Step 9

Replace the pool pump motor cover and secure it with the two screws.

Step 10

Lastly your pool pump motor must be bonded in accordance with local electrical code requirements. Use a solid copper conductor, size 8 AWG or larger. Run this wire from from a reinforcing rod to the pressure wire connector provided on the motor housing. Note: In this example the wire coming from the bottom of the picture is going to the pump. The upper wire is going to the heater to bond the heater.

Comments

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(321 to 360 of 484)

 Posted: 6/5/2013 

I need a 120v receptacle by my filter it is 240v can I tap into it to get 120v? It has 2 hot and a ground.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 6/5/2013 

PJ - You have to be sure what power is coming to the pump. Have someone measure it with a mutimeter. If you have 230V coming in and you configure your pump for 115V, you will fry your motor. If you have 115V coming in and your pump is set for 220V, your pump will cycle on and off. If the circuit breaker trips right after you turn the pump on, you may have the pump wired wrong.
 Reply

 Posted: 6/4/2013 

My pump wires were dangling out of the pump so I disconnected the wires from the pump and replaced the water tight flex and box connector. When I finished re-connecting the wires and turned the circuit breaker on it tripped. Tried a couple of things but still no running of the pump. By reading the power requirements for my hayward T1102 1HP pump I noticed that the circuit breakers are 20 Amps and this indicates that the pump should be wired as 115 volts. However my pump switch is set to 230 volts. Is it possible that the switch was bumped while installing the wires. What will happen if I switch it to 115 volts and flip the circuit breaker on? Just trying to keep from burning anything up. Thanks.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/27/2013 

JP - Because this is AC current, it does not matter if the black wire is attached to L1 or L2. Make sure that your supply voltage is 115V and that the motor is configured for 115V.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/26/2013 

Have a new hayward super pump that I want to set up on 115V. Does the black wire go on L1 or L2?
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/26/2013 

wiring - It sounds like you have four wires coming from your power supply box -black, blue, white and green. Check the voltage across a pair of wires for 230V. I would guess it's the black and blue wires. If you have 240V across black /blue, connect those wires to L1 and L2. White is extra but I would cap it off with an electrical wing nut. Green goes to the ground screw. Make sure your motor is configured for 240V.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/24/2013 

Thanks to user jgianoli for mentioning his problem with the spade terminals being at an angle and preventing him from easily switching from 230v to 115v...I had the same problem! Now, thankfully, I have the same solution, too.
 Reply

Anonymous  Posted: 5/23/2013 

myold trasstar had four wires black blue white and green the new super pump has only three l1 red l2 black green wire to screw. where does the white wire connect . is this the correct wiring settings
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/22/2013 

cpe.ru90 - According to the motor rep, because this is AC power, it does not matter if the black is on L2 or L1. Black and White wires can be swapped.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/22/2013 

hi, I am in the process of replacing a 115v configured super pump ust1152. while disconnecting the electrical I made note that the black was connected to L1 and the white to L2, which is opposite of what your how-to states. would the pump still work if it was wired this (incorrect) way or did I record the connections incorrectly? thanks, chris
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/22/2013 

T.I. - Unfortunately I have no information on this relay. I would suggest submitting your question to Omron directly using this contact form.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/22/2013 

I have a 2HP pool motor to be installed. How would you connect the wires back to Omron G7-2A-BUBJ-CB DC24 relay? Thanks.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/17/2013 

fergi - Check your supply power to the motor. If it is 115V and your motor is configured for 230V, you need to change your motor's configuration to 115V. See the top of your motor label for instructions. Check your circuit breaker. For this size motor, you need a 30 amp breaker for 115V supply power or a 15 amp breaker for 230V. Also, you may have a bad breaker that needs to be replaced. Check the size of the wire to your motor. For lengths under 50 ft and this size motor, you need No.10 wire for 115V or No.14 wire for 230V. If your wire length is greater than 50 ft, you will need wire one size heavier.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/16/2013 

we have installed the new 1 1/2hp hayward superpump for ingroung pool, but it keeps tripping the breaker.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/12/2013 

rgholloman - The instructions to change the motor's configuration from 230V to 115V are often included at the top of the motor's label. The newer AO Smith motors now have a knob on the power terminal which changes the voltage easily by rotating it CCW.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/10/2013 

the new Motor cuts off after 3-5 minutes which I understand from reading the comments that it has something to do with voltage.
I have 120 volts into the pump motor. there are three wires: red, black, green. I wired it like the one I took off. red to L-1, black to L-3 and green to ground.
Inyo says that pool motors are configured to 230 volts from the manufacturer and therefore, I need to reconfigure the motor to 115-120 volts to match the voltage to the motor.
Question: how do I reconfigure the motor from 230 to 120?

