The main causes of these leaks can be a number of things. If you have a SPA you can adjust the water flow to suck from the SPA drain. (Make sure to change the valve back to the correct position once you are finished either attempting or priming the pump. If it is old, you probably need to give it a chemical soak to clear out debris. ", More Pool Maintenance Nuggets of Wisdom ». If I try to use just one or the other it loses prime. Work is complete and we are up and running again. How to Prime Your Pool Pump. Thank you! Scott. Blue Science will work hand in hand with you to design a one-of-a-kind dream pool which Something so simple. When the skimmer pulls off these contaminants, the water goes back into the pool when everything is already filtered. Most priming problems involve leaks in the suction side of the pump (between the pump and the pool) or clogged baskets. No water is being lost. I recently pressure washed my four filter cartridges. Typically, pumps … While this list of possible causes is fairly comprehensive it is not exhaustive and there are a few rare circumstances that exist which a typical homeowner will not be able to diagnose such as a break or leak in an underground line. Lubricate the O-ring with a silicon-based lubricant. And I would highly recommend this company for its great customer service. Brands like BlueTorrent make entry level pumps, and their flow rates are on the lower end of the spectrum no matter the HP. To help pumps prime, an installer will set it so only the main drain is drawing water. Everything works fine with it in recirculate mode (psi is still high- 18 ish) but when i switch to filter i lose prime after 15ish minutes and its barely doing anything. Both skimmer baskets are empty. You may have to cut the other end of the pipe and re-glue it to get the threaded pipe out. A pool can be everything from In case your pump is not pulling enough water, check whether anything is stuck in the skimmer and pump basket. Occassionally when you turn off the pump the backpressure will squirt water out this hole. Kevin did a stellar job, not only alerting us of the situation, but he stayed with us for nearly 30mins, looking for our dog. Replace the gasket in its groove and lubricate it lightly with a silicon based lubricant. Filter has already been backwashed. Hi Mike did you get it sorted? Turn the pump off for moment.  Posted: 5/6/2019, Cody If your pump basket isn’t filling up with water, the problem … I then did the soap water test and could not find a leak around any fitting or valve or lid. My Hayward variable speed became a monster at 3300 rpm and the 1 1/2 inch capped but notched pipe started spraying water out at anything over about 2000 rpm. Or, you could have a pool pump impeller problem where it may not be strong enough to fit the requirements of your pool. Sometimes this can be cleared or removed, without pulling the pump apart, which is def. The washer had fallen off of my pump lid and I hadn’t noticed. I can open the basket cover next to the pump and put a garden hose in there and water will circulate out the jets. (Remember, just because you may be able to get the pump running does not mean that the pump, plumbing, or electrical equipment is working correctly.). My pump keeps losing water and stays about half full. For our purposes now, we only need to consider three key elements of your pump: the motor, the impeller, and the filter basket. If not you may have a damaged power board or relay out on the control center. These valves are typically closed when the pool is winterized. Not all pool systems will generate enough suction and water pressure in the lower RPM's. The incoming water passes through the pump strainer basket, the first line of defense against unwanted contaminants in your pool water. Pump Basket or Skimmer Basket is Clogged with Debris � when the baskets are clogged, the pool pump cannot pull the water it needs and the pressure at the filter will be low. Rewrap the threaded side of the union with 4-5 layers of plumber's trap and hand tighten the union back together. I bought a brand new hose and still the same. Thx in advance 1.5 HP 230-Volt/115-Volt Pool Pump The Everbilt 1.5 HP pool pump is designed The Everbilt 1.5 HP pool pump is designed for use with permanently installed above-ground and in-ground swimming pools. Thank you for making it. The 115/230 Volt single-phase motor is factory preset at 230 Volts. Symptoms 1. Impeller is clogged - If the pump's impeller is clogged with debris, water will not be able to flow out … On those types of timers if the dial pointer is directly over the “off” lug it can prevent the tab hanging down from fully moving to the Right when a user attempts to turn on the timer manually for the pump to run. So with a variable speed motor you may not see a pump with a full prime as the suction has decreased. A plumbing snake or plumbing bladder would be a good option for clearing a blockage. Also tips for getting a stuck impeller bolt out? Copyright © 2020 INYOpools All rights reserved. I sit there and fill the water for 5 minutes or more and it never fills all the way up.  Posted: 5/3/2019, Kendall Bliss Any suggestions? Please help. The HP is the same.  Posted: 4/24/2019. The black handle needs to be snapped onto the basket on both sides so it does not move up and down. I can bleed air from the filter until I get to water, but this seems not to be a common thing to have to do.  Posted: 5/17/2019, Kendall This guide discusses the common problems involved with a motor that won't prime. Make sure the skimmer doors (also called weirs) are not stuck or hung up. If the pump is still not priming see if you can see any leaks around the pump and plumbing. The electrician, Zach, reassured me that everything was taken care of with the electrical and reprogrammed my lights with me after the repairs. 