Variable Speed Pump Sound

[Pool Guy 82]

Hi, looking for some advice on the sound my pump is making. We installed semi inground pool and pump end of last summer and was only used for a short time before the season ended so I can't recall the sound when new but I don't remember it being this loud.

The pump is a Hayward Maxflo Variable Speed. Wrranty is up as it was actually purchased a year before the pool was installed.

Here is the sound: Pump Sound

I did take the wet end apart to rule out anything stuck in the impeller and everything seemed normal there. I don't see any water leaking from the seal. Fan is not hitting the fan cover. Took the motor apart, attached picture is of the front bearing. After putting it back together it actually sounded OK for a few hours but then it started again.

I would appreciate any suggestions. Aside from replacing the seal and bearings just to see if that fixes the problem I am not sure what else I could do or check?

I did notice a slight wobble in the shaft which translates to the impeller but I would assume the noise would be there all the time if that was the cause rather than being completely normal for a few hours before getting noisey again.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Pump does not sound that bad.

What speed is the pump running at?

 

[1poolman1]

Hi, looking for some advice on the sound my pump is making. We installed semi inground pool and pump end of last summer and was only used for a short time before the season ended so I can't recall the sound when new but I don't remember it being this loud.

The pump is a Hayward Maxflo Variable Speed. Wrranty is up as it was actually purchased a year before the pool was installed.

Here is the sound: Pump Sound

I did take the wet end apart to rule out anything stuck in the impeller and everything seemed normal there. I don't see any water leaking from the seal. Fan is not hitting the fan cover. Took the motor apart, attached picture is of the front bearing. After putting it back together it actually sounded OK for a few hours but then it started again.

I would appreciate any suggestions. Aside from replacing the seal and bearings just to see if that fixes the problem I am not sure what else I could do or check?

I did notice a slight wobble in the shaft which translates to the impeller but I would assume the noise would be there all the time if that was the cause rather than being completely normal for a few hours before getting noisey again.

You should not see all that grease on that front bearing. Nor the rust on the rotor or the shaft. It looks like there was a seal leak that washed the grease from the bearing and it is now running dry. A seal can leak for a while without water showing up on the pad.
Any time a pump is disassembled that far the seal should be replaced anyway.
Even after a decade of running, a bearing shouldn't look much different from this new one:

 

[Pool Guy 82]

Welcome to TFP.

Pump does not sound that bad.

What speed is the pump running at?

I find it is subtle in the video but in person there is a noticeable difference. The normal pump sound is there but there is a louder "chugging" sound as well. I believe it was running about 1750 in that video.

 

[Pool Guy 82]

You should not see all that grease on that front bearing. Nor the rust on the rotor or the shaft. It looks like there was a seal leak that washed the grease from the bearing and it is now running dry. A seal can leak for a while without water showing up on the pad.
Any time a pump is disassembled that far the seal should be replaced anyway.
Even after a decade of running, a bearing shouldn't look much different from this new one:
View attachment 566557

Thanks, I did wonder about that amount of grease but the bearing sits in a cup in the seal plate. That cup is also filled with grease so I thought it was maybe there to lubricate between the bearing and the cup. I did order a new seal and will pick up new bearings as well if that grease is abnormal. I didn't open the bearing to see if it still had grease inside.