If you still can’t find a leak, spray some shaving cream on to the areas listed above. If your pump basket does not fill with water, you’ll have to prime the pump. Normally, a visual inspection of a capacitor will indicate if it is defective. You can change the bearings out, but many pool owners opt to switch out the older motor for a new one. The most common signs and symptoms of a bad AC capacitor include: AC not blowing cold air AC takes a while to start once you turn it on If water is not flowing freely in the strainer box, return to step one and repeat. I replaced the start capacitor since it was only registering around 60uF, although there were no signs of it being damaged. The most obvious signs entail examining the motor itself. If there is a leak, the pool pump will suck in air and become problematic. Try running the pump during the night to avoid overheating. The bore start capacitor then drops out and a run capacitor takes over for energy efficient running of the pump. When you suspect you have a bad capacitor, there are a few motor capacitor failure symptoms you should look out for. However, in the interest of making your suspicions something you can hold on to, the following are some of the common indicators something is not right with your capacitor. There are also a number of symptoms that will tell you if the capacitor on a motor is faulty: The motor will not start its load, but if you spin the load by hand, the motor will run properly. How to test a pool pump capacitor with a digital multimeter? Once the motor is up to speed, the start capacitor disconnects and is not used again until the next time the motor starts. If you can get the motor to spin by manually pushing on its blades, then it’s very likely that a failed capacitor is the cause of your motor problems. Welcome to the New and Improved PoolSupplyWorld.com! Once the screws have been removed, pull the assembly out of the housing and remove the gasket away from the impeller, remove any debris and re-assemble. Both start and run capacitors are made the same way, but run capacitors are much more heavy-duty than start capacitors since a run capacitor is always used when the motor is running.Â. In most cases, when a pump truly "goes bad" it means that there are problems with the electrical motor that powers the whole system. There are 2 main portions to your pool pump, the electric motor and the wet end of the pump… installed new start capacitor on my table saw. Check your filter gauge first. If all else fails, your pump could be too powerful for your pool. That’s the electrolyte that is supposed to facilitate charge transfer across the storage plates. A run capacitor is an energy-saving device that is in the motor circuit at all times. When your pool pump tries to turn on, the capacitor may be bad if you can smell a burnt electrical smell. Turn the power back on and check to see that the water flow has returned to the strainer box. The higher the capacitance of the capacitor the more energy it can store. $11.99 $ 11. Turn off pump at the breaker. You can replace the capacitor, but it is best done by a professional. How To Tell When Your Motor Capacitor Goes Bad. In most cases, a leak underneath a pool pump is caused by a pressure-side leak. Capacitors are labeled with what microfarad value (abbreviated mfd or uf) that they should be. If they are clogged, remove any debris and re-assemble. Now that you know what a capacitor is, common sense might show you some signs it isn’t working properly. If the problem persists, you’ll have to replace the pool motor or pool pump. Drain all stored power from the capacitor. 2. Do you want to determine whether your capacitor is working properly? Before testing your capacitor, be sure to short across the terminals with an insulated handle screwdriver. After installing the new one, it will turn for a few seconds (If I give it a spin first). If a run capacitor fails, the motor can display a variety of problems including not starting, overheating, and vibrating. A bad run capacitor deprives the motor of the full voltage it needs to operate correctly. If that does not solve the problem you’ll want to check where the pipe enters the pump, the valve stem on any of the suction valves, the plumbing on the suction side of the pump (before the impeller), o-rings and gaskets. Once the screws have been removed, pull the assembly out of the housing and remove the gasket away from the impeller, remove any debris and re-assemble. Higher amps mean more wattage and more wattage means more heat. The 7 Most Common Bad AC Capacitor Symptoms The unit of capacitance is microfarad. Often times, if your motor is less than 5-7 years old and it fails, the real problem may be the start capacitor. 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