Installing a New Spa Pump

I have heard that the industry average for spa pump motor is about 8 years. When the motor goes, you have a choice - replace just the motor, or buy the entire pump.

The same with the wet end, or the opposite end of the pump, you could just replace a new wet end onto the existing motor. We have a large inventory of spa pump parts, to fix almost any pump problem.

But...if you'd rather not get your hands dirty, and prefer to just replace the entire pump - motor and wet end, then this post is for you. Here's how to replace a typical spa pump, wired into a spa pack.

1. Check the Frame, Horsepower, Voltage & Speed

You don't want to install the wrong pump, so get out your reading glasses and a flashlight, and inspect the label on the pump motor. Look for FR which indicates frame type (48 or 56), HP for horsepower (1 - 5), Voltage (115 or 230) and Speed (single or dual). Replace your existing pump with the same size and type spa pump.

Also pay attention to how the pump discharge is oriented, is it on the side, or on the top center? These are two different wet ends. The side discharge spa pump can be rotated to different locations by loosening the volute screws, but the center discharge is top dead center - 12:00.

2. Shut off the Power

Don't take chances, find the correct circuit breaker that feeds the spa and shut it off. Use a piece of tape over the breaker so that no one accidentally turns it back on. After shutting off the breaker, test to be sure that power is off, then you can proceed to disassemble and remove the existing pump.

3. Disconnect Old Spa Pump

Start with removing the bare copper bonding wire that is attached to the pump. Now, assuming that the spa is drained, or you have valves closed to prevent the water from running out, slowly loosen the union nuts on the incoming and outgoing water connections of the spa pump. 1-10 gallons of water will drain out, so be prepared if your spa is located indoors.

If your spa pump is bolted to the floor, use a wrench or socket to remove the bolts on the motor footpad.

Once you can move the pump, position it to give you easy access to the wires coming into the rear of the motor. Open up the cover plate and you will find 3-wires for a single speed pump, and 4-wires for a two-speed spa pump. With a screwdriver, nut driver or needle nose, you can remove the wires from their terminal screws, and after loosening the cord clamp on the motor, gently pull the wire cable out from the existing motor.

For a two-speed motor, note or label the high speed and low speed wires, to wire correctly to the new motor. Get out your glasses and flashlight again, you'll find the terminal screws are labeled in very tiny print.

4. Connect New Spa Pump

You'll find it easier to wire the motor before you slide the pump underneath the spa. Make identical connections to the new pump. For two-speed motors, low speed is usually Red, common is White and high speed is Black, and green is of course green. However, if the wires are not an actual spa pump cord, the colors may be different. Match up the wire color to the markings on the terminal board.

Remove the pump cord clamp from the old motor and screw it into the wire access port of the new motor. Insert the pump cord through the clamp, and connect the wires to the terminals. You can either wrap the bare wire around the post, underneath the screw or nut, or use spade connectors crimped onto the end of the wire. Make sure that your connections are tight, and no wires are touching each other.

Tighten up the pump cord clamp where the wires enter the rear of the motor, and replace the motor end cap or cover.

Next, you can thread on the union nuts to the new spa pump, making sure that the o-ring is still intact, and has not fallen out. Hand tighten the union nuts firmly. The final step is to re-secure the bolts that hold the motor foot pad to the floor or base. This helps cut down on vibration noise. Using a rubber pad beneath the pump can help reduce it even further.

Finally, reconnect the bare copper bonding wire to the bonding lug on your new spa pump.

5. Testing a New Spa Pump

Once the plumbing on the pump is tightened up, you can begin to fill the spa. Once you have the spa about half full, open the valves and loosen the incoming spa union to allow any air lock to escape, and tighten up firmly when water begins to drip. Continue to fill the spa full, while looking for any leaks around the new spa pump.

When the spa is full, turn on the breaker to test your spa pump, running through it's paces. Make sure that your heater kicks on and that everything looks and sounds proper.