Hayward Super Pump Repair Guide
By Hayward is very well known in the swimming pool industry for the great quality swimming pool products they make. One of their most popular lines of swimming pool pumps is called the Hayward Super Pump. This pump is offered in both the Super Pump Standard and The Super Pump II. The Super pump is installed in millions of backyards all over the world and is well known for its long lasting life.
Even though the Hayward Super Pump is one of the top pumps in the industry, the daily use of this pump will eventually require troubleshooting and Hayward Super Pump repair. These repair are not that hard to do yourself if you are the hands on kind of repair person. If you are not comfortable working on with basic hand tools you could always bring the pump down to a local repair shop and have them diagnose and fix your pump. Things like the mechanical pump seal, pump bearings, pump gaskets and so on will have top be replaced along the way. Most of these things can be repaired in a few hours with replacement Hayward parts that are generally sold at your local swimming pool supply store.
Below you will find the most common things that will have to be repaired on the Hayward Super Pump swimming pool pump. Most of the repairs on this pump can be preformed with a 9/16″ inch socket or wrench, a Flathead screwdriver and a pair of channel lock pliers.
How To Change The Super Pump Seal
The Hayward Super pump uses a two part mechanical seal to protect the motor from the wet end of the pump. This seal can be replaced in a few small steps and will only take an hour or two if you have a set of wrenches and some other basic hand tools.
The first thing you will want to do is to disconnect the pump and drain it free of any water that may be in the volute. You can do this by removing the two drain plugs on the pump. One will be in the front of the pump and one will be on the side. Once the pump is drained out you will want to remove the four 9/6 bolts that connect the Hayward Pump housing to the motor bracket. Once you do this pump housing will separate from the motor end of the pump and you will now see the impeller. Grab hold of the impeller and turn it counter clockwise until it spins off of the pump motor shaft. You may have to hold the other end of the pump shaft with a pair of pliers. You can do this by removing the back motor cover. Now that the impeller is off of the motor shaft you will able to see both parts of the pump seal. Slide the pump seal spring off of the impeller and place it to the side. You will be replacing this with the new one in a few minutes. The second part of the Hayward mechanical pump seal is located in the pump seal housing. You will now need to take your finger and pull the ceramic seat from the seal housing. This ceramic seal seat will be wrapped with a black rubber washer, make sure you also remove that from the pump seal housing.
Now that you have both parts of the seal removed from the pump you can replace both parts of the seal with the replacement Hayward Super Pump seal. When re-inserting the ceramic seat you may want to put a small amount of silicon on the rubber casing to ensure that you will not have a leak. You can now screw the impeller back onto the pump shaft and re-attach the volute to the motor of the pump. Make sure you prime the Hayward Super Pump before you run it by filling the wet end of the pump with water before turning it on.
How To Prime The Hayward Super Pump:
The Hayward super pump is considered a self-priming swimming pool pump but this does not mean that the pump will actually prime itself if dry. When any type of swimming pool pump is dry you will have to fill the volute of the pump with water. This will allow the pump impeller to create a suction draw and start to pull the water from the swimming pool plumbing.
To prime the Hayward Super Pump you will just need a bucket of water or a garden hose. The first thing you will want to do is to remove the Super Pump Cover or also know as the pump basket cover. This lid will be made from clear plastic and will have two black handles knobs on each side. To remove the pump cover you will have to loosen each knob counter clockwise until the fold to the side. Once the knobs are loose you can remove the pump cover.
Now that the cover is off of the super pump volute also know as the wet end of the pump, you can take your bucket of water and pour it into the pump until the pump basket area is completely full of water. Now that the pump is full of water you can put the cover back onto the volute of the Hayward Super Pump. You swimming pool pump is now considered to be primed and you can now go ahead and turn on the pump. It may take a few minutes for the pump to fully be up to prime once it’s running.
How To Install The Hayward Super Pump
There are two fitting connections on the Hayward Super Pump housing. These inlets can be either 1.5″ inches or 2″ inches depending on the horsepower and size of your super pump. You will need to connect both side of the pump to your swimming pool system. On the front of the Hayward Super Pump is the suction side inlet. You will want to connect this side of the pump to the suction side of your swimming pool plumbing. The suction side of the swimming pool system is the side that has the main drain and skimmers hooked up to it. Some pools will not have a main drain, but every pool will have a skimmer or two. The suction side of the Hayward Super Pump will connect to the skimmer and the main drain.
On the top of the Hayward Super Pump is where you will find the discharge fitting connection. The discharge side of the super pump will get connected to the discharge side of your swimming pool system. The discharge side of the swimming pool system powers the swimming pool returns, pool vacuums and sometimes the pool slide or water fall if they are installed on the pool. Usually the discharge side of the Hayward Super Pump will get directly plumbed into the pump side of the multi-port directional valve and then the multi-port will connect to the discharge side of the pool plumbing. Once the both the suction side and the discharge side of the Hayward Pump are connected you can prime the pump and start it up making sure it reaches a full prime.
