Hi Gena: As you can guess, I'm interested in finding successful solutions to those owners of pools that for reasons such as yours need a solution to all the problems associated with owning and maintaing pools. Presently, I have no good ideas for you but would like to find out what you end up doing in the end. If I locate a solution for your problem I'll pass it on to you.

Start the system with only one skimmer on, assuming the water is high enough. Then try the deep skimmer. Then try the drain. If you have a spa, try it too. If the bottom drain is tied to the deep skimmer, is it tied to the bottom of the skimmer (2 open ports in the skimmer) or under the skimmer(one port open)? If all water sources yield the same result, you probably have an air leak. A bead of silicone around the PVC where it meets the pump. Also check for leaky ball valves, unions and check valves. If only one of the lines is problematic, valve it off and plug it until you are prepared to fix it right. If none the above works, consider a pressure test.

Sorry it took so long to get back to this but my free electrician (brother in law) keep pushing back the date that he would come over and run the tests. 1. What is the pressure reading on the filter gage. Normally this should be between 12-25 psi...higher pressure is a sign of too much restriction between the pool and the pump...lower pressure is a sign of suction line restrictions. Both cause the pump to work harder than normal and the motor to overheat because it's not operating as designed. Pressure is right at 10 psi after backwashing and I clean it when it reaches 18 psi. It is currently at 12 psi. 2. Are there any bubbles observed when looking through the clear basket lid..if bubbles are observed and the pump is producing lower pressure at the filter gage, then there is a suction restriction causing cavitation. Bubbles with normal pressure means there is an air leak which should be fixed but this is not causing the pump failure. That being said, if the air leak is big enough to cause the pump to lose prime and run dry then the pump will eventually fail due to overheating. No bubbles 3. Voltage at the pump...both undervoltage and overvoltage will cause the motor to run hot. Operable design voltages are normally between 197V and 250V with motor life reduced with extended run time at each extreme. 208V to 240V is normal. 242V 4. What is the motor voltage rating on the motor nameplate...is it 230V only or both 208V/230V...this information will help along with the reported voltage measurement at the pump. The nameplate reads 230/115 5. What are the symptoms of the failed pumps...can you tell if the motor has burned or smells burnt. Both times, I came home and noticed pump was not running. I went over to the pad and the motor was ungodly hot and has even left burn marks on the pipes that are about 5 inches from the motor. I touched it and it was about 3 million degrees. 6. Is the pump circuit breaker tripping...this is a sign there are shorts internal to the motor that are caused by insulation breakdown due to repeated overheating. The pump circuit breaker has never tripped 7. Does the motor stop running for a few minutes and then come on automatically...this is a sign the motor overload is tripping internally due to overheating or high current. Nope, it runs perfectly until it burns out and then never again. My brother in law checked eveything on the electric side and said there is no issue other than the fact that the ground wire was not hooked up. He said since we have had no storms this probably wasn't the issue but he was a little PO'd that they didn't have it hooked up. It is now of coarse.

Thanks so much for the input. Question for you Scott, When I cleaned the impellor, I did not remove the impellor from the motor shaft. Would the stress due to the clogged impellor cause the motor to burn out 2 days later? If this is probable, I want the pool service to repair the problem. (my local pool supply referenced someone whose motor burned up when the impellor clogged up.) Plus, I've already spent hours of my time taking care of a detail that I should not have had to since I have a pool service. And, how do I determine if it is the capacitor or the motor? When I turn the motor on, I hear it trying to start, but it doesn't run. How do I tell the difference. Thanks in advance for any input you can give me.