Flo-master XP2 Spa Pump Rebuild by Ulma Doctor

[Ulma Doctor]

My sister called a couple weeks ago and asked why the breaker for her hot tub would trip and refuse to stay on.
i gave her a verbal list of possibilities and came to the realization that it would be easier if i just went over to see what was going on.
I have only worked on some controls for a friends tub many moons ago...
but, i'm not really afraid, i work on way more complicated things on a daily basis.
when i got there i removed the covers and started checking it out.
the hot tub has 2 pumps. one pump looked good, no visible signs of fault.
the other didn't look so good, it was the pump responsible for the jets that come out in the hot tub. i think there are 12 jets in this tub.
the pump's impeller was broken in the ceramic seal area. there was visible signs of rust in the seal area.
i disconnected the pump from the spa so i could take it apart for rebuild.



the pump is a flow-master XP2 2 hp 115/230 dual voltage motor.it is configured for 230 vac in this application.

i disassebled the motor and chucked the rotor into my vise with some rags as padding so i didn't damage the rotor
as seen below.



there didn't appear to be external means of removing the impeller without damage- no flats to grab on, no holes to pry on, etc......:thinking:



I had a 63" long serpentine belt i haven't used for another project yet.
i figured if i were to let the friction of rubber on rubber to be my driver and remover
so here we are, a picture of the serpentine strap wrench in action!
the loose end of the belt was wrapped around the impeller housing in a fashion that increased grip as torque was applied


this picture was taken during the tightening sequence. the belt was wrapped opposite (clockwise) for the removal of the impeller.

a picture of the damaged impeller below , beyond repair for practical purposes.

the 2 bits laying on the impeller create a cylinder that is supposed to create a sealing surface for the ceramic seal.
the other sealing surface is inside the impeller housing.

a view of the ceramic seal as removed from the pump housing, below



reassembly was really easy, basically the opposite of disassembly.
i installed a new impeller and ceramic seal. (the internal seal and sealing surfaces were generously lubed upon installation)
after reattachment and reassembly of the motor, i spun the impeller by hand to make sure it turned freely.
it checked out. turning very smoothly!!!
I then put 230 vac single phase to the motor to hear it work!!!

another successful operation even though i never seen the inside of a flo-master pump before!!!


thanks for reading!!!!

 

[xalky]

I've never been one to shy away from any kind of repair. Most of the time I've got absolutely nothing to lose by attempting to repair an item except for some time. You done good my friend!:thumbsup2:

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Thank You, Marcel !!!

i never was one to retreat at the first sign of problems.
some of my best achievements have come from taking up the gauntlet , when others have tried and fled.
i don't fear adversity, i make too much money from it !!!
(although i did this repair on the house for my sister)

the way that i look at things like this is, i can't really mess things up any worse.
it's already broken....

 

[davidh]

i too love that kind of repair work. good job. someday i will fix the pump in my whirlpool bath