Is my pump motor about to die?

[rtpatter]

I have question about the main pool pump motor. I have a 1/2 horse pac fab motor. Yesterday I was checking the equipment and noticed an old piece of PVC pipe that was laying across the housing of the electric motor that runs the pump. When I moved the pipe I noticed where the motor housing had burned the pipe. I tried to feel the motor but it was too hot to touch. Is it supposed to get this hot? Of course after I discovered this I thought that the motor sounded a little bit different than what I remember but it might just be my imagination. I run my pump 24/7 but after this discovery I set the timer so that I am only running about 20 hrs a day now. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it better on the motor to leave it running all the time or set it to where it cuts on and off. I've been told conflicting stories. Is this just the beginning stages of the death of my pump motor?

Thanks

[Poconos]

The motor housing can run really hot especially when in direct sun. This question came up a while back and I think I measured my casing at 140+ and it's inside a poolhouse in the shade. PVC melts below the water boiling point so I'm not surprised it looked burned. Probably a shade of brown. As for starting-stopping vs continuously running, it doesn't make any significant difference in my opinion. Others may disagree but consider motors for refrigerator and air conditioner compressors, shop air compressors, and other motors that cycle often. They last for many many years typically. The noise...could you just be imagining that now that you suspect a problem? The brain is a funny thing. Run it however long or often you want and don't worry until it shows additional symptoms and enjoy the pool.
Al

Couple other things.
Was the motor casing discolored?
Make sure the vents are not plugged by critters trying to build a home. You should feel a good air flow.

[tenax]

ambient temp of my starite 3/4 hp is 50C so i'm sure that would be hot enough to discolour piping if left on it for a good period of time..and hot enough to touch..it's not running that hot..i can leave my hand on it when it's running..but it's capable of running that hot without issue..they are built to stand being in a hot shed, albeit with some ventilation expected of the location.

[les_smith]

Our pump is black and in direct sun light. And this year I noticed something interesting. We use a skimmer tray sock early in our season because a Cottonwood Tree's cotton gets in our pool. When the cotton coats the sock you can't get the tray out without stoping the pump. Well, I noticed once that I got water on the pump housing and it sizzled. Hot to say the least, no way you could hold your hand on the pump. So I figured when the sock gets coated it restricts the flow of the water, kind of a no brainer. But, I never really thought about it until I saw the water sizzle. We took the sock off and the pump now runs a lot cooler. I'd say half as hot. You can hold your hand on it, but it's still hot. Are you using a skimmer tray sock?

[tenax]

nope..my skimmer uses no add ons to filter beyond the filter itself..and the pump has been running strong for at least 10 years..

[rtpatter]

I don't use a skimmer sock. But I did clean out the pump basket which had some trash in it and when I checked today it seemed a little cooler. However, still very hot though, you can touch it but you can't leave your hand on it very long without burning it.

Has anyone found a definite answer to running 24/7 vs cycling. I would agree that many electric motors cycle on and off with no problems. But I'm curious if it is truly better to run constantly vs switching the pump off for a few hours. I figure over the course of a summer a few hours a day would add up and reduce the number of hours on the motor.

[hrsdennis]

Hi, I would shut it off for a few hours a day. Most filters around here run between 12 to 16 hours a day. The hotter it gets the longer they should run but you should not have to run it 24/7. If your suction is strong and your return flow good the system is probably OK. It's good to keep an eye on it though.

Later, Dennis