Circulation Pump Troubleshooting Guide

Circulation pump is a crucial component of household heating systems. It helps to circulate hot water through pipes to provide heat evenly to your home. However, like any other mechanical device, circulation pumps can sometimes experience problems.

In this article, we will explain the top problems the users could meet with and how to troubleshoot them easily to save your service time.

• Problem 1: No Water 

If there is no water, check whether the pump is running.

If the pump is not running, check the power supply or the circuit breaker. Make sure it is correctly powered.

If the pump is running but still no water, check if the pipe is blocked or the impeller rotates reversely.

• Problem 2: Pump Not Start

Firstly, make sure the power is correctly connected.

Secondly, remove the motor part and check if the impeller is spinning after plug in.

①If the impeller is spinning, the fan and the pump body are stuck.

This could be original quality issue or the transformation during logistics.

Either fabricate the impeller size to fit the body or just ask for a claim.

②If the impeller is not spinning, check for concentricity of the rotor and the rotor can. Every pump has a label for concentricity after the balance test.

③If the motor has electric sound, the stator winding is not powered.

Reasons for not having power include:  

-Immersion painting at the plug, causing it to be non-conductive. 

-Aluminum wire in motors oxidizes due to long-term exposure to air, resulting in power loss.

• Problem 3: Leaking Pump

If your pump is leaking, inspect below points:

①Whether the connections and gaskets are damaged.

②Whether the pump casing is cracked.

③Whther the rubber for exhaust screw is damaged.

Get replacement for any of the above damage.

Problem 4: Noisy Pump

If your pump is making a lot of noise, it could be caused by below reasons:

①The water is not pure and the sediment or lime build-up inside pump and caused friction. Clean up the impeller and pipe and remove the sediment.

②Pump is dry running and enlarges the graphite end of the thrust bearing. You can see obvious blackening sign. Pay attention not run without water.

③The exhaust screw is fixed too tight and cause friction with the rotor can.

Loose the exhause screw slightly and run it again.

• Problem 5: Low Performance

If you are experiencing low water pressure or flow than the labelled,

①The pump is not air exhausted completely. Please exhaust the air again completely according to the manual book.

②The motor coil is not winding well and caused lower performance. Get a new one instead.

• Problem 6: Motor burnt

If your pump gets motor burnt, it is mainly caused by below reasons.

-The impurities inside the water stuck the impeller and motor is overloaded.

-The limescale built up after the pump stops working for a long time. In this way, when the pump starts running again, the limescale will cause wear on the rotor can and finally lead to motor overloaded.  

-The pump runs without water for long time.

When the motor is burnt, it is better to replace another new motor instead.

These are the most common problems that can occur with circulation pumps. Some of the problems can be mostly prevented if we could address the below cautions carefully.

1-DONOT dry run the pump.

2-Pay attention to the pumping water.

If there are impurities, you must clean the pump periodically.

3-Inspect the pump completely whenever there is a noise.  

4-Add lubricating oil to the thrust bearing after long time break.

5-Spin the exhaust screw before restart the pump after a long time break.

If you're unsure how to troubleshoot a problem, always consult the manufacturer's instructions and consider seeking professional help. By addressing these issues promptly, you can keep your hot water system running smoothly and ensure that hot water is always available when you need it.