Pool skimmer no suction

[BeccaFL]

I hope I'm describing this right

The skimmer for the pool, the one that has the little door that floats back and forth. I have a basket in there

The pipe going from the basket to the pump has no suction

I have water flowing in my pump

My pool guy said there may be a clog

I tried clearing with a shop back both blowing and sucking

I tried to put a snake down there but it must have some sharp angles

I got one of those pressure bladders for the garden hose and put in at each end

I tried to clean the impeller at the pump side but I have a Hayward and can't really get in like the videos show I didn't feel any debris

I'm not sure if it's actually clogged and the piping runs about 50 feet underground to the pump

This is an inground pool


Any other suggestions?

 

[Ted527]

Any valves closed that you don't know what they're for?

 

[BeccaFL]

Any valves closed that you don't know what they're for?

I don't know a lot about the valves, but I played around with all of them and nothing helps.

 

[Ted527]

You stuck the hose with drain cleaning bladder in pipe at bottom of skimmer and no water came out anywhere?

 

[tstex]

First, when did it go from operating to current status [in hrs or days]?

Next, what was done differently at this time or in the very recent past? Has anyone been around the equipment pad? Also, how many skimmers do you have? If more than one, is the one in question the closest or farthest from pump?

Post back these answers

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

You say you have "water flowing in the pump" which does not make sense if the pipe is clogged...

How about showing us a picture of your equipment pad, showing the pipes and valves coming into your pump..

What started this? Is the pump making a noise or do you not have flow going back to the pool or ???

When you used the drain king, did any water come out anywhere?

How many holes do you have in the bottom of your skimmer? One or two?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[BeccaFL]

Pool valves | rebecca krieger | Flickr
This is the pool equipment

Spa valves | rebecca krieger | Flickr
spa equipment

Pool | rebecca krieger | Flickr
for reference this is complete pool and spa

Two holes one is plugged up | rebecca krieger | Flickr
this is the skimmer in the pool and there is only one
there is two holes but one has a stopper in it

This has water flowing through it | rebecca krieger | Flickr
this is the pump skimmer and when the unit is running it has water flowing through

i don't know how long this has been an issue.
i have been having medical issues and have had to pay someone to care for pool

i just replaced the big pleated filter yesterday

- - - Updated - - -

I didn't see any water come out anywhere with drain king. The pipes at 50 feet away from pool so maybe I didn't let it run long enough.

water flows back into pool it's set up to pump into spa and it overflows spa into pool by waterfall.

could have been an issue for weeks or months it was just brought to my attention.

 

[Autonoz]

Is it possible the impeller is plugged up with junk and the pump is not operating at full capacity?

 

[SoCalGuy]

The suction valve to the left of the label that says "Skimmer" is closed. Try partially opening it.

 

[BeccaFL]

I watched videos on cleaning impeller but mine seems to be pretty closed off I can stick my finger in there and it's not deep before I feel plastic that spins in circle and it's all solid plastic

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

I assume these pics were taken with the pump off????

If so, can you take a pic of the pump lid area with the pump running and tell me what your filter pressure is..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[BeccaFL]

The suction valve to the left of the label that says "Skimmer" is closed. Try partially opening it.

Nothing happened

- - - Updated - - -

B,

I assume these pics were taken with the pump off????

If so, can you take a pic of the pump lid area with the pump running and tell me what your filter pressure is..

Thanks,

Jim R.

pressure is 3? That can't be good
I had an cartridge in there that had some accumulation and alage and the pressure was in the red
Untitled | rebecca krieger | Flickr

this is a photo with the pump on - I primed it before but it always keeps that bit of air in top
Untitled | rebecca krieger | Flickr
Untitled | rebecca krieger | Flickr

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

What happens when your turn the two Jandy style valve 180 degrees. This would pull all the water from the Spa and send all the water back to your Spa.

If the problem is in the line between the skimmer and the pump then when in the "Spa Mode" the pump and filter should work fine...

Try that and let us know what happens and what the filter pressure is in the Spa Mode with the pump running.

3 PSI would be great if you had a variable speed pump, but you don't, so 3 PSI in your case is a bad thing...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SoCalGuy]

Ok, then I think the pump might be pulling from the spa and returning to the spa now.

With the pump running can you see water moving in the spa?

 

[BeccaFL]

B,

What happens when your turn the two Jandy style valve 180 degrees. This would pull all the water from the Spa and send all the water back to your Spa.

If the problem is in the line between the skimmer and the pump then when in the "Spa Mode" the pump and filter should work fine...

Try that and let us know what happens and what the filter pressure is in the Spa Mode with the pump running.

3 PSI would be great if you had a variable speed pump, but you don't, so 3 PSI in your case is a bad thing...

Thanks,

Jim R.

so when I turned those two to keep everything in spa the psi went up to 10

 

[BeccaFL]

Ok, then I think the pump might be pulling from the spa and returning to the spa now.

