Pool Pump Trips Breaker / GFCI

December 8, 2014

3 Minute Read

Electrical problems can be among the most mysterious and frustrating that pool owners experience. They are also dangerous to the untrained DIYer so great caution – or a licensed electrician – is required when attempting to diagnose. Here are the most common reasons we see when it comes to pool pumps tripping.

Moisture

GFCIs are quite sensitive to moisture so if your breaker trips after a storm, you might just need to let the sun do its thing for a day or two. If it’s not summer, you can probably just leave the pump off for a day and try again once everything has had a chance to dry. In the summertime, you can still get by with your pump not running for one or two days but it will require some extra chlorine (shock) and manual circulation with a pole or paddle a couple of times per day.

Keep in mind that rain isn’t the only possible source of water. A misdirected sprinkler, spray from power washing, even high humidity can affect a GFCI.

Bad or Wrong Breaker

Sometimes breakers just fail due to age or inferior quality. If the problem does not appear to be with your pump and/or motor, try replacing the breaker.

You could also have the wrong size breaker if you recently bought a new pump or motor that was not an exact match to the previous model. Confirm you have the correct breaker size by checking how many amps the new motor requires.

Short in Pump

You might be able to spot an obvious pump motor short by disconnecting power and taking off the motor end cap. Make sure all wiring is properly connected and nothing appears obstructed or burnt. Insects who decide your motor makes a really cozy home can create an electrical short by blocking contacts.

Wrong Voltage

Most complete pumps and replacement motors leave the factory set at 230v to prevent installers from accidentally running 230 volts to a motor that is set to 115v. This has saved many motors from premature frying but it also results in many confused homeowners. Typically in this scenario, the pump will initially come on, then shut down, repeat. Check to see which voltage your motor is set to and what voltage you have running to it.

A Quick Fix

One quick thing to check is if the “reset” button on the GFCI simply needs to be pressed back in. If the GFCI trips, then you will need to press the reset button to restore electricity back to your equipment. Watch this helpful GFCI outlet video for more details.

Always remember that addressing electrical issues requires proper knowledge and safety precautions. If you are in any doubt, enlist the help of a qualified pool professional.

Matthew Simmons Technical Writer & Pool Product Expert

Swimming pool expert at InyoPools and host of Poolside Chat, brings over a decade of experience in the pool industry.

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Troubleshooting Topics

Controls / Automation

Chlorinators

Skimmers / Drains

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Swimming Pool Products

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163 responses to “Pool Pump Trips Breaker / GFCI”

John H

August 16, 2016

This is strange, my intex sand filter pump runs fine but only when I push the reset button. As soon as i turn off the power supply I hear a click on th eplug which is the plug tripping. when I plug it back into the extension cord the motor does not start until I push the reset button then the pump runs fine. I want to set it up a timer and not use the timer on the Intex pump. Could it be moisture that is causing it to trip when I turn the power OFF every time? My concern is that the pump won’t turn on every day because of this. It has rained a lot lately and the kids splash water around the pump area, but I do have the plugs somewhat covered. Any ideas? Thanks.

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  August 17, 2016
  
  For clarification, is the reset button on the pump/motor or is it on a GFCI receptacle?
  
  Reply
Henry

August 14, 2016

There both on seperate breakers,, that’s what I found wierd about it

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  August 18, 2016
  
  There may be a fault in the line somewhere, the best route would be to have an electrician come out and check it out.
  
  Reply
Henry

August 14, 2016

When I turn on my filter and the central air is running it trips my breaker,, but if I turn off central air and turn on filter it runs ok

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  August 14, 2016
  
  This sounds like a classic case of a breaker being overloaded or needing a replacement. The two electrical units are pulling more than the breaker can dish out, put a larger breaker on the circuit or put them on separate breakers.
  
  Reply
Bryan

August 7, 2016

Brand new pump. Hooked it up. 2hp, 2speed. Runs fine on 110v but when I switch to 220v it trips breaker. Running 100amp power from the house for the salt system. Any chance I have wires wrong?

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  August 9, 2016
  
  Two-speed motors run on one voltage, either 115 or 230. Do you mean you when you switch it to high speed it flips the breaker?
  
  If we are talking a high-speed issue, it could be a bad switch, relay, shorted windings or run capacitor problem. Read this guide on how to test most of these issues: Using the Proper Test Equipment to Troubleshoot Pool Motors
  
  It its the windings, I would take the motor back and ask for a replacement.
  
