This guide will explain how to replace your inground pool pump motor. We will go step by step through disassembling your pool pump, discarding the old motor, repairing the new motor, its installation, and how to wire it.
If you have any questions about finding the correct replacement motor for your in-ground pool pump, read our guide on how to do so: How To Choose The Right Replacement Pool Pump Motor.
Note: Please read the complete guide before starting your installation.
Click Here to Find Your Replacement Pool Pump Motor
Scott Posted: 10/28/2023
I replaced my pump motor, and now the impeller is rubbing against the diffuser. I have taken it apart again, reinstalled. Any suggestions as to why this is happening?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 10/31/2023
Can you see rub marks where the impeller and diffuser are touching? Are there other signs of their contact?Reply
Chris Jones Posted: 6/22/2022
How tight for pump housing bolts? Is there a torque spec?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 6/27/2022
There's no specific torque spec but get it snug-to-tight. The main concern is overtightening it, which will bust the housing bolt holes. However, if the bolts aren't tight enough, you can tighten up a bit until the leak stop.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 6/27/2022
Got it. ThanksReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 6/29/2022
You're welcome.Reply
Charley Brady Posted: 11/6/2021
With regard to my prior post; I determined that because it’s a booster pump the design is different so I had to remove the 10 bolts on the pump housing to get to the impeller and remove it.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 11/10/2021
Thank you for the clarification and update.Reply
Charley Brady Posted: 11/6/2021
I am replacing a Hayward 6060 booster pump motor. I have removed the four bolts that attach the motor to the pump housing. However, the motor will not slide out. It will wiggle 1/8 inch or so left and right. It feels like there is another bolt somewhere holding it in. Any ideas? Thanks.Reply
Chris Post Posted: 9/24/2021
Everything thing is connected properly and it pumps but is not building pressure!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/27/2021
What is the system's normal pressure, and what is the current pressure? Is the system purged of air?Reply
Wiring Question Posted: 5/20/2021
Hi: I got this motor (UST1102) to replace motor (C48K2N143B1) that got burnt. Our pool service guy mentioned that the old motor got burnt due to mismatch in the gauges of the wire He says that the gauge of the wire coming out of my house is too thin and the new motor may also get burnt for the same reason. So, he advised to get the wiring checked with a licensed electrician. Should I make 2 service calls (for the electrician and the installer)? Is there anything I can check? Thanks JSRReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/21/2021
It would help to know the gauge of the wire you are using and the cables' length between the motor and power source. Also, are you running this motor on 115 or 230 volts?Reply
JSRK Posted: 5/21/2021
Hello: I am told that the gauge is 16. Yes. I was running it on 220 VOLTS (the motor that got burnt). And the new one also, I plan to run it on 22O VOLTS. I have a junction box next to the pool pump. And this box has ON / OFF switch. So, the length might be perhaps < 3 feet. And the circuit breaker is inside the house. Not sure how the wiring from the circuit breaker to the outside junction box is done. I guess, it might be between 20 to 25 feet. Thanks.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 6/4/2021
The gauge is too small, you need to go up to 14.Reply
Ronald D Lancaster Posted: 4/15/2021
My motor runs counterclockwise. How do I change it to run clockwise?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 4/16/2021
If this is a standard single-speed 1081 single-phase pool pump motor, you can't. Also, I am not sure why you would want to do that, because pump impellers are designed to spin CCW.Reply
Lee Posted: 2/13/2021
My Maxflo II single speed needed replacement but because of California law, I had to get a two speed motor. is there anything specific I should know about the wiring of the new pump?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 2/15/2021
The specifics you would need to know for wiring are usually shown on the motor's wiring diagram sticker. Also, depending on the style of dual speed motor, you will need to have a timer that can control the on/off and the hi/lo of the motor.Reply
Lee Posted: 2/15/2021
Unfortunately, I was never apprised of this during my chat. I just bought a new single speed timer prior to the motor giving out. This experience has not left me very happy. I will double check the motor circuit diagram.Reply
Paul Posted: 4/12/2020
My pump motor starts up just fine, runs at a normal rate for a while then starts spinning at a much higher rate. After a few seconds I smell something burning. I suspect that the impeller has a lot of resistance (due to clogged water lines?) and after a while the impeller is slipping on the motor shaft. I dismounted the motor from the housing. When I momentarily run the dismounted motor the impeller rotates as expected. But how can I tell if the impeller is firm on the shaft or slipping under load? Thanks!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 4/15/2020
