The motor on the pump for your pool has stopped running and you need to do something! Would the best thing to do be to have the motor changed in hopes of getting the pump going again? Surely this will save money and be faster and easier than replacing the entire pump and motor.
Not exactly. While motors can be changed, this is not necessarily the best approach. There are a few questions you should think about such as: How old is the rest of your pump? Are you certain that the housing, impeller, and gaskets are in good shape?
Remember, changing the motor always means a new mechanical shaft seal at the very least. Will it save you money? Not much. The motor is the most expensive part of the pump and it takes a good amount of labor to separate the pump from the motor in order to change just the motor.
More labor than replacing the entire pump? Unfortunately, in almost all cases yes. To change the motor, the electrical connection for the old pump has to be disconnected, and in addition to the separating the motor from the pump housing, removal of the impeller and removal of the old motor is required, before the new one and its new shaft seal assembly can go in.
However, if we decide to replace the old motor AND pump with a new motor and pump, the plumbing is simply disconnected from the pump, the electrical wiring disconnected from the old motor, and the new pump and motor is set in place and the plumbing and wires reconnected. It is usually much simpler and faster than trying to replace just the motor.
Does the new pump have to be the same? We mostly sell the Speck Easy-Fit Pump, so named for its adjustable risers and face-plates that allow it to become a direct replacement for most of the common pumps. By default, the pump is a direct replacement for a Hayward Superpump but with an adapter kit, it can be a direct replacement for most of the other pumps installed. Engineered in Germany, these pumps also allow us to use a more electrically efficient pump and motor, utilizing less horsepower, than the one that we are replacing. This will result in lower energy costs for running your pool!
And unfortunately, it is not possible to replace an old motor with a newer motor that is lower in horsepower in order to be electrically efficient. The replacement motor must be exactly the same horsepower as the motor that is being replaced, so there can be no savings there.
The final reason that Rin Robyn would rather not just change out your motor is value. Sure, in the short term you might save a couple of dollars by replacing only the motor. However, when that is completed the result is just a new motor, with an old pump and old parts, like an old, worn impeller, old, worn volute housing, an old, worn pump housing, old gaskets, old o-rings and an old lid and knobs.
If you put in a new pump you will have a new motor, a new pump, and a new warranty. The new pump costs only a little more than a motor replacement but you will get a better result for your money.