Is the power on, do you have a breaker, is the water level up, there are so many reasons for a pump not to work more information is needed.
no
can I exchange a fairly new pool pump at lowes that doesn't work without a receipt
You should never run a swimming-pool pump dry! The most likely problem, from the rather flimsy evidence in your question hinting at it not rotating, is not with the pump or its motor but a fault in the electrical supply to the pool plant, or in the timer or other pump controller.
Yes it wont make any difference at all.
Bad fuel pump?
No. The existing pool pump will work just fine.
it wont work
The pump could be defective. Or the power may not be getting to the pump. Check the pump fuse and relay to start with.
yes in order for the pump to work the water has to be over it
Blown fuse, defective fuel pump relay or the fuel pump has failed.
ive been doing pool service for 12 years and it is best to run pump 24 hours a day, they are made to do so and it takes so much more electricity to start the pump u wont save anything turning it on and off
In simplest terms, an above ground pool pump is a flooded suction pump, which means the water level must be higher than the pump for it to operate, and an inground pump has the ability to draw water up from a level lower than the pump. The engineering and structure of these two different types of pumps is what makes them work the way they do. This means that, in a typical installation, you could use an inground-specific pump on an above ground pool, but not an above ground pump on an inground pool with the water level below the pump.