With the pump running can you see water moving in the spa?

Yeah the water moves in the spa at 10psi seems to run good when just spa. I can't figure out all these konobs on the pool side or maybe something wrong with pipe. I'm not loosing water at all so I don't think there is a leak

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

If the water moves when the valves are in the Spa positions, then that means the problem is not with the pump or your filter, which is the good news...

The bad news is how to figure out why the pump will not pull water from your skimmer.

You have three inputs into the pump on the pool side, One of them is closed.. I assume this is for the vacuum port that is in your pool by your skimmer.. It looks like a pool return but has a little door..

I think your input valves, left to right are.. Vacuum port (closed), Skimmer and Main Drain.

One thing you could try on a temporary basis is to open the little door on the vacuum port in the pool and then open the closed valve on the left.. With all three valves open, run the pump and see how it works.. (What filter pressure??) If the pump runs better with water flowing through the vacuum port, it just helps prove that the skimmer line is blocked.

Another thing you could try is to shut off the main drain valve, just to see if that makes any difference. It could be bad and sucking air.. (Grasping at straws...)

I can't think of anything that you have not already done to clear your skimmer line..

One thing I just thought of... When you put the Drain King in the pump side... Did you close all the valves except the Skimmer (center ball valve)??? That would be important, because you want to force all the water backwards to the Skimmer...

If this were my pool, I would start at the pump and using the Drain King, force water towards the skimmer and then I'd go to the skimmer and try to force water the other way... and I'd go back and forth a few times and see if I could dislodge anything. You want to put the Drain King in at one end and while it is running, go to the other end and see if you can feel any water coming out.. Do this both ways..

If that did nothing, I would remove the top to the Jandy valve in front of the pump, just to make sure nothing was in there.. ( I doubt it, but better safe than sorry...)

Sorry, I wish I knew a magic trick for this but I do not..

Maybe one of our other members can chime in....

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SoCalGuy]

I think it's just a matter of getting the valves in the correct positions.

Your equipment is very nicely laid out, btw. The labels are a little confusing though.

Since water is now being pulled from and returned to the spa, I'd start there.

One of the valves that leads to the suction side of the pump should allow you to select between spa suction and pool suction. Try turning the Jandy - the one with the handle - 180 degrees. Is water still being drawn into the pump?

 

[BeccaFL]

B,

If the water moves when the valves are in the Spa positions, then that means the problem is not with the pump or your filter, which is the good news...

The bad news is how to figure out why the pump will not pull water from your skimmer.

You have three inputs into the pump on the pool side, One of them is closed.. I assume this is for the vacuum port that is in your pool by your skimmer.. It looks like a pool return but has a little door..

I think your input valves, left to right are.. Vacuum port (closed), Skimmer and Main Drain.

One thing you could try on a temporary basis is to open the little door on the vacuum port in the pool and then open the closed valve on the left.. With all three valves open, run the pump and see how it works.. (What filter pressure??) If the pump runs better with water flowing through the vacuum port, it just helps prove that the skimmer line is blocked.

Another thing you could try is to shut off the main drain valve, just to see if that makes any difference. It could be bad and sucking air.. (Grasping at straws...)

I can't think of anything that you have not already done to clear your skimmer line..

One thing I just thought of... When you put the Drain King in the pump side... Did you close all the valves except the Skimmer (center ball valve)??? That would be important, because you want to force all the water backwards to the Skimmer...

If this were my pool, I would start at the pump and using the Drain King, force water towards the skimmer and then I'd go to the skimmer and try to force water the other way... and I'd go back and forth a few times and see if I could dislodge anything. You want to put the Drain King in at one end and while it is running, go to the other end and see if you can feel any water coming out.. Do this both ways..

If that did nothing, I would remove the top to the Jandy valve in front of the pump, just to make sure nothing was in there.. ( I doubt it, but better safe than sorry...)

Sorry, I wish I knew a magic trick for this but I do not..

Maybe one of our other members can chime in....

Thanks,

Jim R.

been at this all day.... got a long piece of plastic out that looks like it belongs to a toy and some leaves.

pressure still isn't good.

when I put the drain king in the pump side I get trickles of bubbles in the skimmer

going to try to fiddle with the knobs now...

 

[BeccaFL]

been at this all day.... got a long piece of plastic out that looks like it belongs to a toy and some leaves.

pressure still isn't good.

when I put the drain king in the pump side I get trickles of bubbles in the skimmer

going to try to fiddle with the knobs now...

So I messed around with the knobs and now the water is jetting to the hot tub and pouring in to pool and the skimmer has suction and I even made a jet that is supposed to be running in the pool work.

I have 12 psi now I think that's good?