New pool owner, can I do this?

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Wait, do you mean an o-ring around the interior side of the diffuser (the part that lays overtop of the impeller) .. of the exterior part that connects to strainer pot housing? (you can see the o-ring on that part in my picture but there is not one on the inside portion)
 
One trick when looking for a suction side leak is wrapping plastic food wrap around any suspected leak. Possible suspects include the check valve itself and the pump pot body and lid.
 
Im sure you have exhausted all suction side issues.
Disconnect the pipe/union/outflow side of the pump, turn it on, this will tell you if the pump is goosed or not, either attach your temp pipe thing and send it back to the pool or prepare to get wet, chances are your filter is blocking any flow for some reason, if water cant get out it cant get sucked in, then we can look for the blockage if the guage doesnt move chances are either it is broken or the multi-port valve is broken and locked off, the fact that no multi-port position works points to this.
 
In a filter, couldn't there be a blockage between the input and the pressure gauge? On my pump the water has to go from the bottom all the way to the top before it gets to the pressure gauge. Probably would want to clean the filter anyway, and do an inspection. Would be easier than disassembling the pump....
 
shodges said:
Yeah that's probably true. I've tried every mode on the multiport filter valve, no difference with any of them. Pressure gauge never moves.

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No I have not bypassed the filter. Would that somehow affect suction from the pump?
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If the water can't go out, it can't go in. I learned this the hard way in a different instance. (small engine with blocked muffler) What I find interesting is that earlier you mentioned the water goes away and then comes back.
 
Dibbler said:
Im sure you have exhausted all suction side issues.
Disconnect the pipe/union/outflow side of the pump, turn it on, this will tell you if the pump is goosed or not, either attach your temp pipe thing and send it back to the pool or prepare to get wet, chances are your filter is blocking any flow for some reason, if water cant get out it cant get sucked in, then we can look for the blockage if the guage doesnt move chances are either it is broken or the multi-port valve is broken and locked off, the fact that no multi-port position works points to this.
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Okay, I disconnected the OUTFLOW side of my pump (union fitting near the top of the filter) ... turned on the pump and a tiny bit of water dribbled out of that line but nothing else ... the pump still did not pull in any water. What does this tell you?
 
Something still has to be wrong with the pump. You've literally eliminated the entire suction AND pressure sides by totally by-passing both with straight PVC. Since the previous owners admitted they really didn't winterize very well, perhaps something got damaged within the body of the pump's wet-end (form/shape, impeller, diffusion, something) that you can't see with the eye. Enough moisture coupled with the swelling of some freezing temps may have been just enough to prevent your wet-end from maintaining the seal/force required to "pull" that water though. That's all I can figure at this point. Did you get a chance to watch that video? Did anything seem to ring a bell compared to what you did?

I'm assuming you tried the cling-free trick Chiefwej suggested huh? I would wrap that entire wet-end if I could. Other than that, I'm thinking there's something wrong in that wet-end. Also, I "believe" you are using a 1-speed motor, so we have no way of knowing how well it's turning. Hopefully you have a good indication as to whether that motor is really spinning enough to create that pull for the wet-end. That's just something we can't tell from behind our laptops.
 
Texas Splash said:
Something still has to be wrong with the pump. You've literally eliminated the entire suction AND pressure sides by totally by-passing both with straight PVC. Since the previous owners admitted they really didn't winterize very well, perhaps something got damaged within the body of the pump's wet-end (form/shape, impeller, diffusion, something) that you can't see with the eye. Enough moisture coupled with the swelling of some freezing temps may have been just enough to prevent your wet-end from maintaining the seal/force required to "pull" that water though. That's all I can figure at this point. Did you get a chance to watch that video? Did anything seem to ring a bell compared to what you did?

