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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Dan K on August 6, 2008, 10:52 am
Our 3000 gal/hr submersible pond pump failed to start a couple times. Once
it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and unplugged it
and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to the touch. I
took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks brand new inside.
Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed as "motor start
capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance meter. I'm not
sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I was thinking of
replacing the capacitor just because I know they can fail, but that value is
hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be readialy available, would one of
those work? Anybody have any suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in
this motor and bearings, seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
Dan
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Posted by Tony Hwang on August 6, 2008, 11:08 am
Dan K wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Our 3000 gal/hr submersible pond pump failed to start a couple times. Once
> it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and unplugged it
> and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to the touch. I
> took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks brand new inside.
> Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed as "motor start
> capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance meter. I'm not
> sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I was thinking of
> replacing the capacitor just because I know they can fail, but that value is
> hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be readialy available, would one of
> those work? Anybody have any suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in
> this motor and bearings, seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
>
> Dan
>
>
>
Hi,
By theory if you can't find exact value cap. Use next one up. Any how
those caps have very wide tolerance like 13.6uF +/- 10% for an example.
15uF should do fine. Is the cap can bulging? Typical sign of failing cap.
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Posted by Dan K on August 6, 2008, 1:05 pm
show/hide quoted text
> Dan K wrote:
>> Our 3000 gal/hr submersible pond pump failed to start a couple times.
>> Once it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and
>> unplugged it and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to
>> the touch. I took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks
>> brand new inside. Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed
>> as "motor start capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance
>> meter. I'm not sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I
>> was thinking of replacing the capacitor just because I know they can
>> fail, but that value is hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be
>> readialy available, would one of those work? Anybody have any
>> suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in this motor and bearings,
>> seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
>> Dan
> Hi,
> By theory if you can't find exact value cap. Use next one up. Any how
> those caps have very wide tolerance like 13.6uF +/- 10% for an example.
> 15uF should do fine. Is the cap can bulging? Typical sign of failing cap.
No bulges, the cap looks almost new (like everything else in the motor).
Its not a can (oil fill type), its the dry film type - plastic case with
epoxy fill.
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Posted by Steve Beckercih on August 14, 2008, 12:55 am
wrote:
show/hide quoted text
>> Dan K wrote:
>>> Our 3000 gal/hr submersible pond pump failed to start a couple times.
>>> Once it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and
>>> unplugged it and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to
>>> the touch. I took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks
>>> brand new inside. Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed
>>> as "motor start capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance
>>> meter. I'm not sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I
>>> was thinking of replacing the capacitor just because I know they can
>>> fail, but that value is hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be
>>> readialy available, would one of those work? Anybody have any
>>> suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in this motor and bearings,
>>> seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
>>> Dan
>> Hi,
>> By theory if you can't find exact value cap. Use next one up. Any how
>> those caps have very wide tolerance like 13.6uF +/- 10% for an example.
>> 15uF should do fine. Is the cap can bulging? Typical sign of failing cap.
>No bulges, the cap looks almost new (like everything else in the motor).
>Its not a can (oil fill type), its the dry film type - plastic case with
>epoxy fill.
I had a similar problem on a spa pump motor; wouldn't start by itself,
but if I spun the shaft manually to get it going, it would run fine
until powered down. Like yours, the starter cap tested ok. In my case
it turned out to be the contacts on the centrifical switch that
brought
the starter cap in at no/low speed. After cleaning the contacts
on that switch, the motor started up fine. Still running fine many
years later.
-beck
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Posted by nick hull on August 6, 2008, 1:39 pm
show/hide quoted text
> Our 3000 gal/hr submersible pond pump failed to start a couple times. Once
> it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and unplugged it
> and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to the touch. I
> took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks brand new inside.
> Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed as "motor start
> capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance meter. I'm not
> sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I was thinking of
> replacing the capacitor just because I know they can fail, but that value is
> hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be readialy available, would one of
> those work? Anybody have any suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in
> this motor and bearings, seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
I had a brand new submersible that failed to start. It was too stiff to
turn over. I separated the pump & motor, and ran the motor for a
minute. Then I turned over the pump and flooded it with water and
turned it by hand until it loosened up a bit (had to make an adapter).
Then I recoupled the pump & motor and ran it submerged in a big cooler,
it ran OK, so I put it in my spring and it has given me no trouble since.
Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
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> it started after 1/2 hour or so, the other time I was there and unplugged it
> and it started when I pluged it in again, but it was hot to the touch. I
> took motor apart. Its an oil filled pump and it looks brand new inside.
> Oil was clean, no water in it. 13uf capacitor, listed as "motor start
> capacitor" in parts list, reads 13.6 uf on a capacitance meter. I'm not
> sure what to do next as I don't see anything wrong. I was thinking of
> replacing the capacitor just because I know they can fail, but that value is
> hard to find. 12 uf and 15 uf seem to be readialy available, would one of
> those work? Anybody have any suggestions as to what to do? No brushes in
> this motor and bearings, seals, and gaskets are in great shape. Thanks
>
> Dan
>
>
>