11/12/2026
Pool pump making noise? Here's what the sound usually means:
Screeching or grinding: usually worn motor bearings. A leaking shaft seal often wears them out.
Gurgling or rattling: air getting in, from the lid O-ring, low water, a clogged basket or a suction leak.
Humming but won't start: often a bad capacitor, or something jammed in the impeller.
Check these first: turn the power off at the breaker before you touch anything, check the water level (about halfway up the skimmer opening), empty the pump and skimmer baskets, check the lid O-ring is clean, lubed with silicone and seated right, and look for drips under the pump.
Don't let it keep screeching. Bearings that are going can overheat the motor and burn it out, and new bearings and a seal cost a lot less than a new motor. Humming and won't start? Don't keep resetting it.
Still making noise? Text us photos of your equipment pad at 678-691-6124. We repair and replace pumps and motors from Pentair, Jandy and Hayward.