Humming Pump and the Start Capacitor: Fixed but Still a Mystery

I spent quite a bit of time searching for an answer to my issue, and while I found a lot of info, it took some serious digging before I got the fix. Hopefully a recounting of my experience will help someone else. My apologies if there are too many details; however, I found details were what I REALLY needed during my research.

I went out to turn my pump on (still need to install my timer # lazy), and when I flipped the switch, the pump hummed but didn't move any water. After checking to make sure my valves were all open, I gave it another try, this time I tapped the top of the motor housing to see if it may jar it into working. No luck there either. Next, I did what anyone would do, flipped it on and let it hum for about 15 seconds straight (#dumb). It tripped the circuit breaker at the panel and I decided there was something seriously wrong.
The Initial research I did said that the presence of the hum and no movement of water could mean two things, a jammed impeller or a bad start capacitor. To check for a jammed impeller, I disconnected the electrical power and made sure the motor was in the off position. I removed the strainer basket and used my finger to feel for the impeller, and found that I could move it manually, and I found nothing obstructing the impeller. IN RETROSPECT, this was dangerous, and although I went about it carefully, I could have taken the plastic housing off of the motor and used a screwdriver to turn the drive shaft to check for impeller movement. I ended up turning the driveshaft with the screwdriver anyways, as that was the test to see if the motor was working. By turning the drive shaft and flipping the power on at the same time, I was able to get the motor going. It would run fine, until I turned off the power, and again it would not start on its own. I diagnosed the issue as a bad start capacitor and set out on getting a new one.
A large part of my frustration began here. Since my pool store (American Sales) sort of “brands” their filtration systems, it looks like it is called “Malibu”. In fact, I is a WaterWay pump. But WaterWay purchases their electric motors from “US Motor”. Also, the capacitor has 5 different lines of numbers on it, all of which made no sense to me. Google and Amazon came up with capacitors, but none that I could reliably match to mine. I finally discovered Grainger and gave them a call. They are Nation Wide, so it may be a good resource for others having similar issues. They were able to identify my start capacitor and had a replacement in stock.
I was excited that my new $6.00 start capacitor was going to solve my problem. I removed the plastic housing again (I had been “manually” starting my pump for two days by turning the drive shaft) an dreplaced the start capacitor. The moment of truth came and……. The motor just hummed. Disappointed and a little angry, I recalled reading that there is another switch that operates by centrifuge that tells the start capacitor when to turn off. It had been described as a “v” shaped part, with electrical contacts on it that can get corroded. This part was not exposed, but I could see it behind the heat dissipater. I started removing screws, took a picture of where the electrical wiring was hooked up, and began deconstructing the motor. 4 LONG screws hold the two ends of the motor. I used a hammer to tap the heat sink off (one end of motor), only to find that the drive shaft was somehow attached to it. I decided that it was risky to do any further deconstruction while laying in the grass next to my pool, so I put the motor back together with plans to tear it apart and find the problem at the end of the season. I needed to test the pump after I was done to see if I messed anything up during re-construction. I flipped the switch, and to my surprise, the pump started and ran fine.
I have no idea why it started working. I’m guessing that I may have shaken off some corrosion when I started fiddling with the motor’s innards. I am happy it works again, but I am sure I’ll be disappointed when it starts to give me problems later on. At least I know where to begin, and I don’t have to run to an electrical motor repair shop and hand them my wallet to get a fix. For now, the moral of the story is to work safely, cautiously, and take notes and pictures, but it isn’t impossible to take a look at your equipment yourself before running to the pool store and letting them sell you a new pump. I’ve included my pump/motor specifics in case it is of any use to people out there. Even with this LONG explanation, I glazed over some things. I’m happy to answer any questions if I can. If anyone has any additional info, please lay it on me!

Water Way Supreme 48 Frame
Serial # PS-1201302166 Model # PS-20-2N11MD
Part # PSP-2200-3RAMP
************************************
EZ 48
US Motor 1.5 HP CAT NO EZBN50
C55CXKDF-4855 Volts: 115
HZ 60 1081 Pool Motor
***********************************
Got replacement start capacitor from Grainger.
Their Part number 1-2MDR4
**************************************
Original Start Capacitor
NGM
61B1D110161N NEM 161-193MFD 110 VAC 60 Hz
OP.T.Max 65C c103237300107
C22.2 No190