Filter basket keeps draining water.

[ANEJI]

This is our first year with our pool and I've read and watched some YouTube videos and can't figure out why our filter basket keeps draining water. I have followed the steps in the manual and the basket fills with water normally but once the filter is turned on the water drains back out and the filter basket is full of air again.

I've read some posts and videos on priming the pump but, I'm confused because we don't have all the same parts as most of the tutorials show. When I open the lid to the filter basket it always fills with water. I read to put a tennis ball where the skimmer basket would go to keep the water from flowing out since we don't have a valve to shut off the water flow. From the pump picture I'm including we just have another hose going to the skimmer basket on the pool (no other valves or anything) I'm not sure what we're doing wrong.

Thanks!!!

 

[ANEJI]

I just tried backwashing it again and rinsing and its doing the same thing. I open the lid to the basket and water rushes out. I put the ball in the skimmer hole and turn the dial to closed and the basket stays full of water. I place the lid back on and everything looks good. Remove the ball, turn it back to filter, turn it on. Everything looks good but about 15 seconds later all the water has drained out of the basket again. What is going on?!

 

[banditig]

Suction leak probably from lid O-ring. Did you lube the O-ring with silicone lube or majic jacks?

 

[ANEJI]

Suction leak probably from lid O-ring. Did you lube the O-ring with silicone lube or majic jacks?

No, the rubber ring is just dry? Is it supposed to be lubed?

 

[dsmith99]

Are you sure you have enough water in the pool?

My skimmer weir will sometimes interfere with water getting into the skimmer and that in turn causes the pump to draw air and lose suction. This happens if the pool gets near the midway point of the skimmer opening. As long as I keep the pool level about 3/4 up the skimmer it works fine.

When you turn the pump on watch inside your skimmer and see if the skimmer remains full as the pump pulls water, if not add some water to the pool and see if that helps, also make sure the weir moves freely and isn't binding on the skimmer box.

If the skimmer stays full and the pump loses suction you must have an air leak as described earlier, the most likely place would be the pump basket lid. With an above ground pool an air leak is less likely because the pump is usually well below water level so the pump has water pressure on it full time. If the pump lid is not sealed then water will be leaking out before the pump is started.