Need help with Bathtub water pump.

[MiguelPatrice]

I have a jacuzzi bathtub in a house that I've recently purchased, when I first moved in, I used it and everything went well, last night I tried using it again and it didn't work.

When I pressed the button, with the tub full of water, I heard a faint humming sound for 2 seconds and nothing more, everytime I press the button it will do this same humming sound and stop, the motor doesn't start and it doesn't do anything else.

I searched the web for possible causes and potential solutions, and I seemed to found out a little more about the problem, but not exactly how to fix it.

Here's what I did, I dissassembled the water intake socket and attempted to see if the motor could move at all, so I pressed the button, and nothing, only a humming sound, then I attempted something else, to manually rotate the motor disk while pressing the button, and at this point the motor started running normally, the problem is, the motor will only start this way, by dissembling the water intake socket and start the motor manually, (by pressing the button and rotating the disk at the same time), if I attempt to rotate the disk without pressing the button, it won't work either, it will only work if I do both.

When I press the button to stop, it will stop, but it won't start again, not unless I disassemble the motor and rotate it manually again.


Any ideas on what might be causing this problem and how can I possibly solve it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SimonG]

Yes, get a sparky in. Water and electrics don't mix. Better safe than sorry 🙂

 

[MiguelPatrice]

Yes, get a sparky in. Water and electrics don't mix. Better safe than sorry 🙂

I'm sorry, but I haven't understood what you meant by that?

Is it an electrical problem in the pump?

 

[SimonG]

Yes, it's an electrical issue with the motor to the pump. Possibly the motors capacitor, but will need an electrician to test it out properly.

 

[MiguelPatrice]

Yes, it's an electrical issue with the motor to the pump. Possibly the motors capacitor, but will need an electrician to test it out properly.

Well, actually, I'm much more skilled in electronics, than in plumbing, the problem is that I honestly haven't considered it to be an electrical problem. Considering that the pump does work when I boost it manually, and also that the button is producing some effect everytime I push it.

I was more inclined to be some sort of water circulation problem or something to do with the air button itself.

I am very skilled in electronics, but I haven't the faintest notion of the mechanics of water pumps.

 

[Crinkmeister]

It's probably a capacitor-start motor so either the cap is faulty as SimonG says or its a fault with the centrifugal switch (which disconnects the cap as the motor speed increases).