Pool Pump Motor

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How to Test Pool Pump Capacitor With a Multimeter ?

Author: simonzhan

A pool pump is driven by a motor that starts under power from a capacitor. A failed capacitor will cause the motor to hum or buzz when the start cycle is activated. The buzzing noise will not be accompanied by rotation sounds from the impeller of the pump. In that case the pump is not working and the pool water is stagnant. Two types of pool pumps are available, and both are started by capacitors. Test the capacitor to see if it's all that's needed to restore service to a pool pump.
Instructions.Things You'll Need:
Insulated metal screwdriver
Slotted screwdriver, or 1/4-inch socket wrench
Needle nose pliers
Analog multimeter or digital multimeter with capacitance setting
1.1
Shut off the power to the pump with the breaker switch in the nearby breaker box.



2.2
Open the pump motor cover. The round cover is at the end of the pump cylinder. Use a slotted screwdriver or 1/4-inch socket wrench to remove the two cover screws. The capacitor is the cylindrical object held in place by a curved metal guard plate.

3.3
Drain all stored power from the capacitor. Touch both terminals on the top side simultaneously with the metal post of an insulated screwdriver, which will cause a spark and popping sound if the capacitor has a lot of stored power.

4.4
Remove either of the wires from a terminal on the capacitor. Use needle nose pliers to grip the connector, and unplug it from the terminal.

5.5
Test the capacitor with an analog multimeter if it is rated at 150 microfarads or less. Higher rated capacitors can ruin analog meters. Set the meter for "Ohms" on a 1k scale. Touch the meter leads to separate terninals, and watch the needle on the display. Either lead can go on either terminal for the test. The capacitor is bad if the needle drops to zero and stays there. The capacitor is good if the needle jumps toward zero and slowly swings up the scale to show greater resistance.

6.6
Test any capacitor with a digital multimeter that has a capacitance setting. Set the meter for "Capacitance" and touch the leads to the terminals. Either lead will work on either terminal. Check the digital display to see if the number comes close to the rating shown on the capacitor. If the numbers are off by more than 10 points, the capacitor is bad.

 

Source from:

http://www.capacitors-china.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/how-to-test-pool-pump-capacitor-with-a-multimeter-3255344.html

About the Author

Manufacturer of Motor Capacitor in China


Comments

  1. scubabob says:
    October 10, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    New motor huh? They come factory wired for 220 volt. If your electrical at the pump is 110 that will definitely cause the motor to surge and ebb, giving you those pressure readings as it tries to kick into high gear, but can’t. If you are normally running 110 there( test it to make sure) and didn’t switch the wiring over inside the motor, turn off the power, remove the back motor cover and compare the wiring with the diagram on the top label of the motor. It’s all colour coded, with the exception being the black tracer, it’s white and black. It’s usually a simple matter of either moving a wire or two or in the case of a hayward, moving a white terminal block from 220 to 110. It’s clearly marked. As this is a new motor, I’ll bet this is the issue.
    The only other things that would cause the symptoms you’re describing, is cavitation in the suction line somewhere. Either an object caught in a line (unhook your cleaner if you have one) or it’s possible that the pump impellor is jammed up with small debris that made it past the pump basket. Also, it’s possible, but unlikely, that during pump reassembly the diffuser plate was incorrectly installed. They usually only fit in one way and it would be difficult to get it in there improperly without some sort of leak happening, so this is a long shot.
    I see a lot of people in here claiming it’s the filter. Nope. I can garantee that the filter has nothing to do with the symptoms you’re describing. In fact, it will have nothing to do with ANY equipment or plumbing line, past the filter pump.

