MagDrive pump is tripping GFI....time to replace?

[Jay Adair]

After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started tripping
the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging the
pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....

The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case to
check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time to
replace the pump if impeller is clear?

Thanks for any input,

Jay

[Gale Pearce]

You may want to check your GFIC before replacing the pump - I had one go bad
Gale :~)

"Jay Adair" > wrote in message
...
> After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started tripping
> the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging the
> pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....
>
> The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case to
> check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time to
> replace the pump if impeller is clear?
>
> Thanks for any input,
>
> Jay
>
>

[Jay Adair]

(Mag Drive 2400 gph pump, 600 gallon pond, 50 gallon filter, 7 feet of
lift....approx. turn-over once / hour)

Well, I opened it and pulled out the impeller....the surface of the impeller
has lost some of the coating and the bits of the coating seem to have gotten
between the impeller and the surrounding magnets and grooved the remaining
surface of the impeller....in short, it appears shot......

......so......spend $30 for a replacement impeller for what turns out to be a
3 year old pump, or spring for $145 for a new pump.....

Anybody done the impeller swap? Longetivity of repair?


"Jay Adair" > wrote in message
...
> After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started tripping
> the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging the
> pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....
>
> The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case to
> check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time to
> replace the pump if impeller is clear?
>
> Thanks for any input,
>
> Jay
>
>

[Jay Adair]

It still seems to work fine. Without the pump plugged in, other items
plugged into this circuit work properly....
Thanks,

Jay

"Gale Pearce" > wrote in message
...
> You may want to check your GFIC before replacing the pump - I had one go
bad
> Gale :~)
>
> "Jay Adair" > wrote in message
> ...
> > After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started
tripping
> > the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging
the
> > pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....
> >
> > The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case
to
> > check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time
to
> > replace the pump if impeller is clear?
> >
> > Thanks for any input,
> >
> > Jay
> >
> >
>
>

[Charles]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 11:00:52 -0600, "Jay Adair" >
wrote:

>After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started tripping
>the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging the
>pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....
>
>The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case to
>check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time to
>replace the pump if impeller is clear?
>
>Thanks for any input,
>
>Jay
>
When my pump went it was the body of the pump, not the impeller.
--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

[Charles]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 13:31:56 -0600, "Jay Adair" >
wrote:

>(Mag Drive 2400 gph pump, 600 gallon pond, 50 gallon filter, 7 feet of
>lift....approx. turn-over once / hour)
>
>Well, I opened it and pulled out the impeller....the surface of the impeller
>has lost some of the coating and the bits of the coating seem to have gotten
>between the impeller and the surrounding magnets and grooved the remaining
>surface of the impeller....in short, it appears shot......
>
>.....so......spend $30 for a replacement impeller for what turns out to be a
>3 year old pump, or spring for $145 for a new pump.....
>
>Anybody done the impeller swap? Longetivity of repair?
>
>
>"Jay Adair" > wrote in message
...
>> After 2 years of perfect operation, my Magdrive pump just started tripping
>> the GFI after 20 seconds of operation. Resetting the GFI and plugging the
>> pump back in only gets another 20 seconds....
>>
>> The intake opening of the pump is clear, but I haven't opened the case to
>> check the impeller for blockage yet. Is this about normal life....time to
>> replace the pump if impeller is clear?
>>
>> Thanks for any input,
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>
>
Plug it in without the impeller. If it still trips, then a new
impeller will do no good, except to be a spare.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

[Andy Hill]

"Jay Adair" > wrote:
>(Mag Drive 2400 gph pump, 600 gallon pond, 50 gallon filter, 7 feet of
>lift....approx. turn-over once / hour)
>
>Well, I opened it and pulled out the impeller....the surface of the impeller
>has lost some of the coating and the bits of the coating seem to have gotten
>between the impeller and the surrounding magnets and grooved the remaining
>surface of the impeller....in short, it appears shot......
>
>.....so......spend $30 for a replacement impeller for what turns out to be a
>3 year old pump, or spring for $145 for a new pump.....
>
>Anybody done the impeller swap? Longetivity of repair?
>
Without answering your question, I can't see how impeller damage is causing the
GFCI to trip -- you should be able to run the motor in any situation from full
stall to no load without tripping the GFCI. If the outlet is OK, then
something in the pump is toast. Have you checked the cord? Assuming this is
a true Mag pump, those guys are epoxy sealed -- it'd take some work to get
anything into the pump to the point you're getting a significant leakage to
ground.

[Jay Adair]

"Andy Hill" > wrote in message
...
> "Jay Adair" > wrote:
> >(Mag Drive 2400 gph pump, 600 gallon pond, 50 gallon filter, 7 feet of
> >lift....approx. turn-over once / hour)
> >
> >Well, I opened it and pulled out the impeller....the surface of the
impeller
> >has lost some of the coating and the bits of the coating seem to have
gotten
> >between the impeller and the surrounding magnets and grooved the
remaining
> >surface of the impeller....in short, it appears shot......
> >
> >.....so......spend $30 for a replacement impeller for what turns out to
be a
> >3 year old pump, or spring for $145 for a new pump.....
> >
> >Anybody done the impeller swap? Longetivity of repair?
> >
> Without answering your question, I can't see how impeller damage is
causing the
> GFCI to trip -- you should be able to run the motor in any situation from
full
> stall to no load without tripping the GFCI. If the outlet is OK, then
> something in the pump is toast. Have you checked the cord? Assuming
this is
> a true Mag pump, those guys are epoxy sealed -- it'd take some work to get
> anything into the pump to the point you're getting a significant leakage
to
> ground.
>

I think after seeing the damage to the impeller (and some collateral damage
to the inside of the impeller housing) I am going to get a new pump and skip
the repair process.

Thanks to all.....

Jay