2-Speed pump starting at low speed - When you start a 2-speed motor, it generally has to be started at high speed to created enough suction to prime the motor. Someone explained this is how the spa aerates. Went out by pool this afternoon about 2:00, still working, no problem. Wherever there is liquid going through a pipe, there is a chance of a blockage. I have a pump that will prime but loses it when the filter basket is almost full. Not only does Kevin D look after our pool very well.  Posted: 2/15/2020, InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. What might I have done wrong, and what the hell do you think that 1 1/2 inch pvc blowing water might have been. instructions for how to enable JavaScript in your web browser, Click Here to View Replacement Pool Pump Parts, Click Here to View Replacement Skimmer Parts, How To Install a Diverter Valve on the Suction Side of a Pool, Click Here to View Complete Diverter Valves, Click Here to View Diverter Valve Replacement Parts, How To Chemically Clean a Pool Cartridge Filter, How To Determine Why a Pool Pump Won't Prime. We needed new pool lights and other types of pool repairs. Occasionally skimmer doors or weirs hang up due to waves or they can hang up if the filter were to have air trapped in the top of the tank that decompresses when cycled off causing water to rush backwards through the lines. (Make sure to change the valve back to the correct position once you are finished either attempting or priming the pump. Skimmer basket clogged - Remove the skimmer basket and clean debris out with a hose. Close all valves on the suction side of the pump, … If the shaft is not spinning then the bearings have frozen and locked up the shaft. Strainer basket clogged - Remove the strainer basket and clean debris out with a hose. Although it's not very noticeable, the pool actually receives the amount of water that has equalized from the spa. There is strong suction at the skimmer and the return seems normal strength but with alot of bubbles. Water evaporates and, if not replaced, the lack of it can affect the operation of the pump. This did not seem to have any detrimental effect on anything. And it was closed back right. No water in Strainer basket - Open the strainer cover and fill the strainer basket and supply lines with water for 2-3 minutes.  Posted: 7/7/2020, InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Thanks. Secondly, never run the pool pump without first having filled the hair/lint trap with water, (“prime ” the pump). I’ve filled the lines. Have you checked any of the things mentioned in the guide? One is 1 1/2 inch, the other is 2 inch. Matched exact one that burnt out. What steps have you taken to detect or correct air leaks? Hello Kendall - Make sure the valve in front of the pump is set so that water can be pulled from the skimmer and main drain.  Posted: 5/2/2019, InyoPools Product Specialist Robert M. The following steps will show you how to prime a pool pump. Pump Too Far From The Water Source The greater the distance a pump has to pull the water, the lower the flow rate will be. He made it seem easy.  Posted: 2/17/2020, Michelle  Posted: 7/8/2019, Scott Swimming in your pool during the summer is one of the most enjoyable activities a family can experience. However it barely gets out a squirt of water (on waste mode). Run the garden hose water over the suction side connection on the pump pot and see if you can improve the water flow into the pump. Redo the connection. After it is primed, the motor can be shifted down to low speed. Every time we clean the filters we have an issue w priming from full pool suction. Reseal the strainer cover. For example, you went from a Super II to a BlueTorrent; there could be a difference of 20 gallons per minute in flow rate depending on the system. The water is green. It definitely sounds like the cartridge is restricting flow. This pump came with a 1.5 inch inlet and outlet instead a 2 inch that I had. The Pool Pump Basket Does Not Fill with Water. My pump looses suction within a minute whenever I connect the hose to vacuum the pool. Find the valve on top of the pool filter. My PSI gauge is reading zero, no movement no mater what I do. ", "Nick Stephenson was so responsive to our needs. If the pump is running but not pumping any water, it’s possible the pump might need to be primed. If you see the water getting sucked in, you have a hole.  Posted: 6/6/2019, Eric Most inground pool pumps are self priming pumps, this means that the pump is capable of pulling water up to the pump above the pool?s water level; However you still must fill the hair/lint trap first to give it an initial prime. From there, the water is pumped to your filter system, then your pool heater, and finally, back into your pool. The filter is full. And if that pump cannot pump water but continues running pushing air, it will overheat and burn out in a very short period of time. I cut this pipe and capped it permanently as I could not determine its use. Sometimes a breaker or GFCI has popped. Make sure the pump is turned off before priming. Well done Kevin B. Hello Eric - My guess is that you have a suction side air leak. Leaks at unions on suction side - Check for leaks around the glued connection of the unions as above.  Posted: 9/4/2019, InyoPools Product Specialist Robert M. When the RPM's are lower and the suction is lower, your cleaner potentially not having enough suction is normal. A common problem with swimming pool pumps is when the pump will not hold a prime. Psi is high. Just installed new motor. They had probably not been cleaned in at least five years, maybe ever. But your pump may be able to prime; but unfortunately, I have never attmpted a diffuser-less prime. The pool pump’s responsibility is to suck water where the skimmer would filter down large debris that causes a blockage to water circulation.