  2. Chon'ee says:
    October 24, 2010 at 3:23 am

    Try one of these web sites hope this helps.

    http://www.my-pool.com/Products/Catalog/pu.asp
    http://www.smarter.com/—se–qq-pool+pump+parts.html
    http://www.poolcenter.com/parts_pumps_poolstor.htm
    http://www.poolplaza.com/pool-parts-2.shtml

  3. DC says:
    November 21, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Swimming Pool pump pressure surges from 7 to 11 lbs every 6 sec. no leaks & motor good, any suggestions..?
    pool pump motor new, D.E filter old, suction skimmer basket .. older pool .The palm trees thought to have uprooted cement around pool area… no signs of debris in baskets …..Whats next:

  4. wwwstat says:
    February 22, 2011 at 2:45 am

    your old motor is three phase and the new one is single phase ..if you check the data plates on the motors you will see this information ..you can still use the new pump all you will need to do is replace breaker and not use one of the hot wire just wire nut it off…

  5. wdr31 says:
    March 4, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    Replacing a pool pump motor.?
    I’m replacing a Hayward Super Pump Pool Motor, model C48L2N134B1, can I replace it with a standard motor of equal specs thats not the energy efficient variety?

  6. Mike says:
    March 7, 2011 at 9:46 pm

    is my pool pump motor or capacitor bad?
    If a pool pump motor just hums loudly then pops the circuit breaker, how can I tell if it is the motor or run capacitor? The shaft and impeller spin freely. A capacitor is about $23.00, the replacement motor is around $300.00.

  7. frisco_couple says:
    March 26, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Husband just ordered a new pool pump but the motor on the new one only has 2 wires instead of 3 like the old.?
    The new pool pump is the same model number of the old but the motor number is different now (by one number at the end). Meanwhile, my pool is now FULL of green algae since we’ve been without a pump for the last month with temps in the 80′s as well as rainfall. I’m feeling overwhelmed. We have already had to return one pump we ordered because hubby got the wrong HP. Now we have the right pump but the motor seems to be wired differently. Any suggestions?
    Bought the pump and motor as one unit. Pump #’s are the same at Hayward Super 2 SP3020X25AZ. Old motor # is SP-1620-Z2M. New motor # is SP-1620-Z1M. I may have misled saying 2 and 3 wires. It’s actually 3 and 4 wires counting the ground wires (which I wasn’t). The old pump has screws for L1, L2, and L3 or 4. The new pump has screws for L1 and L2. Both have separate green screws for the ground. The wires in our box (that were wired to the old motor) are red, blue black and of course the green ground wire. Thanks guys!
    Pump is 2 1/2 HP and 230 volt.

  8. Renaissance Man says:
    March 29, 2011 at 12:14 am

    Pool pump motors are typically matched to the pump to which it is attached, so equal electrical specs do not assure a proper match.

    As long as a motor has the same mounting type/spacing to the pump volute as the original, and the shaft length/diam are the same, using the same type/size mechanical seal, etc., an equivalent motor should be okay. It has to be a motor designed for the same application (pool/spa pumps).

    Referring to the manufacturer’s replacement specs should tell you what motor makes/models are acceptable substitutes, if any. Otherwise you should just spring for the OEM replacement, since there are warranties, which you void if you’ve gotten “creative”.

  9. Carolyn says:
    April 2, 2011 at 8:08 pm

    I’m trying to order some parts for my pool pump motor and cannot find anywhere to order them from. any ideas?
    I need a 1HP P&B impellar # C105-137
    current seal plate #C203-193P

  10. SandShark says:
    April 21, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    If you have an analog test meter, you can check the start capacitor yourself. First, be sure the power to the pump motor is off! Pull the capacitor leads using an insulated pair of needle nose pliers. If there is a resistor between the capacitor terminals, you will need to remove the resistor. Using an insulated screwdriver, short the terminals on the capacitor to each other. Set your meter to 1K Ohms. Touch the leads of your meter to the terminals on the capacitor. Reverse the leads. Each time you reverse the leads, the needle on your meter should swing to 0 Ohms and then back to infinity. If not, the capacitor is bad. Otherwise, just change the capacitor with a known good capacitor and see what happens.

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