18'x34'x52" buried inground with a Hayward ProMatrix 1 hp filter. We recently had the pool installed by a professional. He hard plumbed the pump & filter and when he did that he placed a check valve on the pump to keep it primed. At the time we didn't know you couldn't install an AG pump above water level. We moved the pump/filter, which is now about 20' from the pool. I have not been successful in getting the pump primed. I had a middle of the night revelation and wonder if this will work and after I've done some web searching the only thing I have found so far is check valve installed vertically. Our check valve is installed horizontially right at the pump. To me it makes more sense to install the check valve at or closer to the skimmer so I don't lose the water that is in the line. We'd like to give this one more shot before we suck it up and pay ton of money for a new inground filter.

Welcome to the forum It sounds like you are saying the check valve is currently not doing it's job of holding the water in the pump. Do you know why?

Do you have an air leak between the valve and the pool? That would likely cause it to drop prime even if the valve is working. Give us a little more info on the symptoms.

I am 98% sure we don't have an air leak. When i add water into the pump to prime, the water just keeps running into the pvc pipe back to the pool. So I wonder if the valve is doing it's job. I also wondered if the problem is because the plumbing from the skimmer is lower at the pool and then seems to go "uphill" slightly. When we turn the pump off there is a sound of water draining out of the pipes.

Having an ag pump is going to make it very hard to get a prime when the water doesn't want to flow to the pump. I'd really consider an inground pump and then work from there

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Give us some more info about the pump. Some above ground pumps can be installed up to 8 ft above water level. The check valve should be as close to the skimmer as possible.

That would certainly imply the check valve is not working.

Or is installed backwards?

Pictures might help too.