Pool pump with no pressure

[mr_clean]

does your pump lid (the one you take off to clean the basket) have a black O-RING around the inside of it?
like said before if theres NO black O-ring you will not be able to prime the pump.

Did you use the same size pipe that the pump uses?
If smaller, you can cause pump to cavitate which will not allow pump to prime properly.

when pump is on does any water come in pump pot at all or does it runs dry?

How far down the skimmer hole did you run the pipe?
you do not need it inside the hole, you just need it low enough not to suck air.

Did you cut pipe from the front of the pump re-threading into pump or cut and attach fitting to pipe starting the new skimmer pipe above ground?
when re-threading into the front of the pump you need to use pipe dope on threads so it does not suck air/leak.

when gaskets/seals are bad inbetween motor & pump it would leak water.

you say impeller seems ok, it turns very easy?
sometimes there can be debris inside pump stuck in impeller not allowing it to work at full speed. This is when you remove motor & if you are replacing gasket/seals will see impeller.

[doghouseman]

I took the whole pump apart today, replaced the gaskets. There is a sealer inside the pump that I couldn't get to, so I didn't replace that. Is there a special tool for a hayward super pump to take out the center part? The pump is only 2 years old and seems to be working fine so I wasn't too motivated to take it completely apart.

I am at a loss with this pump. I can't figure out why it is not priming. It is not sucking through the above ground pipes. IT could be that there is too much air in the above ground pipes, so today I tried covering them with cloth, and filling the pipe with water first, but it still didn't work.

Does anyone know of any good pool repair people in the Baltimore area?

[Denali]

I took the whole pump apart today, replaced the gaskets. There is a sealer inside the pump that I couldn't get to, so I didn't replace that. Is there a special tool for a hayward super pump to take out the center part? The pump is only 2 years old and seems to be working fine so I wasn't too motivated to take it completely apart.

I am at a loss with this pump. I can't figure out why it is not priming. It is not sucking through the above ground pipes. IT could be that there is too much air in the above ground pipes, so today I tried covering them with cloth, and filling the pipe with water first, but it still didn't work.

Does anyone know of any good pool repair people in the Baltimore area?

Hi,

I lost track of your thread. I had asked some questions earlier that you answered.

What I am reading is you cut the pipe that leads to the pump from the skimmer. You then connected a pipe to the skimmer hole where you normally vacuum. You ran that pipe back to the pump. Is that correct?

If that is correct you are pulling from the top of the skimmer from the pipe that runs up to the skimmer. Trouble is, that is the line you cut. Perhaps I am just reading you wrong here.

Let me know.

[doghouseman]

I took the whole pump apart today, replaced the gaskets. There is a sealer inside the pump that I couldn't get to, so I didn't replace that. Is there a special tool for a hayward super pump to take out the center part? The pump is only 2 years old and seems to be working fine so I wasn't too motivated to take it completely apart.

I am at a loss with this pump. I can't figure out why it is not priming. It is not sucking through the above ground pipes. IT could be that there is too much air in the above ground pipes, so today I tried covering them with cloth, and filling the pipe with water first, but it still didn't work.

Does anyone know of any good pool repair people in the Baltimore area?

Hi,

I lost track of your thread. I had asked some questions earlier that you answered.

What I am reading is you cut the pipe that leads to the pump from the skimmer. You then connected a pipe to the skimmer hole where you normally vacuum. You ran that pipe back to the pump. Is that correct?

If that is correct you are pulling from the top of the skimmer from the pipe that runs up to the skimmer. Trouble is, that is the line you cut. Perhaps I am just reading you wrong here.

Let me know.

No, there is a PVC pipe running above ground from the skimmer directly into the pump. I cut it once, but I reconnected it today.

The only thing I can think of is that the pressure is different from below ground pipes than if you run the pipes above ground.

Troy

[Denali]

No, there is a PVC pipe running above ground from the skimmer directly into the pump. I cut it once, but I reconnected it today.

The only thing I can think of is that the pressure is different from below ground pipes than if you run the pipes above ground.

Troy
doghouseman
Pool Starter


So you have a pipe running from the pump above ground to the skimmer. Where does the pipe running from the pump connect to at the skimmer? Under the skimmer or to the hole that you normally connect the vacuum hose to?

As you can tell I'm still not clear on how you had the plumbing set up before reconnecting. Above ground or below ground wouldn't make a difference here.

[doghouseman]

No, there is a PVC pipe running above ground from the skimmer directly into the pump. I cut it once, but I reconnected it today.

The only thing I can think of is that the pressure is different from below ground pipes than if you run the pipes above ground.

Troy
doghouseman
Pool Starter


So you have a pipe running from the pump above ground to the skimmer. Where does the pipe running from the pump connect to at the skimmer? Under the skimmer or to the hole that you normally connect the vacuum hose to?

As you can tell I'm still not clear on how you had the plumbing set up before reconnecting. Above ground or below ground wouldn't make a difference here.

Yes I have a pipe running from the pump above ground to the skimmer. It makes an L shaped turn and goes into the skimmer hole and down into the water. At the water it makes another L shaped turn. I did this because I was hoping to hook a barracuda to it.

Skimmer (pipe through the round skimmer cover)
|
| < ----- Water line
|
|
| <-------- pipe with L shape at the end. Under the water.

[Denali]

Ok, got ya now. Thought you had run the new pipe all the way to the bottom of the skimmer and into the hole.

Has to be a suction side leak. Sometimes you can hear the air being pulled in. Inspect/feel pipe leading into pump. The pump lid is probably the most common spot for a leak. The gasket/oring there has to be in place. The pump seal can leak and prevent priming. You will normally see water under the pump/motor area if there is a leak here. Check the drain plugs on the pump and make sure they are tight.

You said the impeller seems to be running right. It can be damaged or clogged and still run. Look for debris or a crack.

Good luck with it and let us know what the problem was when you finally find it.

[sandi157]

I have a sand filter - when I use it just as a filter - it works great - but when I try to vacuum - it does fine for about 2 minutes, then I start getting bubbles in the return line and the lid for the vacuum will finally pop off - the hoses on the vacuum are fine - no holes or breaks - it does this with both my regular vacuum and my robotic vacuum. I cannot understand WHERE the air would be coming from - the pump and motor are brand new - replaced yesterday to try to solve this problem - the vacuum hose enters the skimmer under the water line - the lid for the vacuum doesn't seem to have any cracks in it that would allow in air? Any ideas?

[doghouseman]

Finally figured out the problem today. It was the pump.

The old pump was a Hayward Super Pump. It was strange that it would appear to work fine (pump water) but not build enough pressure to pump through pipes. The pump itself is only 3 years old.

Anyway, figured it out. Thanks to everyone for the help.

Troy