How To Drain The Hayward Super Pump
Draining the Super pump can be fast and easy to do. You will want to grab a 9/16″ box wrench or adjustable wrench and remove the two drain plugs that are on the bottom of the Hayward pump housing. You will find one drain plug on the from of the pump housing and one on the side. Once the water stops draining from the drain plugs holes your pump will now be drained.
How To Change The Hayward Pump Cover Gasket:
The pump cover gasket is easy and fast to change. This gasket often has to be replaced every few years because of all the opening and closing of the pump cover. The replacement of this gasket is part of the normal maintenance of the super pump. To install a new Hayward pump cover gasket you will need to remove the pump cover from the pump housing of the pump. You can do this by turning the two black hold down knobs counter clockwise until you can fold them to the side, so you can lift and remove the cover.
Once you have the cover off of the pump housing you can take a Flathead screwdriver and pry out the old pump cover gasket. Sometimes they melt or can be stuck, so you may have to do a bit of scraping if your gasket is really old. Most of the time the pump cover gasket will just pull right out. Once you have fully removed the old pump cover gasket you will want to insert the new gasket by firmly pressing the gasket into the groove on the pump housing. Once the gasket is set in place you can re-install the pump lid and re-start your pump, your cover gasket is now changed.
How To Change The Super Pump Motor Bearings:
If your super pump is “screaming” or making lots of noise chances are you will need to replace the motor shaft bearings that are inside of the motor. To do so you will have to remove the motor end from the pump housing. Once you have the motor removed from the pump housing you can remove the impeller and the pump seal housing. Now that the pump seal housing, the impeller and everything has been removed from the motor end you can start to take apart the motor.
You will need to remove the pump motor through bolts and then remove the front and the rear cover from the motor casing. Once the through bolts and the covers are removed you slide the motor armature shaft out from the casing. Once you removed the motor armature you will have to remove the old motor bearings and then press on new ones. Once your new bearings are pressed on to the motor armature shaft you can start to re-assemble the super pump in the reverse order that you took it apart. Take your time and put it back together the correct way. Do not forget to replace the water sling on the motor as well.
Super Pump Troubleshooting and Common Problems:
Problem: “My Hayward Super Pump Will Not Prime”
Solution: You will always want to make sure you have no air leaks in the suction side of the pump or the swimming pool plumbing. This can cause the pump not to prime. Make sure the unions and the pump cover are tight. Also make sure to fill the pump housing with water before starting the motor.
Problem: “I have air inside my pump cover and bubbles in my swimming pool.”
Solution: When you have air coming out of your swimming pool returns this means that your pump is sucking air from somewhere. Check your suction fitting and drain plugs to make sure they are tight and not leaking. You also will want to make sure you pump housing cover lid is good as well.
If You Have Any More Questions Or Problems Please Ask:
Our Hayward Superpump does not start right away. It tries to kick on, hums for about 30 seconds, then shuts off. It will do this for almost an hour then start and will run until the timer shuts it off. Do you have any suggestions what might be going wrong? Thank you.
Ninety five percent chance you have a bad starting capacitor.
Rick,
My Hayward super2 will turn on in the morning hum then flips the breaker. If I reset breaker and jar the pump while it is humming it runs just fine. Any thoughts?
Sounds like a loose wire where the cord attaches to the motor inside the motor.
Rick
I am having a similar problem with my motor humming. I read the Hayward troubleshooting guide and replaced the capacitor, seemed like a simple and inexpensive fix, but it didn’t fix it. How do I check if the governor is stuck open? Also, I can remove the diffuser, but I can’t remove the impeller, it appears stuck, can you give advise on this as well?
Pool pump starts to run at 15 psi. Within an hour pressure rises to 25 psi. Now I noticed inside my skimmer box there is air inside it. What do I do to get my pressure back to normal ?
Hi Stephen,
By air in the skimmer, I think you mean air in the pump strainer. The condition you are experiencing is caused by clogged filter. The air in the pump strainer is caused by cavitation which is really just air trapped in the pump because the pump cannot pushi the water through the filter. Clean the filter and your problem will disappear. Another way to test my theory is to turn off your pump, turn your multiport valve handle (if you have one) to the “recirculate” position and then restart the pump. I think at this point you will have a good flow of water back to the pool. All you are really doing is bypassing the filter tank at this point.
I have a Hayward Super pump (1HP). Although the pump still runs, after a few minutes, it trips the circuit breaker. This started yesterday, after my daughter sucked up a saturated 8X10 sheet of paper through the vacuum. I noticed yesterday, that the pump motor housing becomes very hot, to the point where you can’t touch it. Do you have any idea as to what has happened?
Hi Brian,
My bet is that you have a clogged impeller inside the pump. Being restricted, there is extra strain on the pump which draws higher amperage and causes the pump to overheat.
