Best Way to Replace a Pool Pump Bearing

Pool pumps are used in swimming pools to help filter the water. The water in the pool is sucked into the bladed impeller of the pool pump and is then passed through a mesh filter for removing impurities.

However, the mesh filter needs to be cleaned regularly; or otherwise, impurities will slowly build up in it and, as a result, cause it to break.

When this happens, the chunks of rubble will come in contact with the blades of the impeller, and subsequently, the pump will become damaged and hence, has to be replaced.

However, pool pump bearing replacement is a rather tricky process, and some people opt for calling for professional help instead of doing it themselves. If you wish to replace your pool pump by yourself, then read on to find out how you should do it.

Best Way to Replace a Pool Pump Bearing

Below you have the steps in order. Follow these and replacement should be a walk in the park.

Step 1: Disconnect from Power Supply

Before you proceed to disassemble the pump motor, make sure it is not connected to the power supply.

Step 2: Detach Pump from Filter

After making sure that the swimming pool pump is totally disconnected from the power supply, remove the pump from the filter. In order to do this, you will first need to turn the union collars of the discharge hose anti-clockwise and then unbolt the PVC pipes that are responsible for the intake and outflow of water.

Step 3: Take Out the Rear Pump Housing

The pump housing at the rear of the pump acts as a cover for the wiring harness that is integrated into the motor. You will have to remove this covering before moving on to working with the pump itself.

To remove it, loosen the bolts that attach the housing to the device (depending on what your pump is like, it could either have four bolts or use a metal band paired with a bolt to hold the housing down). You could do this with either a wrench or a pair of pliers.

Sometimes you may find it challenging to unbolt the screws, and in cases like this, you might have to spray some machine oil on it and wait for a bit before trying again.

Step 4: Remove Motor and Impeller

The motor of the pump is situated in the pump basket, and after you have successfully removed the bolts that hold the covering of this motor in place, pull the motor out of its resting place.

After you are done uninstalling the pump motor, gently separate the impeller from it and then move on to removing the diffuser from the motor as well. Next, you will have to separate the two splits of the pump held together by a bolt.

Step 5: Disassemble the Pump Motor

Afterward, you will have to detach the pump's front, and back ends to expose the bearing that lies inside.

However, removing the two ends might be difficult to do by hand, and so we would advise you to insert a flat-headed screwdriver into the joint of the ends and then, with the help of a hammer, apply some force to the back of the screwdriver.

This force will cause a section of the pump end to come off, and you can then pry the rest of it off with your hands.

Step 6: Remove the Motor Bearing

By now, you should be able to see the bearing and, with the help of a set of pool pump bearing puller jaws , pull the bearing off the driver shaft which it sits on. To do this, you will first need to fixate the puller jaws at the back of the bearing; this is where it is attached to the shaft.

Next, by turning the bolt at the center of your puller jaws, secure it around the jacking rivet which holds the shaft and bearing together. Turn it in the direction which will cause the screw to come loose, and then detach the wheel-shaped bearing from the system.

Following the same procedure, you will be able to remove the motor bearing as well efficaciously.

Step 7: Install Pool Pump Bearing Replacement

Put the pool pump bearing replacement onto the driver shaft with the assistance of a bearing tamping tool.

For those of you who might know what this is, a bearing tamping tool is a pipe like an apparatus that helps distribute the pressure exerted on the shaft evenly. At the same time, it also assists in the smooth transitioning of the bearing from your hand to its place on the shaft.

Using the same technique, the other pool pump bearing replacement may be installed.

Step 8: Re-Assemble and Give It a Check

Once you are done fixating the bearings onto the shaft, put the bell-shaped ends of the pump back in place before moving on to re-attaching the two parts of the pump motor with the help of the bolt that was previously used to hold them in place.

Going backward on the earlier process, congregate your motor piece by piece. After bearingreplacement has been carried out and your pump motor is back in one piece, reconnect it to the power supply to see if it operates silently and does not start to overheat. If it does that, then the replacement process was a success.

Conclusion

Remember to know what size bearing your pump motor uses (the model number is usually written on the bearing) because using a bearing that is the wrong size for your pump may lead to the bearing becoming damaged. As a result, your pump may start to overheat.

Moreover, try not to turn the pump on when the water level in the pool is a bit low, as this also works to reduce the lifespan of the motor and bearing. Do remember to always turn off the power supply before working with electrical equipment.

We hope we were able to walk you through the whole process of pool pump bearing replacement. Thank you for staying with us till the end, and we will see you again!