A customer brought in his pump and said he wasn’t getting enough flow and thought something was wrong with his pump, primarily that something was clogged in the impeller. Pool Pump Flow Problems !
Getting into the Wet End
- I identified the voltage of the motor by looking at the wiring and the voltage diagram. I had to remove the back of the pump to determine. I determined it was a 110/120V and bench tested it. It started right up. I didn”t hear any unusual noises and the motor did not overheat.
- I then separated the power center from the volute by removing the bolts.
- I inspected the volute for cracks or splits where the unions are. Nothing looked bad.
- I determined from the schematic in the Jandy book that an o-ring was missing off of the diffuser.
- I removed the diffuser with the 2 screws. Tip: Always have a parts bin to put screws and such in so you don’t lose them. The diffuser copper weir ring was pitted, but thick enough to be sanded so I sanded it smooth with sanding cloth.
- Since the customer thought the impeller was clogged I used a red wired to push through each vein to see if it was clogged. It was not. Then I removed the impeller. Phillips’ head was required. The impeller screw was a reverse thread. Because the impeller turns counter clockwise it is designed this was to not unscrew from the shaft with motor rotation. The impeller was difficult to remove , but I got it. The impeller was in good condition.
- The graphite and ceramic seal looked flat. I removed it from the seal plate and the impeller.
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- I removed the 4 bolts touching the motor to remove the seal plate and O-ring. It looked fine. I cleaned all the debris out of the seal plate because I always want to not be a jerk wad and return the pump in better condition than when I got it.
- All the customer needed was a mechanical seal and that missing diffuser O-ring. I found a replacement pump seal PS-201, but had to go OEM on the diffuser R0622000, which I had to order. I called the customer and got approval.
- I replaced the ceramic seal. First I cleaned out where the seal goes to remove any dirt and previous lube. Tip: I applied a little bit of lube on the graphite side so that it would slide easier onto the impeller. I also placed a little on the ceramic side, but not too much. I used a clean cloth to press the ceramic seal in. Be sure to keep both sides clean. WIpe off any extra smegma.
- I prepped the pump for reassembly by wiping everything down.
- Then I basically did everything in reverse order. I put the seal plate back on with the bolts. I reattached the impeller. I put the diffuser back on awaiting it’s new O-ring. Once that comes in I will reattach the volute, bench test it again and call the customer.
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