"Dad, the pool pump is gushing water!"

[mccutter]

"So did you turn it off?!?" The answer of which was "no". It had just started leaking so I reiterated how to turn it off--no need to ask me! It had a "nuisance" leak I had planned on fixing eventually but eventually had turned to "now"...

Four SS bolts hold the motor to the pump housing. On removing them, the head of one fell off in my hand--guess I found the leak! This was probably THE easiest broken bolt I have ever removed. Why it broke is a mystery.

I could have just replaced the bolt and been done with it but I figured while I had it apart I would reseal the shaft the impeller is mounted to. Had to pull the cap off the electrical side and drop the start capacitor to be able to get a wrench on the shaft to be able to unscrew the impeller off of it. The star shaped piece is the "diffuser" that helps channel water off the impeller.

That is about $44 worth of parts there including 2 new bolts. I could have gotten the bolts 1/2 price at the hardware store but the convenience of the pool store had me paying $2.50 each. The shaft seal is ceramic on one side inside a rubber seal and a spring-loaded carbon disk sealed with rubber against the impeller side. I can attest it is very fragile as I broke the old one getting it off!

Repairs were successful...

[toprecycler]

Would have been a $250+ repair for most people. Service call, needs a new pump, needs a new pump because this one is broke. We are a throw away society today.

But when you can replace most items cheaper than a typical shops hour rate, it’s a different world for repair vs replace.

Good for you to get another run on that pump.


Sent from my iPhone using ShopFloorTalk

[mccutter]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

Would have been a $250+ repair for most people. Service call, needs a new pump, needs a new pump because this one is broke.

You are just a bit off on your $250 quote... I replaced the motor with aftermarket (AO Smith) about 5 years ago and the motor alone was $175ish. Maybe your state is different but here in FL, pool supply companies will not repair or install the "old-style" single-speed pumps like I have anymore. Some kind of "green" law that is in place. Everything is minimum 2-speed now and the least expensive one in the store was $850. They had computer-controlled, variable speed units in the $2000 range! Then consider the new pump will have to be plumbed and wired in and contractor will have to pull a permit, etc. etc.

So I'll be giving you a call the next time I need a motor or have a leak because that is a very reasonable quote you have given me...

[astronut]

Originally Posted by mccutter

You are just a bit off on your $250 quote... I replaced the motor with aftermarket (AO Smith) about 5 years ago and the motor alone was $175ish. Maybe your state is different but here in FL, pool supply companies will not repair or install the "old-style" single-speed pumps like I have anymore. Some kind of "green" law that is in place. Everything is minimum 2-speed now and the least expensive one in the store was $850. They had computer-controlled, variable speed units in the $2000 range! Then consider the new pump will have to be plumbed and wired in and contractor will have to pull a permit, etc. etc.

So I'll be giving you a call the next time I need a motor or have a leak because that is a very reasonable quote you have given me...

Wow! I am glad we dont have a pool!

[mccutter]

Originally Posted by astronut

Wow! I am glad we dont have a pool!

A pool is a hole in the ground you throw money into. This house was (is) a fixer when we first moved in. The pool had been drained and water remaining in the deep end was dark green. When I first glanced at it I saw a swan floating on its side in it--"oh great, have to deal with THAT!" Turns out it was a plastic lawn ornament...

The finish had deteriorated so we had to have it drained and "resurfaced". Plus new pump, filter, chorinator and plumbing was around $10Gs! The material was called "Diamond Brite" (I think) and applied by a sub-contracted gang of fellows who showed up with a truck, bags of mix, a mixer, etc. and went to town. One worked the mixer, one worked the wheelbarrow and a couple were in the pool spreading the DB with trowels after wheelbarrow man dumped it in. It was the consistency of tile grout, applied to about 3/8" to 1/2" thickness.

Once the DB was applied, they had to fill the pool immediately to "hold" it in place as it cured (underwater, 24hrs?). As the pool was filling, I noticed these built-in step thingies in the deep end hadn't been resurfaced and I asked the foreman of the DB crew why not. "we didn't get paid to do them" "OK, would have been nice to know that--how much?" and $50 later the foreman had waded into the deep end with a hawk and trowel and covered the steps. I expressed my discontent with the contractor and no refund was offered so I bit my lip to just get them the fuck out of there...

The end result WAS like night and day--about a 8/10 in the quality from the DB guys and 5/10 from the contractor. But the kids were in the pool on a daily basis growing up and many parties and BBQs were had around the deck. But finding a good contractor in FL is very hard--too many "fly-by-night" scammers. The pool contractor we dealt with was out of business within 6 months.

In other pool extravagance, the underwater light in the end of the pool went out after a few years. That is a $100 for the bulb--still not purchased... Although it looked pretty, all the pool light does is attract frogs and mosquitoes, IMO. Our pool is not screened in, BTW...

PS: about 3/4 of the homes in my neighborhood have pools in the back yard. For a new small pool installation with 6' deck around it, say 10'x20', you are looking at $30,000ish...

[astronut]

Originally Posted by mccutter

A pool is a hole in the ground you throw money into. This house was (is) a fixer when we first moved in. The pool had been drained and water remaining in the deep end was dark green. When I first glanced at it I saw a swan floating in it--"oh great, have to deal with THAT!" Turns out it was a plastic lawn ornament...

The finish had deteriorated so we had to have it drained and "resurfaced". Plus new pump, filter, chorinator and plumbing was around $10Gs! The material was called "Diamond Brite" (I think) and applied by a sub-contracted gang of fellows who showed up with a truck, bags of mix, a mixer, etc. and went to town. One worked the mixer, one worked the wheelbarrow and a couple were in the pool spreading the DB with trowels after wheelbarrow man dumped it in. It was the consistency of tile grout, applied to about 3/8" to 1/2" thickness.

Once the DB was applied, they had to fill the pool immediately to "hold" it in place as it cured (underwater, 24hrs?). As the pool was filling, I noticed these built-in step thingies in the deep end hadn't been resurfaced and I asked the foreman of the DB crew why not. "we didn't get paid to do them" "OK, would have been nice to know that--how much?" and $50 later the foreman had waded into the deep end with a hawk and trowel and covered the steps. I expressed my discontent with the contractor and no refund was offered so I bit my lip to just get them the fuck out of there...

The end result WAS like night and day--about a 8/10 in the quality from the DB guys and 5/10 from the contractor. But the kids were in the pool on a daily basis growing up and many parties and BBQs were had around the deck. But finding a good contractor in FL is very hard--too many "fly-by-night" scammers. The pool contractor we dealt with was out of business within 6 months.

In other pool extravagance, the underwater light in the end of the pool went out after a few years. That is a $100 for the bulb--still not purchased... Although it looked pretty, all the pool light does is attract frogs and mosquitoes, IMO. Our pool is not screen in, BTW...

Wow, kind of like owning a boat. Break out another thousand!

[Scotts]

Yes 4500 to fill mine in was cheaper than any other choice I could find.

The grandkids can be here and I don’t worry about them and water.

No price on piece of mind.

Scott


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