signs of a failing pump?

[nismostate]

Hi TFP,

I noticed recently the return flow seemed to be really low and pressure has dropped from 15psi to less than 5. I can hook up my kreepy krawler and it'll work for about 2 min but the cleaner will eventually stop working because there's not enough suction. I cleaned out the pump basket and blew pressurized air in the lines thinking it will help unclog the lines but it's still acting the same. The pump sounds the same with no weird noises and I couldn't find any leaks. Is this a sign that my pump is failing? I haven't cleaned the sand filter in about 2 yrs but I really don't think that's causing the problem. It is an old "Jacuzzi" pump that came with the house. Probably over 15 yrs old.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[jblizzle]

Pumps generally do not fail. The motor can go bad (make noise due to bad bearings) and then overheat and die, but that would not show as reduced pressure.

A guess would be that maybe your pump impeller is clogged up with debris and could use a cleaning.

If there was a problem with the filter or return jets, the filter pressure would actually read higher than normal.

 

[nismostate]

thank jbizzle for the quick response. I will check it out.

 

[jblizzle]

Reduced flow without an increase in filter pressure almost always has to be on the suction side. Either clogged suction pipes or clogged impeller. Much more rarely would be a clog between the pump and the filter.

Do you trust your pressure gauge?