Please help! Purchased a home with a unmaintained pool. It's very green. We have a pool power pak ii pump with a large sand filter. It's an 18ft round pool. We hooked all the equipment up but it appears out psi gauge is stuck at 25 and we have no pressure on the return. Can anyone lend a direction on where we need to start? Please and Thank you!
New pool owner with problem with pressure on return
- Thread starter KimberlyPhelps80
- Start date
Welcome! 
A trip to the hardware store to buy a pressure gauge is in your future. Some teflon tape, too, if you don't already have a roll somewhere in the garage. You still have time, if you're in the Pacific Time Zone! psst - fill out your signature.
Otherwise, I'd say it's time you learn to backwash your sand filter.
You'll still need a new gauge anyway.
A trip to the hardware store to buy a pressure gauge is in your future. Some teflon tape, too, if you don't already have a roll somewhere in the garage. You still have time, if you're in the Pacific Time Zone! psst - fill out your signature.
Otherwise, I'd say it's time you learn to backwash your sand filter.
You'll still need a new gauge anyway.
Should there be a lot of pressure when back washing too? Because there isn't much but the water is clear when back washing.
Yes, if your gauge worked, it would show pressure, though likely not has high as when you are filtering (not that we know what that is). If your filter being plugged is causing the lack of flow, you should be seeing some darker water come out during backwashing.
It is possible, that a long with the faulty gauge, you have another problem. Are there air bubbles in the pump basket when running? If you bypass the filter (recirculate or bypass setting on some valves) does the flow go up?
It is possible, that a long with the faulty gauge, you have another problem. Are there air bubbles in the pump basket when running? If you bypass the filter (recirculate or bypass setting on some valves) does the flow go up?
Is water moving through the returns at all? If not check the plumbing and pump impeller.
Your first step is get the water moving. You already found out your gauge is bad given above observations. That gauge should be just finger tight with Teflon tape.
Your first step is get the water moving. You already found out your gauge is bad given above observations. That gauge should be just finger tight with Teflon tape.
Just idly wondering here... are there any three-way valves on the return line? Maybe it has one of those popeup cleaning systems and you just can't see any flow through the murk? There is water moving in the skimmer, right?
Yes there is water running in the skimmer... Initially it would empty itself out, fill back up and repeat. We turned it off and added more water to the pool and now the skimmer stays full. I checked all lines to make sure there is water flow. When I was a kid, we had a pool and my Dad used to lean against the return for a little back therapy. So that's what I'm judging ours with now. There is water flow just a small amount of pressure behind it.
Maybe you just have a lot of returns? Or the eyeballs are out of the returns. No way to know what's really happening with a bum pressure gauge.KimberlyPhelps80 said:
Is it possibly a 2 speed pump and it is on Low speed?? When I have mine on low it drops to nothing, due to 1" return eyeballs.
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Shows 0 when pump is on... Only 1 speed on the pump. There is water flow. When I put my hand down in skimmer I can feel the suction. When I put my hand on the return, I can feel the water at minimal pressure. I looked up how to check and see if the impeller was clogged, but fit nervous after removing cover and didnt want to continue. (Not mechanically inclined)
Pleased to announce that after taking apart the pump and cleaning the impeller (which was completely clogged), we now have excellent pressure between 10 and 12 psi. Able to run our Polaris 65 auto vac/sweeper with ease! Now to just get the water clear 
KimberlyPhelps80 said:Pleased to announce that after taking apart the pump and cleaning the impeller (which was completely clogged), we now have excellent pressure between 10 and 12 psi. Able to run our Polaris 65 auto vac/sweeper with ease! Now to just get the water clear
You've been a member here for mere hours and you've already saved quite a bit of money!
Yes I have. A big thank you to you and everyone here offering advice to people like me. . Now any advice on how to get the water clear. Yesterday I put 7 bags of shock and 4 gal of liquid chlorine in the pool to shock it. Now I have a lime green cloudy mess. Able to see about a foot and a half down. Tested the water today and ph is in 8.4 range and chlorine is not even measuring. Should I shock it again?
. Now any advice on how to get the water clear. Yesterday I put 7 bags of shock and 4 gal of liquid chlorine in the pool to shock it. Now I have a lime green cloudy mess. Able to see about a foot and a half down. Tested the water today and ph is in 8.4 range and chlorine is not even measuring. Should I shock it again?
No... you need to carefully read the articles in Pool School first, so you fully understand the shock process.KimberlyPhelps80 said:Yes I have. A big thank you to you and everyone here offering advice to people like me.
You probably don't want to use those "Shock" powders, because they contain other chemicals you may not want. If you overdose, you'll lose huge amounts of FC to the sun. Money wasted. But you also need to get it high enough to kill the algae and keep replenishing it.
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