 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/5/2013 

Jeremy - Sounds like you have 240V if each wire, when test separately, reads 120V. That's white to ground then black to ground. To be sure place one probe on black and one on white to check across black - white. That will probably read 240V.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/4/2013 

Each wire has a current of 120....Both white and black. So how would I wire it.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/4/2013 

Sid - 8G or larger solid copper wire is recommended for bonding.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 5/1/2013 

Jeremy - Your supply voltage is either 240V or 120V. If the wires to your motor are your supply wires coming from the breaker box, check the voltage with a multimeter by placing the meter's probes on the white and black wires. The meter will read around 240V or 150V.
 Reply

 Posted: 5/1/2013 

I have 1.5 HP pump connected @ 230 volt, 40 feet from its breaker. I have installed 3-10 G wires in 1&1/2 inch conduit which also carries 2 wires for pool lighting and 2 wires for a pool sweep pump (3/4 HP). One of these three wires is for grounding. The pumps are also grounded by a 10G copper wire to the ground slab. Should I have installed 8G grounding wire?
 Reply

 Posted: 4/30/2013 

I bought a new Hayward super pump 1 hp. Ready to wire it and I tested my voltage and both lights lit up 240 and 120. The wires I have leading to the motor are black white and green. Just double checking on which way to wire it??? Any help would be great.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 4/21/2013 

amy5674 - You are going to need a multimeter to measure the voltage on the wires. With the power on, put one meter lead on the red wire and the other on the yellow than the blue. If you measure around 220V on either pair (red/yellow or red/blue) use those two wires as your power source to L1 and L2. It does not matter which wire goes to which terminal. Be very careful not to touch these wires while you are measuring them. You are working with 240V. After you have selected the pair to use TURN THE POWER OFF, cap the extra wire with a wire connector, and hook up your motor.
 Reply

 Posted: 4/20/2013 

I just got a Hayward RS Replacement Series Pump since the old one finally died. I have 220v...my problem is I have 4 wires coming from the box...a red, a yellow, a blue, and a green. I get the green and the red but what do I do about the yellow and the blue? Red to L1...greed to ground...and then what? Thanks
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 4/10/2013 

Ciro – It sounds like your pool cleaner issue is low return pressure. Make sure your diverter valves are set up to open flow to the return lines in your pool – reduce flow to spa or fountains. Another suggestion – You may be building up back pressure in your return lines. One manufacturer rep suggests replacing your return nozzles with one size larger nozzles.
 Reply

 Posted: 4/9/2013 

Hi, I just purchase a Polaris 165 pressure side vacuum cleaner, How ever and connected it doesn't move and I noticed my return lines have low pressure I backed wash my filer and cleaned filter I am not sure if Im setting up the vacuum right or if its something else.

Thank You

 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 4/5/2013 

Ciro - Yes, it is normal for a pump motor to run a little hot. Your pressure problem is after the pump. Try backwashing or cleaning your filter a couple more times to see if that helps reduce your pool's pressure level.
 Reply

 Posted: 4/4/2013 

Hi, I have a sta rite 3/4 pump 230V, my set up is 220V I have one green and two reds,is it normal that my pumps gets just a little hot? and when I first started the pump the filter gage was on 10 lbs pressure and more water pressure coming from the returning lines after 1 hr the pressure gage went up to 20 lbs and lower water pressure form returning lines.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 3/22/2013 

wired for 220V - It does not matter which red wire is connected to L1 and L2. Both are hot.
 Reply

Anonymous  Posted: 3/21/2013 

I replaced my motor (wired for 220V) but I have two red wires and one green. Does it make any difference which red wire I connect to L1 and which one to L2?


 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 3/13/2013 

Mark - You need to have three wires plus ground to connect your two speed pump to your PE153 Timer. I am currently writing a guide on How To Wire a PE153 Timer to a 2-Speed Motor which will be out in a couple of days.
 Reply

 Posted: 3/8/2013 

I just purchased a new 1.5 pump and a pe153 timer. I called in with my old equipment and your customer service matched up a replacement motor.

i only have 1 black, 1 white and my ground.

the pump will run on what seems like low but won't run on high. any suggestions

 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 3/5/2013 

KateMonster - You will need someone with a voltmeter to test your voltage. Carefully connect the leads of the voltmeter to the two yellow wires. If you have 220V to the motor, it will read 220V.
 Reply

 Posted: 3/4/2013 

I have 3 wires - 2 yellow and a green. Any idea on voltage? My pool pump is old and I'm not easily finding config details.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 3/2/2013 

arb - Make sure your motor is configured for 220V. Then check the voltage on the wires. You should have 220V between the red and black wires from the supply power. Put red on L1 and Black on L2. Blue is extra but I would cap it off to be safe.
 Reply

 Posted: 3/2/2013 

I have 4 wires coming from the pool connection box.
1-red
1-black
1-blue or gray?
1-green
my motor (A.O.Smith UST1152)..I am aware the green is ground... where do the other wires connect to the motor? thanks in advance.

 Reply

 Posted: 1/14/2013 

Thank you for clarifying that. My spade terminals are not sitting down as they are in pics 7&8. mine are at an angle as the top pic. so i just bent them down and connected the plug right in. Thanks again for your help.
 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 1/14/2013 

Jgianoli - If I understand you correctly, when you convert to 120V, you will want to connect into that terminal that is "in the way". See steps 7 and 8. When you move the terminal plug over to the 115V mark, the plug will be connected to terminals 4 and 5.
 Reply

 Posted: 1/13/2013 

Hi, I have the 1hp hayward super pump and will be converting it to 120v.My question is when i move the plug to line the arrows up there is a spade connector that is at an angle that will be in the way, i can't bend it out of the way up as it hits the screw before getting out of the way, if i bend it down the connector will plug into this also. is this acceptable? On the first picture you can see the dual spade terminal i'mtalking about.
Thanks, John

 Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist  Posted: 1/9/2013 

Larry - Thanks for your comment. We do appreciate independent reviews to help keep us accurate. I did contact the experts at the motor manufacturer and they state that for 230V AC motors, either black or red wires (both hot) can be attached to either terminal lead L1 or L2.
 Reply