If you can unscrew the impeller from the motor shaft, the nut is not slipping from the impeller. When I have seen impellers fail, if the threads give out, the impeller is going to get loose and rumble around the inside of the pump.When the motor starts to make this noise, does water flow rate change? Do you see large air pockets in the pump's strainer lid?Reply
Paul Posted: 4/25/2020
Thanks for your advice, Matt. After checking the impeller, I replaced the start capacitor but to no avail. I then replaced the motor and now I hear the sweet sound of gushing water. The original problem that I thought was a slipping impeller, was just due to a motor that was probably vibrating rather than spinning. :) Thanks! -PaulReply
ed Posted: 4/11/2020
I just put my motor and pump back together that I purchased from you. I noticed that you did not say how tight to make the bolts. I tend to overdo things and the seal is leaking. Brand new seal and I put 'pool and spa' lube on it. Also, you give a pattern of how to tighten the bolts, but nowhere on this page can I find the bolts numbered to follow that pattern. Can you help me?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 4/21/2020
The below picture is a good pattern to follow when tightening the bolts. Disregard the number mentioned in the step and follow the sequential pattern shown in the guide. As for how tight they need to be, you can hand tighten them, then a half-turn or two with a wrench should be enough.Reply
Tamas Posted: 3/6/2020
I have a HSQ165 Pump and the motor has the following specifications: HP = 1.65 SF = 1.00 Volts= 115/230 Amps = 18.8/9.4 It's louder and louder every week. My pool holds about 10,000 gallons of water. What do you recommend for a replacement?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 3/9/2020
Hello, I typed the HSQ165 from your comment into our search at the top of the page and was provided two results, the HSQ165 or the ECM15SQU. The HSQ165 is the single-speed like for like replacement; the ECM16SQU is the variable speed replacement which costs more money but is more reliable, cost-efficient, and quieter when running at lower speeds.Reply
Samuel Young Posted: 1/13/2020
I have a Pentair Whisper Flo WF-28 motor that I like to replace, and like to find a quieter model. What do you suggest? 3 Thanks!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 1/13/2020
The preferred replacement is the A.O. Smith V-Green 2.7 HP Square Flange 48Y Variable Speed Motor - ECM27SQU. To complete the motor installation, you will need the gasket kit for the Pentair WhisperFlo which is the GOKIT32 or GOKIT32SALTReply
Samuel Young Posted: 1/14/2020
Will V-Green 1.65 HP work in my case? I need a really quiet motor.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Hector F. Posted: 1/15/2020
As long as the total horsepower of the 1.6 matches your current total horsepower and you have 230 volts then yes it will work for your application.Reply
Samuel Young Posted: 1/15/2020
Thanks for the reply. Just want to make sure before I place my order: the V-Green 1.65 HP works fine with my existing Pentair WF-28 which is 2.0 HP (60 hz 1PH kW). Any pros and cons that you can think of if compare with V-Green 2.7 HP?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Hector F. Posted: 1/15/2020
The original Whisperflo WF28 has near a total horsepower of 2.2. With that said, the V Green 2.7 variable speed motor is the better fit. Your system may not need the entire 2.7 hp worth of strength however being able to dial the RPM's down still makes it a real good fit.Reply
Samuel Young Posted: 1/15/2020
How about the noise level? The main reason for me to upgrade to a variable one is the noise. Will the V-Green 1.65 H run more quietly than the V-Green 2.7 HP overall (say at the same rpm)?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Hector F. Posted: 1/15/2020
Unfortunately, none of the manufacturer specification data provides decibel levels of their motors running at certain rpm's. That may be something to request directly from Century A.O. Smith. Their number is 800-262-6484.Reply
Samuel Young Posted: 1/26/2020
If I buy the V-Green 2.65 HP variable speed motor to replace the WhisperFlo 1.5 HP motor, do I need to change the impeller (#073129) to a bigger size (#073130 for 2HP or #073131 for 3HP)?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 2/10/2020
The pump can likely be run effectively with the original impeller. But if you are aiming for higher gallons per minute at high speeds, then you will need to upgrade the impeller. I suggest the 2.5 HP impeller (073130); the 3 HP impeller would be a little to big for the 2.7 HP V-GreenReply
John Posted: 10/22/2019
I replaced my 3/4 hp Century motor - SP3207Z1BE - with a B2852. I was not aware of the SF being 1.85 on the old motor and 1.25 on the new one. Needless to say, the pump was underpowered. Is there an alternative to replacing it with exactly the same motor? Can I use a pump with a higher HP and lower SF? Or one with a higher total HP? Thanks.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 11/5/2019
Yes, you could go with a 1-Horsepower uprated motor. Or you could go with a similar 3/4 HP fullrated 3/4 HP Motor EE - Full Rate (B661, B2661). The total HP doesn't match exactly but the number is close enough for it to be negligible.Reply
Shawn M Sandau Posted: 9/18/2019
My pool pump works fine but my motor is making an awful noise and is hot to the touch. Pump model # is SP2605X7. Current pump is a UST1072, Model # C48J2N131C1C, 3/4 HP, SF 1.0, 3450 RPM, FR 56J, Volts 115/230 and AMPS 10.6/5.3. Is this the correct motor for my pump? and with it being hot and making that noise should it be replaced?Reply