Our house has a hot tub and a whirlpool tub - don't ask me why. It seems
the former tenant had arthritis and needed the help. Anyway the
whirlpool tub was working fine. We had not used it in a month or so.
Today - we filled it up - and the electric motor hummed like it wanted
to start and then it shut off. Every couple of minutes it would hum
again and then shut off. At no time did the pump work. I opened up the
side panel and reached in to touch the electric pump motor. It was very
hot.

I am guessing the pump is stuck and the motor is trying to turn it but
can't. Once everything is cold under there - I will reach in and try to
find something to turn - maybe freeing up the pump. Any other ideas -
the electric gets to the pump because you hear the hump - but nothing
turns. The tub is also filled with water.

I can't believe how tight everything is under there - not much room for
seeing or working.

Has anybody else had this problem?

Harry

My cousin had the same problem with his hot tub spa. I drained the tub,
pulled out the motor with the pump attached and brought it to a motor repair
shop. It must have been a simple fix as it only took one day and $15.00 to
get repaired. It was a very tight space to work in. Put some comfortable
mats on the floor. You'll be getting into some creative positions.
Fortunately for me my cousin's spa had a smaller side access panel in
addition to the large door for servicing.

Don't continue to turn the pump on and let it get hot. It is probably
shutting down on thermal protection.


"Harry Everhart" wrote in message
...
Our house has a hot tub and a whirlpool tub - don't ask me why. It seems
the former tenant had arthritis and needed the help. Anyway the
whirlpool tub was working fine. We had not used it in a month or so.
Today - we filled it up - and the electric motor hummed like it wanted
to start and then it shut off. Every couple of minutes it would hum
again and then shut off. At no time did the pump work. I opened up the
side panel and reached in to touch the electric pump motor. It was very
hot.

I am guessing the pump is stuck and the motor is trying to turn it but
can't. Once everything is cold under there - I will reach in and try to
find something to turn - maybe freeing up the pump. Any other ideas -
the electric gets to the pump because you hear the hump - but nothing
turns. The tub is also filled with water.

I can't believe how tight everything is under there - not much room for
seeing or working.

Has anybody else had this problem?

Harry

I've had a previous smimming pool pump do that a couple of times. It would
run after the impeller was broken loose. Sitting too long would do it. I
think the pool chemicals tended to "glue" the shaft seal in place. It may
have been flushed with heavily chlorinated water, and rusted the mechanical
seal spring in place, making for a lot of drag. Some pumps have a cap on the
dead end of the motor that can be popped off, and there is a screwdriver
slot in the shaft to allow turning it by hand. It's real use is to hold the
shaft while installing a screw-on impeller.

RJ


"Harry Everhart" wrote in message
...
Our house has a hot tub and a whirlpool tub - don't ask me why. It seems
the former tenant had arthritis and needed the help. Anyway the
whirlpool tub was working fine. We had not used it in a month or so.
Today - we filled it up - and the electric motor hummed like it wanted
to start and then it shut off. Every couple of minutes it would hum
again and then shut off. At no time did the pump work. I opened up the
side panel and reached in to touch the electric pump motor. It was very
hot.

I am guessing the pump is stuck and the motor is trying to turn it but
can't. Once everything is cold under there - I will reach in and try to
find something to turn - maybe freeing up the pump. Any other ideas -
the electric gets to the pump because you hear the hump - but nothing
turns. The tub is also filled with water.

I can't believe how tight everything is under there - not much room for
seeing or working.

Has anybody else had this problem?

Harry