To fix it, separate the motor from the pump by removing the for 9/16″ bolts from where the motor attaches to the pump. Separate the two parts and just pull off the diffuser plate that covers the impeller. Now you will be able to see if you have any foreign debris around or inside the impeller that needs to be removed. After cleaning the impeller, replace the parts that you removed, reprime the pump, and you should be good to go.
We constantly have water comming out of valve that water comes out when backwashing? We never had this before – what can be the problem?
Hi Lou Ann,
What you are describing is problem with the spider gasket inside your multiport valve. Shut the pump off, remove the six phillips head screws that hold the valve together and lift off the top of the valve. Check the spider gasket (a black rubber gasket about six inches across with five veins on it.) It should be set down in the plastic guides and it should look the same all around. By that I mean the material should not look like it got cooked. If it does, you need to replace the gasket.
To avoid problems with this gasket in the future, always turn the pump motor off before moving the handle on the multiport.
New hayward super pump and prefilter upon install power applied only hums and yes was changed to correct voltage please help before I return it
Hi Robert,
Assuming the pump was wired correctly, I would say the wires are off the starting capacitor or the points are not touching when the pump is switched on.
How can I repair a pin hole leak in the super pump housing
Hi, Gary.
Where is the leak? At a seam or in the middle of an expanse of steel? Or is it near a fitting?
If it’s the steel portion and not corrodied, you should be able to fix the leak by welding the steel. Use TIG welder to close the hole and it won’t cost more than $30. If you wish, you can replace the whole housing module, but it will cost you around $80 to $100.
Hi Gary,
Because there is no steel on super pump housing, welding won’t work. But there are some epoxies that will work. They are best applied on the pressure side of the leak and be sure sure to use a waterproof epoxy.
My Hayward pump stopped working I’ve cleaned the filter baskets and unplugged the unit. Then replugged it and it’s not starting. Can ya. Help??
Hi Nena,
If there is no humming sound at the pump when you turn the switch on, the GFI breaker is probably tripped. You must turn it all the way to off and then to the on postion again.
If there is a humming sound, it is probably a bad strating capacitor or a jammed impeller. Both easy fixes.
Why can’t I get discharge pressure from my Hayward 1hp super pump?
Hi Kenny,
If you can’t get a prime on a pump, you have an air leak between the pool and front part of the pump housing. Also check the drain plugs on the pump and the rubber gasket of the pump housing where the strainer basket goes in.
new hayward pump starts than turns self off
Hi Dawn,
If you have a Hayward Superpump, it is sent from the factory wired for 230Volts. If you have the pump wired for 120volts and didn’t turn the switch inside the motor cover, the pump will shut itself off when it overheats. This situation can ruin the motor pretty quickly so it should be rectified immediately.
I just had the shaft seal replaced on a Hayward superpump. To do so, the tech detached the start capacitor and the governor switch bracket to get a wrench onto the shaft. I brought it home, re-wired it correctly, but absolutely nothing happens when I throw the switch. The tech had problems reattaching the governor bracket. Could that be the problem (i.e. the switch isn’t closing), and if so, how do I fix it??
Thanks and regards,
Jim
I would find a new tech in a hurry. Those two parts should not have been removed to replace a seal. You put a 7/16 wrench behind the temp. switch and onto the shaft to stop the shaft from spinning. I would be making sure that the pump is wired correctly and also make sure the points are touching when the pump is off on the centrifugal switch.
Rick
My motor quit, I have power to the motor terminals but nothing happens, no hum, no nothing! what do I need to check next?
Check to see if you have the correct voltage at the pump end of the cord when the switch is turned on. If that fails, check the GFI circuit. If that is good, check to see it the wires go to the right place on the motor. If the proper voltage is there, change the starting capacitor.
I just installed a Hayward 1hp super pump. It starts fine and sucks the water into the pump housing, but as soon as it fills, the pump sounds like it surges, then clicks, then surges again….etc. I have shut it off until I figures this out.
One of two things. Either you have the pump wired for 115 volts or the skimmer is sucking air. The factory sends the pumps out wired for 230 volts. If you have it plugged into a 115 volt circuit, you move the jumper inside the end cap so the arrow is pointing the 115 volts.
Rick
Eccostar pump was running and reset breakers there was a flash at the motor and now doesn’t start. Checked all connections and everything seems fine. I was working on pool heater at the time but it is on another breaker.
Sound like the wires shorted out on the pump. Make sure the bare wires are not touching each other and they are attached in the proper place. Also reset the breaker.
Rick
Sean – any luck fixing your surge/click problem? I have the EXACT same problem.
I put a new pump and motor in today and the motor keeps clicking. It’s a hayward super pump 1 hp. What did i do wrong. Thanks
Wrong voltage setting on the pump. Move the jumper to the 115 volt setting.
Rick