Long Time Reader, First Time Poster
18x36 IG, Dura Glass 1HP, Cristal Flo sand filter 300lb, 4th season as a pool owner.
Getting ready to close it up for the season and wanted to hear everyone's best guess on whether I've got two separate issues or possibly one causing both symptoms.
If I start the pump with the main drain, it will run the pump at full pressure, around 11-12 psi according to my (suspect) meter. It starts out at 30psi when it's off, obviously that isn't right
If I open up the skimmer, it will still maintain full pressure. If I plug the vac hose into the skimmer line, leaving both valves fully open, I will start to get air bubbles in the pump basket but it doesn't bottom out. Loses a couple PSI but keeps moving water.
I cannot maintain full pressure on just the skimmer, and if I try to run the vaccuum the pressure drops even lower to the point where the pump basket really isn't primed anymore. If I prime the pump with the main drain first, then connect the vac hose, it goes through a cycle of "bursts" in the pump basket as it pretty quickly loses prime.
At first I thought I just had a cracked hose. Replaced it, same symptoms.
Then I tried snaking the skimmer line, I pulled out a tiny bit of hair, not sure how much progress I really made. I would assume that line is the problem, except I also have developed a "cloudy" water condition - and after leaving the pump off for 12 hours or so, a lot of that settled to the bottom in the form of filter sand, which is a problem I haven't had before. I realize I need to vacuum the sand up, which is just accumulating along my seams for the moment, but that's a little hard to do with crappy suction on your skimmer/vac line.
Is it just coincidence both of these popped up at the same time? Doesn't seem like they would be related conditions but I thought I would let the experts have a say. I'm pretty much ready to just cover it up and deal with it in the spring.
TIA for any suggestions.
18x36 IG, Dura Glass 1HP, Cristal Flo sand filter 300lb, 4th season as a pool owner.
Getting ready to close it up for the season and wanted to hear everyone's best guess on whether I've got two separate issues or possibly one causing both symptoms.
If I start the pump with the main drain, it will run the pump at full pressure, around 11-12 psi according to my (suspect) meter. It starts out at 30psi when it's off, obviously that isn't right
If I open up the skimmer, it will still maintain full pressure. If I plug the vac hose into the skimmer line, leaving both valves fully open, I will start to get air bubbles in the pump basket but it doesn't bottom out. Loses a couple PSI but keeps moving water.
I cannot maintain full pressure on just the skimmer, and if I try to run the vaccuum the pressure drops even lower to the point where the pump basket really isn't primed anymore. If I prime the pump with the main drain first, then connect the vac hose, it goes through a cycle of "bursts" in the pump basket as it pretty quickly loses prime.
At first I thought I just had a cracked hose. Replaced it, same symptoms.
Then I tried snaking the skimmer line, I pulled out a tiny bit of hair, not sure how much progress I really made. I would assume that line is the problem, except I also have developed a "cloudy" water condition - and after leaving the pump off for 12 hours or so, a lot of that settled to the bottom in the form of filter sand, which is a problem I haven't had before. I realize I need to vacuum the sand up, which is just accumulating along my seams for the moment, but that's a little hard to do with crappy suction on your skimmer/vac line.
Is it just coincidence both of these popped up at the same time? Doesn't seem like they would be related conditions but I thought I would let the experts have a say. I'm pretty much ready to just cover it up and deal with it in the spring.
TIA for any suggestions.