I'm assuming you tried the cling-free trick Chiefwej suggested huh? I would wrap that entire wet-end if I could. Other than that, I'm thinking there's something wrong in that wet-end. Also, I "believe" you are using a 1-speed motor, so we have no way of knowing how well it's turning. Hopefully you have a good indication as to whether that motor is really spinning enough to create that pull for the wet-end. That's just something we can't tell from behind our laptops.
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I did watch the video, really didnt pick up anything useful other than some stuff we've already tried. I did use plastic wrap around the pump and check valve, no change.
This is a 1 speed pump and all I can say is that the impeller is turning at a high speed (based on watching the shaft on the rear of the motor housing).

I'm wondering if I could borrow a pump from the local pool dealer folks, hook it up and see what happens. Obviously I dont want to invest $500 into a new pump, only to have the same issues when I hook it up.

What about this idea that the multivalve port or pressure gauge is the problem? Does that make any sense?
 

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Your latest test to disconnect the outlet pipe and let water just flow "out" unrestricted just ruled-out any pressure side or multiport issues. I was bummed about that. The spare PVC line you have used to by-pass all suction and pressure side obstacles has literally ruled-out everything except the pump itself that I can tell. I suspect you're getting close to departure so you're timeline is getting short as well right? Let's give Matt (mas985) a chance to have his morning java and see if he has any other tricks up his sleeve.

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One last thing I don't remember from way earlier ..... how long are you allowing the pump to run in an effort to prime and fill the basket with water? I read one Pentair manual (the one I linked you) that said it could take up to 8 minutes. Just curious.
 
Oh okay, I didnt understand that about the outlet pipe test, thanks.

I dont leave until Saturday but I'll be gone for 10 days.

8 minutes??? Wow!! I havent gone beyond 3 or 4 minutes, max. I thought I read that it was bad to let the pump run "dry" for more than a couple of minutes. Maybe I should try that huh?
 
The manual says:

7. For 2-speed pumps:
•Pump should run on high-speed for priming.
• The pump should not run longer than 8 minutesbefore priming is achieved.

My pump is not 2 speed so would that rule still apply?

Also, what multiport setting should I be on when priming? I've read "filter" and "re circulation" both in different place.
 
Normally we don't like to go too long - the shorter the prime the better. But double-check that manual please. I think I saw something about that in there. I recall another expert stating that some pumps need a good 5 minutes to pull water through depending of course upon distance, elevation, etc. Just wanted to make sure we were considering everything at this point. Matt certainly has seniority on the pump expertise side, so we should give him time to digest these last couple posts to see what he has to offer. I'm just throwing it out there for now. Wish I could do more at this point.

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I would think the 8-min rule would still apply to you.
 
shodges said:
Okay, I disconnected the OUTFLOW side of my pump (union fitting near the top of the filter) ... turned on the pump and a tiny bit of water dribbled out of that line but nothing else ... the pump still did not pull in any water. What does this tell you?
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You did fill the pump basket with water, right? If you had, and the pump was working, that water should have geysered out of the outlet. At least for a second or so. I would think.
 
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ... left it on for 6 minutes and it FINALLY pulled water in. Wow, do I feel like the biggest moron ever!!

The only thing that I see that is wrong, water is dripping from my pressure gauge and it has not moved yet, so I assume it needs to be replaced. The one that is one there does not appear to be the original.

So sorry for all the hassle when all it needed was more time to prime. Geez. But I am SO relieved!!!
 
shodges said:
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ... left it on for 6 minutes and it FINALLY pulled water in. Wow, do I feel like the biggest moron ever!!

The only thing that I see that is wrong, water is dripping from my pressure gauge and it has not moved yet, so I assume it needs to be replaced. The one that is one there does not appear to be the original.

So sorry for all the hassle when all it needed was more time to prime. Geez. But I am SO relieved!!!
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OH happy day! I would have done as you did though................kind of scary to have it run THAT long without water!

Hey at least you know ALL about your pump AND this can be used as a learning tool for others! I bet the elevation difference between the pool and equipment plays a part in this.

You did it! YOU "fixed" it! SWEET! :cheers:

Kim:cat:
 

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