hayward pump help -

[haeffnkr]

I got a hayward super pump - original kind - had it 4-5 years now.
End of last season the pump ran fine - I winterized the system and all was fine.

So this spring I open it all up - turn on the pump and the thing is throwing sparks and is locked up. I tried to turn the impellor from what I could reach and it was locked up. Tried to turn it on on my workbench and it still was locked up, tried switching it over to 120, from 220 and it was locked and throwing sparks....
I took it the pool store and the tech said the motor was locked and he could not get it free with a vise grips....

So - is this motor shot?
Is this common? Why would lock up over winter?
Do you all bring in your pumps for the winter or cover/tarp them up?

thanks Kevin

[FRANCIS]

my hayward (gold colored) super pump was only one season old and it started making noise. i brought it back to dunrite pool and they gave me a new one. the old one had scorch marks in the electrical compartment. these pumps are junk.

[rayh78]

By my local pool store today to get a new shaft seal for a superpump that is just 3 months old.
Local store said they stopped carrying hayward pumps after 20 years because they started having a lot of problems with lockup.

Hard to get parts and poor tech support but I have had 2 jaccuzzi pumps and both lasted 10 years each without any problem. Then it was just a shaft seal but thought after 10 years I was do for a new pump.
Switched to hayward and now 3 months and a shaft seal leak.

[mbar]

I had a hayward super pump gold colored too - it lasted 2 years - piece of junk

[haeffnkr]

So the concensus is to pitch the motor/pump and buy a different brand?
I thought Hayward was the 350 chevy of pool pumps, standard, reliable and tuff?

Wow - not what I was looking to hear.

thanks Kevin

[mbar]

Me too - the last hayward pump I had lasted 7 years, and only broke because I shut my new solar panels off wrong . We did get a new pump this year- it is a hayward tristar. So far so good, my husband wired it so that we can bring it in for the winter. We let the other ones out, the first pump was fine, but the super pump corroded on the inside - must have gotten some water in it. I hope this one lasts

[CarlD]

My Hayward SuperPump 2spd has been going for 6 years--the only thing is the gold motor has bleached to silver...that's it.

[haeffnkr]

Of the people who are having good luck with the super pumps, do you leave them out all winter? do you bring them in after the system is winterized? Do you wrap them up to keep the snow/rain off them?

thanks Kevin

[CarlD]

Of the people who are having good luck with the super pumps, do you leave them out all winter? do you bring them in after the system is winterized? Do you wrap them up to keep the snow/rain off them?

thanks Kevin

I disconnect it, drain it, get all the water out, then store it in my basement, which is nice and dry. I usually close at the beginning of October. I'm not sure I know why you'd leave it out. I have two quick-connects, a twist-lock plug, and I just have to unhook the banding wire. After that, it's easy.

Why would you leave it out when it's so easy to disconnect and put inside out of the weather and freezing?

I bring in my outdoor speakers, too. I set up the wiring so they are a quick disconnect, hidden in weatherproof outlets under the eaves. The speakers and the jumpers that connect them to the outlets go inside as well. Boston Acoustics designs them to be left out, but I figure why shorten their lives?

[Vinyl_Guy]

The design of the entire pump is Hayward, the motor could be one of several designs and quite a few manufacturers.

I've seen a few spark over the years, and quite a few lock ups under after winter conditions. That's not uncommon and you pool owners probably know that better then anyone, regardless of the brand.

AO Smith was quite common for a Hayward pump. Who AO Smith has making their motors and where could be a factor too.

The point being it's an electrical motor like any other, when isolated from the rest of the parts of the pump. Treat it as such.

Bring it to an eletrical motor place that specializes in that stuff. You might save a few bucks rather then a new pump and they may even gaurentee their work for a certain amount of time.

I had a alternator rebuilding specialist who loved working on them and did it for a fair price. That was few years ago though .