Signs You Need a New Swimming Pool Pump

Low water pressure, excessive noise, increased vibration, and increased power consumption are signs you need a new swimming pool pump.

However, before you rush off and purchase a new pump run through our checklist to make sure there isn’t a simple reason for the problem.

Sometimes pump problems are caused by air sucked into the pump causing the pump to lose operational efficiency. The water level in the pool may be too low causing the skimmer box to empty of water. The pump may be drawing in air from a leak in the plumbing pipe connectors.

Check the condition of the filter. Replacing an old filter element can work wonders to increase water flow and reduce the workload on your pump. Keeping the filter clean will help increase the lifespan of your pump.

Check the impeller blade inside the pump unit. Over time debris can build up and wrap around the impeller reducing its ability to effectively pump water through your filter.

Sometimes a pool pump can be noisy because it is vibrating on its mounting. Check the mounting bolts as they work loose over time due to the constant vibration from the motor unit. If loose tighten up with a spanner or socket wrench.

Signs You Need a Pool Pump Replacement

Your swimming pool pump doesn’t last forever and will eventually require replacement. There are many things that can go wrong with a pump but how do you know when it’s time to replace your pump.

Here are the signs you need a new swimming pool pump.

1. The Pool Pump is Old

Swimming pool pumps have a life span of 10 to 15 years. This is similar to most other electrical devices that operate an electric motor. When your fridge, washing machine or vacuum cleaner is 15 years old you would be moving it out into the street for the council pickup. However, I have seen pool pumps that have lasted much longer than 15 years.

When an electric pool pump ages it loses its operating efficiency. It loses power output and consumes more energy. The motor bearings wear down causing the pump to make a grinding sound and generally become noisier. The impeller blade develops wear reducing the pumps ability to push water through to the filter.

If you can source the spare parts, you can replace the bearings and impeller blade. However, if your pump is old I recommend replacing the pump with a new dual or variable speed pump.

2. The Pool Pump has Lost Pressure

Overtime pool pumps lose operational efficiency and power resulting in lower water pressure. The internal parts wear down and the pump no longer produces enough water pressure to adequately filter your pool and keep it clean.

Check the pressure gauge on the filter tank to ensure the pump is producing enough pressure to drive water through the filter. When the pressure is too low the filter cannot adequately clean the pool.

Please read our article on Pool Filter Pressure Gauge Explained

3. The Pool Pump is Noisy

All swimming pool pump motors make noise but if your pump noise has become excessive or annoying you need to investigate the cause and implement one of the following solutions to the problem.

Sometimes there is a simple reason for a swimming pool pump making excessive noise.

If you have one of the following issues you may be able to quickly and simply reduce the noise with little effort.

Blocked filtration equipment

Clean the skimmer basket, pump basket and filter. If the skimmer box is full of debris this will choke the water supply to the pump causing the pump to draw in air making a gurgling noise and placing mechanical strain on the motor.

If you have filter cartridge and it’s old and dirty, replace it. A new filter cartridge will not only make your filter quieter but will clean the pool much better than the old cartridge.

If you have a sand filter, backwash and rinse the filter. If the sand has been in the filter for a while change to new sand.

Low water level

Sometimes the pump noise is simply caused by a low pool water level. This causes the skimmer box is draw air into the plumbing which becomes trapped in the pump basket or around the impeller blade inside the pump.

Your pool pump can be struggling to draw in water to the filter system. You will notice the skimmer flap is drawn wide open, the box fills with water and the flap closes. The water in the skimmer box is quickly sucked away by the pump and then the flap will open again to refill the skimmer box. When the box is empty the pump is sucking in air causing the noisy, gurgling sound at the filter. At the pump you will see the pump basket fill with water and be sucked dry then refill with water again.

Add water to the pool to increase the water level to the midway mark of the skimmer flap.

Loose mounting bracket

Sometimes a pool pump can be noisy because it is vibrating on its mounting. In fact, the whole filtration unit (motor, filter, pipes, etc.) can be vibrating because it is no longer fastened securely to the base or it was never properly fastened when installed.

Check the mounting bolts are tight. It is normal for mounting bolts to work loose over time due to the constant vibration from the motor unit. If loose tighten up with a spanner or socket wrench.

Clean the Pool Pump Impeller

The impeller is the spinning blade mechanism inside the pool pump unit.

If the pump basket has been dirty, debris may have been sucked into the pump impeller which will need to be cleaned out. If the pool pump impeller is partially blocked this will cause a noisy pump that is straining to suck water into the filter. In a severe case you may get cavitation which is when the pump is sucking air to the impeller blade causing a vibration of the blade.

One way to clean the impeller is to remove the pump basket and suck out the debris from the pump pipes with a vacuum cleaner by inserting the vacuum nozzle into the pipe. Otherwise, you will need to open the pump unit by removing the pump housing and clean out the debris.

Still Noisy – Time for a New Pump

Generally, overtime pool pumps become noisier due to internal parts wearing down and the pump no longer functioning effectively.

If the above measures didn’t solve the problem it’s probably time to purchase a new pump.

If you have an old pool pump, rather than spending your time and money to recondition the pump it’s usually more cost efficient to purchase a new pump.

I recommend buying a new pump online to ensure you get the best product at the best price.

Please read our article on How to Soundproof a Pool Pump

The Pool Pump Uses Too Much Power

Are you finding you are running the pump longer to clean the pool and your power bills are increasing?

Old-style single speed pumps operate at one set speed for all filtering and cleaning operations. This is not ideal as on average the motor will consume too much power for the workload. Most modern filters only require low power pump pressure to operate efficiently. Only vacuuming or draining the water from a pool requires higher power and increased water pressure.

When a motor begins to use more electricity it usually indicates the motor is coming to the end of its life. The internals of the motor are wearing out and producing more friction, heat and sound. The motor is no longer running smoothly. The motor’s output reduces and the motor has difficulty keeping up with the workload.

Variable Speed Pool Pumps

When your old pool pump is near the end of its life or has failed replace it with a new variable speed pool pump.

Single speed pool pumps are old style technology where the pump only operates at one set speed which is typically about 3500 rpm. This fixed power output is not ideal for every filtration application. Sometimes the motor is straining to keep up with the workload, other times the motor is over-revving with a light workload. As a result, these motors consume too much electricity.

Variable speed pool pumps are the new style technology where the pump operates at varying rates of power output to match the filtration workload requirement and therefore saves electricity. This new pump technology saves up to 80% electrical power usage with a domestic pool filtration system.

Please read our article on Variable Speed Pool Pumps

Conclusion

During our lives we have seen considerable advances in technology. The latest technological advancement in pool pumps is variable speed pumps.

These pumps operate at varying power settings to match with the filtration workload requirement. Variable speed pumps not only reduce power consumption and are quieter but they also improve the filtration of pool water. And we all know that proper water circulation and effective filtering is the key to a sparkling clean pool.

With a variable speed pump you can run your filter for a longer period of time each day at a lower speed to more effectively clean the pool and still save power.