  Reply
Butch Wilson

August 6, 2016

Just replaced a 1.5 hp above ground motor. Plugged into garage and it worked. Put on Pool trips breaker. Plugged and extension cord in from garage and trips breaker there too. What else could it be?

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  August 9, 2016
  
  The extension cord being used may be the incorrect gauge. The longer the cable the thicker the wire gauge needs to be to accommodate the motor’s draw.
  
  Reply
Jennifer

July 25, 2016

We have a 4 year old hayward pump that keeps tripping the breaker when the pool starts first thing in the day. A couple times we were able to get it to come on after waiting several hours and then resetting the breaker. However, because it kept doing it, we took the pump to the pool place and they put it on their equipment and it worked fine. Fired right up. They didn’t seem to think it was the pump. They said maybe the breaker or plug. So, we changed the breaker. It worked fine for about 4 days and then tripped again upon start up. We got it started again and thought maybe it was the timer panel so we turned off the timer and tried just starting it manually. That didn’t work either. Again, we were able to start it after a few hours. It worked for another day or 2 and did it again, so we change the actual plug. Got it running yesterday and this morning when it tried to turn on, it tripped it again. Any suggestion on what else it could be? I would be surprised if this pump is bad after only 4 years, but we are kind of at a loss on what could be going wrong.

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  July 25, 2016
  
  We have seen pumps last only a year, or less, so we can’t go purely on the age of the motor. Have you changed the wires that connect the breaker to the pump? Excuse me if that is what you meant by “replacing the plug.”
  
  Outside of having an eletrician come in and inspect everything, I would replace the motor.
  
  Reply
  1. Jennifer
    
    July 25, 2016
    
    We changed the outlet…sorry I wasn’t clear on that. Our next step was to change the actual plug that goes from the motor to the outlet. My husband is leaning toward a new pump too, so maybe we will go that route instead. Thank you.
    
    Reply
    1. Fausto
      
      June 17, 2017
      
      Hi Jennifer, did you get the new pump. Did the issue resolve?
      Thanks
      
      Reply
Kyle

July 24, 2016

Hi, my pump has ran just fine for three years, and this summer by mistake I turned the pump on without opening the inflow and outflow valve…(yeah…oops). It tripped the breaker. The pump I have is a 2-speed. When I reset the breaker, the pump runs on low without any issues, however when it is on high, it trips the breaker within a matter of minutes. Does it sound like there is damage to my motor and is somehow drawing more power than usual or is it more likely that there is damage done to the breaker? Thank you in advance.

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  July 29, 2016
  
  My apologies for the lag in reply, Kyle.
  
  It’s possible that that the motor is drawing more amps on high speed causing the breaker to trip. I don’t think that because failing to open the valve caused this problem because the motor still works on low speed.
  
  Reply
Kevin

July 24, 2016

i turned off/on the pool power breakers and now the jets/waterfall/and lights are not even recognized, but everything else does (filter pump, spa, heater). Any suggestions on what may have happened?

Reply
1. Kevin
  
  July 24, 2016
  
  nevermind…..i didnt properly turn off/on the breakers. got it fixed now.
  
  Reply
  1. Matthew Simmons
    
    July 25, 2016
    
    Ok, fantastic!
    
    Reply
Victor

July 15, 2016

I am recently having problems with my pool breaker circuit tripping. I tried to reset it and as soon as I turn on the pool pump it tripped. I don’t have this problem before. It has not been raining in Houston Texas and it’s hot here for the last few weeks. Also, the bump motor is less than 2 yrs old.

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  July 17, 2016
  
  Have you tried replacing the breaker to determine if it is just a bad GFCI?
  
  Reply
Chris

July 4, 2016

Last week I replaced my pump motor. The motor ran great for 4 days then it tripped the breaker. I tried to flip the breaker but nothing happened. I went back through troubleshooting and rechecking everything. After waiting a couple of hours I tried it and it came back on. The next day it tripped the breaker again. This time when I tried to restart it, there was a humming sound. I removed the “cap” to see if anything was arching or burnt looking. When I tried to restart it again it made the humming sound. I took a screw driver and tried to spin the shaft. It was hard to turn. After it moved slightly I tried again and the pump restarted. I don’t know if it is getting too hot, the capacitor is bad, or just a bad pump motor?!?

Reply
1. Matthew Simmons
  
  July 6, 2016
  
  Hello Chris,
  You have quite the problem on your hands. We have guides on how to test your voltage, capacitor and other parts of your motor on this guide, Using the Proper Test Equipment to Troubleshoot Pool Motors
  
  If that one does not do the trick, browse this guide: Pool Pump Motor Answer Guide
  
  Reply