I'm not sure how well the video will show this bur just noticed the pump/motor making some noise that I have not heard before. Anyway to tell which it is? Going away at the end of the week for a week and would not like to have it quit while we are gone.
Pump/Motor starting to make some noise
- Thread starter SteveK52
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,000
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I don't understand your question? If you can't hear the noise you might need to turn up the volume.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,000
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I have the volume turned up. The sounds sound normal to me.
Maybe others have a better trained ear.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 15,805
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Thanks for the reply. Maybe nothing serious but noisier than in the past. I could tell the difference from 25 feet away.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,000
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Maybe I hear some bearing whine. And maybe a fan blade rubbing a shroud. Neither are a serious problem.
Without hearing whatever you heard before I don’t know the difference.
- May 27, 2021
- 1,269
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Sounds like bearing noise to me. If it is indeed bearing whine it will likely progressively get noisier as the pump continues to run. Have you seen any wet spots around the pump that are unexplainable? Are any of the inspection slots on the bottom of the pump wet? Without hearing it brand new in pristine condition, it’s hard to definitely tell you if the bearings are on the way out or something else.
ETA: After listening with earphones I believe it to be bearing noise. Double check the fan shroud at the back to ensure no debris is caught between the blades and the housing, but it does sound like bearing whine to me.
ETA: After listening with earphones I believe it to be bearing noise. Double check the fan shroud at the back to ensure no debris is caught between the blades and the housing, but it does sound like bearing whine to me.
Last edited:
Thanks, I will check for wet spots this morning. I appreciate your help! Do you know if the bearings are replaceable and if so how difficult to replace them? Thanks again.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,000
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- May 27, 2021
- 1,269
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
As posted yes the bearings are replaceable. More often than not replacement is beyond the scope of most DIY’ers/homeowners. Bench time at a qualified motor shop has often become less economical on smaller motors for repair and it makes more sense to just replace the motor and seals entirely.
From that short video, it sounds like bearings. There also appears to be some white residue and a bit of rust at the very bottom of the sealplate and clamp but it is hard to see. That would indicate a seal leak which would account for the bearing noise. Has there been any water visible below the pump? A small puddle?
You can remove the shroud at the back of the motor, turn it on, and see if the noise is still there. It is possible that something is stuck in the fan, but that noise usually goes away.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have not noticed any water or oil but will take a closer look. We have had some rain this morning so when things dry out I will do a through examination.
You will never see oil, there is none in a pool motor. Any lubrication is inside the sealed front and rear bearings and is a very small amount. Water leaking past a shaft seal can cause the lubrication of the front bearing to fail.
I have only seen one motor of the many hundreds I have replaced or had repaired with a bad rear bearing. If bearings are replaced, it is best practice to replace them both, even if the rear appears to be good.
Just went out now that things have dried out and no sign of water leaking at all and no white like you might see if there had been leaking and the noise is gone. I will monitor it closely, maybe it was just a fluke, however my intuition says probably not.