Tell me what it’s doing.
I’ll tell you what’s wrong.
Every guide here comes from real hands-on repair work — not recycled advice. Pinpoint the exact cause, fix it right the first time, and skip the service call.
Hayward, Pentair, Jandy, Intex, Bestway, Sta-Rite, Waterway — if it circulates pool water, it’s covered here.
What Is Your Pump Doing?
No response when switched on — check power, breaker, timer, and motor
Breaker cuts out immediately or after a short run — electrical fault diagnosis
Power is reaching the motor but it won’t spin — usually a capacitor or seized shaft
Water around the pump — shaft seal, O-ring, union, or housing crack
Grinding, screeching, rattling — each noise points to a different cause
Low pressure, cloudy water — blocked impeller, dirty filter, or air leak
Motor hot to the touch or shutting down — blocked vents, failing capacitor
Loses water and air-locks — suction leak, low water level, bad O-ring
Runs briefly then stops — thermal overload, overheating, electrical issue
Gauge reading high — backwash or clean the filter fixes 60% of cases
Don’t keep resetting it — find the real ground fault first
🔴 Usually urgent | 🟡 Common issue | 🔵 Check when convenient
Start Here — Most-Read Guides
Repair by Part
Hums, seized, won’t start, needs replacement
The #1 cause of a pump that hums but won’t spin
Clogged or cracked — causes low flow or no flow
Most common source of water leaks around the pump
Cracked or clogged — causes suction problems
Cracked volute, air leaks, structural damage
Repair by Brand
Guides & Reference
The real electricity cost comparison with numbers
The one concept behind almost every diagnosis on this site
Leaking, stuck, or wrong-position — almost always the spider gasket
What every common repair should cost — DIY vs pro labor
Bubbles from return jets mean a suction-side air leak
Losing prime overnight or water draining back after shutoff
Mechanical tripper issues and digital timer programming fixes
Stuck timer, welded relay, or automation override — not a pump failure
Stuck on one speed or neither speed working
Stuck eyeballs, missing inserts, cracked faceplates
Pool Pump Basics
- How Pool Pumps Work — installation, setup, and plumbing basics
- Variable Speed Pumps — programming, error codes, and efficiency
- Above Ground Pool Pumps — common problems and fixes
- Pool Filter Problems — when the filter is causing the issue
- Maintenance Schedules — what to check and how often
- How Long to Run Your Pump — calculate the right daily run time
- Pump Wiring Guide — 115V vs 230V, GFCI requirements
- Pool Cover Pump Issues — a different pump entirely, for winter covers
- Full Troubleshooting Index →
Read everything and still not sure?
Describe exactly what your pump is doing — the sound, the symptom, what you’ve already checked — and the diagnostic tool will walk you through the most likely cause step by step.
Walk Me Through It →