Our pump started making a much louder noise, although it isn't continuous. It sometimes sounds almost normal, but you can still hear a different sound. Also, the motor housing gets hot to the touch. Most importantly, our electric bill jumped about 50% last month and we think it's related to the pump.

It's possible the pump was run without sufficient water for a short period due to a leak in the pool (new pool, incidentally).

The electric bill couldn't be related to the heat pump as it hasn't worked since the day it was installed last July (It's a pentair hp 1200 r). Just thought I would throw that in.

It's a Hayward Super Pump, 1.5 hp.

Is it possible for a pump to use more electricity if it's malfunctioning?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.