Screeching is the first sign your pool pump is dying.

Yes, if your pump is making a high-pitched screech, the bearings are gone. That sound means metal grinding on metal. Run it like that and you’ll seize the motor completely, then you’re buying a whole new pump instead of just a bearing replacement.

Other signs: water leaking from the seal area (usually between the motor and the pump housing), the breaker tripping when it starts up, or the pump shaking