Pump flipping breaker... :-(

My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving. :-(
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Reel McKoi wrote:
My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving. :-(

I'm having the exact same problem. Now I have to buy smaller pumps.
Big pain in the butt. I have a 500 and a 2000 gallon ponds. Any
recommendations for size pumps? Each has to travel more than 10 feet of
hose, but very little elevation to their falls.

Ruth Kazez

"Reel McKoi" wrote in message
...
My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

Probably past a worn seal - how old is it? Do you dry store your pump for
the winter? - I always leave my pump in the pond over winter so the seals
don't dry out and pull it in the spring to clean it up for the summer when I
start it. I also ruined my first pump in a year by using the cord to "help"
get it out of the pond even though I was warned about not pulling on the
cord in any way - Beckett's are good pumps and no, I have never heard of
anyone fixing a pump with a problem like yours. Maybe your GFIC breaker is
getting weak, but still good enough to power a smaller 500 gph pump?
Gale :~)

"rtk" wrote in message
...
Reel McKoi wrote:
My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a
thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't
suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving.
:-(
=======================
I'm having the exact same problem. Now I have to buy smaller pumps.

$ I plan to replace mine with one the same size. It runs the filter and the
settling tank/VF. This pump is only about 5 years old and runs about 7
months a year. What a bummer!

Big pain in the butt. I have a 500 and a 2000 gallon ponds. Any
recommendations for size pumps? Each has to travel more than 10 feet of
hose, but very little elevation to their falls.

Ruth Kazez
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...

"Reel McKoi" wrote in message
...
My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a
thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't
suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

Probably past a worn seal - how old is it?

# It's about 5 years old.

Do you dry store your pump for
the winter? -

# Yes. I bring them in, clean them and store them in the sunroom.

I always leave my pump in the pond over winter so the seals
don't dry out and pull it in the spring to clean it up for the summer when
I
start it. I also ruined my first pump in a year by using the cord to
"help"
get it out of the pond even though I was warned about not pulling on the
cord in any way -

# My husband thinks the seal is worn and that's how the water is meeting
the electricity. I haven't pulled on the cord to lift it. I lift it from
the pond by the outflow hose.

Beckett's are good pumps and no, I have never heard of
anyone fixing a pump with a problem like yours.

# That's what I figured. :*(

Maybe your GFIC breaker is
getting weak, but still good enough to power a smaller 500 gph pump?
Gale :~)

# All the other pumps (4 smaller ones) are running fine. I don't think it's
the breaker. Oh well, it's off to Home Depot tomorrow in hopes they still
carry them.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:16:20 -0600, "Reel McKoi" wrote:

My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving. :-(

I've had this happen with two Beckett's. In each case, it wasn't an
overload, but current leakage that tripped the GFCI. If you
disassemble it, you can see the problem - the o-ring that seals the
motor to the housing. I'd suggest giving it a week or more to dry
out, then coating the o-ring with either silicon grease (available
from a pool store) or rtv cement. Since it's going into a pond, give
the rtv plenty of time to cure and the byproducts to dissipate.

PlainBill

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:16:20 -0600, "Reel McKoi" wrote:

My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving. :-(

First make sure the pump alone is the problem -

If there is anything else on that circuit, unplug it, then try the
pump again - still trippping the breaker?

If you have a clue about electricity, try swapping that breaker with
another breaker of the same size in your panel.

Try plugging the pump into a different circuit to see if it still
trips the breaker.

Is there any place that water or bugs, ants, plants, etc. might be
getting to the wiring? Maybe an outside receptacle box, light fixture,
etc etc etc?

Examine the wire on the pump, every inch of it, paying special
attention to the plug and where it enters the pump, If it normally
runs along the ground at any point, someone (or something like a deer)
might have stepped on it and caused a puncture or pulled it apart
enough to cause a short between internal wires. The outer sheath may
not even be broken but the wires inside still can be - look for kinks
in the wire.


Just some thoughts.
Mike


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

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"PlainBill" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:16:20 -0600, "Reel McKoi" wrote:

My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a
thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving.
:-(

I've had this happen with two Beckett's. In each case, it wasn't an
overload, but current leakage that tripped the GFCI. If you
disassemble it, you can see the problem - the o-ring that seals the
motor to the housing.

## YEP!!! When we opened the pump about 1/4 cup of water ran out. We
allowed it to dry out all day and sealed it with GREASE. Hubby tightened
them nicely this time. Also, the screws were not real tight when I
unscrewed them - probably causing a poor seal. :-( Home Depot no longer
carries these pumps nor does Foster&Smith. We don't know if the is grease
will work so ordered another pump just in case, a Pondmaster Mag Drive @
1800 gph. Price w/shipping & handling came to $140.98.

I'd suggest giving it a week or more to dry
out,

## He wouldn't wait. We left it in the hot sun to dry and it was dry by the
time we got back from town. I would have waited a few days.

then coating the o-ring with either silicon grease (available
from a pool store) or rtv cement.

## No pool stores here. No one had heard of rtv cement at Lowe's or Home
Depot. All we could find was silicon "oil" so my husband used Dielectric
grease.

Since it's going into a pond, give
the rtv plenty of time to cure and the byproducts to dissipate.

## What is the full name of rtv cement? What is it usually used for?

--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:16:20 -0600, "Reel McKoi" wrote:

My 1200 gph pump is flipping the breaker. AAARRGGGHHHH! It's a
thermally
protected Beckett. How is water getting to the "juice?" I don't suppose
they can be fixed - anyone?

I had to scramble to hook up a 500 gph just to keep the water moving.
:-(

First make sure the pump alone is the problem -

## Thanks Mike, we believe it was. All the others were checked and didn't
flip the breaker. See my post above. Water had leaked past the heavy
rubber seal seal. The seal itself looked in good shape.

If there is anything else on that circuit, unplug it, then try the
pump again - still trippping the breaker?

## It sure was.....

If you have a clue about electricity, try swapping that breaker with
another breaker of the same size in your panel.
Try plugging the pump into a different circuit to see if it still
trips the breaker.

Is there any place that water or bugs, ants, plants, etc. might be
getting to the wiring? Maybe an outside receptacle box, light fixture,
etc etc etc?

## We checked all those things before opening the pump - to find water
INSIDE, past the seal. :-(

Examine the wire on the pump, every inch of it, paying special
attention to the plug and where it enters the pump, If it normally
runs along the ground at any point, someone (or something like a deer)
might have stepped on it and caused a puncture or pulled it apart
enough to cause a short between internal wires. The outer sheath may
not even be broken but the wires inside still can be - look for kinks
in the wire.

## That's something we need to do. I need to clean the wire of mud and
slime and check it real good. We're sure it was the water that passed the
seal causing the problem. I hope the grease, resetting the seal and
tightening the screws worked. The water is already turning a greenish
brown - and Foster&Smith says it'll take a week to get the new pump to us.
We're going to plug the Versa in tomorrow and see if the seal is ok now. In
that case we'll keep it as a backup pump.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Silicone grease is available at Home Depot, in the plumping
section. I've used it on O-ring when replacing the O-ring in
faucet and bath water valves.

I've never heard of rtv cement. I've used rtv silicone to
make gaskets. They're in auto stores.

Use silicone grease to seal O-ring on turning shaft. Use rtv
silicone to seal stationary parts.