My old pump motor was 1.5hp and finally broke. It was 14 years old according to the sticker year stamp on the side that was badly faded. For the previous three years it performed well even if it didn't make the returns spray forcefully or the drain pull very hard.
So a friend sold me on using his 3hp motor & pump that he had been using for a couple years since he was upgrading. So I hooked up the new pump and now I can't get a prime no matter what I do. I tried pulling from just the drain, just the skimmer, both, putting the hose into the skimmer supply to the pump and nothing. The 1.5hp pump was working with the same plumbing just two weeks ago when it finally died so I am puzzled why an increase in hp would prevent me from getting a prime.
My question then is is too much hp going to cause me to not be able to get a prime (I think that's the right term) where the basket fills with water almost entirely? If that isn't the case then everything I've read suggests leak that is allowing air in. Would a leak have to be on the supply side of the pump? And would it need to be massive?
I filled the basket with water and let the hose run into the skimmer and drain lines for close to ten minutes to where there was almost no air coming from them and pulled the hose, put the cap on the basket, screwed it down, and turned on the power very quickly. The pump pulled all the water visibly from the basket very rapidly and then nothing but a trickle. The pump sounds very smooth and isn't struggling but the lack of water flow has me thinking something is amiss.
I'm not sure if it is apparent but I'm not very savvy about pools and their workings though I like to think I can learn. Also I did a cursory search on this subject and did not find anything that jumped off the page at me. If this is answered elsewhere any redirect is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
So a friend sold me on using his 3hp motor & pump that he had been using for a couple years since he was upgrading. So I hooked up the new pump and now I can't get a prime no matter what I do. I tried pulling from just the drain, just the skimmer, both, putting the hose into the skimmer supply to the pump and nothing. The 1.5hp pump was working with the same plumbing just two weeks ago when it finally died so I am puzzled why an increase in hp would prevent me from getting a prime.
My question then is is too much hp going to cause me to not be able to get a prime (I think that's the right term) where the basket fills with water almost entirely? If that isn't the case then everything I've read suggests leak that is allowing air in. Would a leak have to be on the supply side of the pump? And would it need to be massive?
I filled the basket with water and let the hose run into the skimmer and drain lines for close to ten minutes to where there was almost no air coming from them and pulled the hose, put the cap on the basket, screwed it down, and turned on the power very quickly. The pump pulled all the water visibly from the basket very rapidly and then nothing but a trickle. The pump sounds very smooth and isn't struggling but the lack of water flow has me thinking something is amiss.
I'm not sure if it is apparent but I'm not very savvy about pools and their workings though I like to think I can learn. Also I did a cursory search on this subject and did not find anything that jumped off the page at me. If this is answered elsewhere any redirect is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
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