Need help please - blowing fuses on livewell pumps...

[joshbosh]

I have a 1998 Triton Tr-17 that I just recently bought. It has both a recirculating pump and an aerator pump. Neither were working when I bought it, noticed the fuses were both blown, replaced them (confirmed 10amp needeD), and as soon as I flipped the switches, they both blew again.

I figured the most common issues is the pump motors seize up so I changed out both motors. The aerator pump now works and didn't blow its fuse, but the recirculating pump did blow its fuse again, after just being on a few seconds.

Thoughts on next most likely problem? Any guidance on how to diagnose and fix would be appreciated.

I will note that I am testing the pumps out of the water, just making sure I hear the pump running. I know if you run without water, it can overheat over time, but shouldn't blow a fuse after just a few seconds of running with no water, right?

New to the forum so thanks in advance for help here!

 

[gm280]

josh, are you saying the even after you installed new pumps the recirculating pump is still blowing its fuse? If so then you either have a bad (new) pump, or the wires going to it are shorted, or even the switch itself is defective. There are no other possibilities...

 

[joshbosh]

Correct, it blew the fuse after i installed the new pump. What is the best way to determine if the wires or shorted or if the switch is bad?

 

[Outsider]

Disconnect the positive wire at the switch, test the wire for continuity to ground. If there is, you know the short is in the wire or at the pump. Clip the wire as close to the pump as you can yet still be able to reconnect properly, test continuity again. If there is, the short is up stream. If not, it's downstream ...

 

[gm280]

Correct, it blew the fuse after i installed the new pump. What is the best way to determine if the wires or shorted or if the switch is bad?

Wait a second, before we get too involved, what size fuse blew? If it wasn't at least a five amp fuse, it may have been too small a value. Usually a pump uses a five amp fuse for a normal pump and a larger amp size if the pump if a high GPH type. So verify the fuse that blew before getting too involved... If the fuse was at least five amps and the new pump specifies that size, then remove the wires going to the pump, at the pump, and see if the wires themselves are shorted. If not, then you have a bad new pump...