What's up with my pump ?????

[fatcat07]

Hello All,


I connected everything and made sure it was all tight, filled the pump basket with water and loosen the air realize on my filter. I set the valve to filter plugged in the pump and waited for air to escape, air was escaping and water was being pulled from the skimmer/drain (I had the intake valve to 1/2 & 1/2). Once water started to squirt out the filter I closed it and waited for the pump to really start pumping, lol, and waited, and waited.

Water eventually stopped coming into the pump

Any ideas ? I think I still have air in the system.

Thanks for any advice..

 

[jblizzle]

Do you have any valves on the return pipes that are not open?

 

[Divin Dave]

probably still have air in the system. Takes mine a couple of goes to get it all sometimes.

Repeat the first part where water starts coming out the air bleed. Then close the air bleed 10 seconds or so and open it again and see if more air comes out. Repeat that a few times.. open close, open close, and see if that helps.

Also, make sure you pump lid is on tight.

 

[fatcat07]

Do you have any valves on the return pipes that are not open?

No, I have 3 returns but it's funny that you mention the returns. I see water being pumped out only one return, the one closes to the pump ???

 

[jblizzle]

I just wanted to make sure there was somewhere for the water to go when it primes.

Check the drains and the pump lid are on good and the seals are lubed.

 

[fatcat07]

Hello all,

So I was unable to get the pump to get anything but a slow trickle from the skimmers when I move the intake valve to full skimmers, the filter read 0 Psi, when I set the valve to full drain a decent water flow would start and my Psi was up to 5. I had a service call yesterday from the local pool company, after the guy check everything he informed me that I had a issue with the skimmer pipes.

I hope you guys can just verify for me that this is actually a thing, he said the type of PVC tubing that I have is called flex pipe and after time it constricts to the point where it is unusable. He said the only solution is to redo the skimmer pipes which would require him cutting through the concrete, he quoted me a price which would really take a bite out of my wallet since I just purchases a heat pump and still have to pay for the electric to be ran.

So is that something that does happen to pipes ? and If so I am looking for any alternatives to replacing the pipes IE. bigger pump, run the pool with just the drain, etc anything you guys can offer is appreciated ....

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

There is flexible PVC which we generally recommend not using. I suppose there is a chance that the skimmer pipe have gotten crushed to the point where it will not let much water flow through. A bigger pump is not going to help anything if that is the case.

How did he determine everything he said? A camera in the pipes?

 

[JasonLion]

It is possible to get by for a time without any skimmers as long as you get something like the PoolSkim to do the skimming using a return.

 

[fatcat07]

There is flexible PVC which we generally recommend not using. I suppose there is a chance that the skimmer pipe have gotten crushed to the point where it will not let much water flow through. A bigger pump is not going to help anything if that is the case.

How did he determine everything he said? A camera in the pipes?

No he didn't, which ****** me off he eyeballed it, said he could see it from looking in the skimmer.

The guy charges me $100 for a service call and gets to my house just looks, gives me his opinion and wants to leave, I don't think so, I had him take the system apart and lube/change O rings before he left.

So I am left with 3 options: 1. Changing out the pipes 2. Try to figure out an alternative 3. getting a 2nd opinion .....

 

[pooldv]

If you look down the pipe in the skimmer can you see if it is compressed?

 

[fatcat07]

If you look down the pipe in the skimmer can you see if it is compressed?

When I look through the skimmer I do see it compressed, not completely it actually looks the way it always has. So it does look compressed but not closed, so if it is a 2 inch pipe I would say it is about 1 1/2 open.

 

[borjis]

is it just me or does it seem like an awful lot of pool repair people seem lazy?

 

[fatcat07]

is it just me or does it seem like an awful lot of pool repair people seem lazy?

LOL .... borjis .... I actually hate the fact that they didn't actually investigate and gave me spending thousands of dollars as the only option. I mean if that is actually what it is and my only option I have to fix it seeing how I just bought a new heat pump and paid for the electric to be ran.

Just make sure that is the issue.