Hey Everyone. So my intelliflo which i disassembled and reassembled the impeller and front assembly on (due to an issue with not starting initially), now that is reinstalled onto the pool is performing in a way that i can only describe as 'poorly.' Numbers wise it seems fine. i dont have a GPM gauge but my filter pressure seems 'normal' for my pool. my initial thoughts are either a suction or pressure side leak, however.
* i do not have airbubbles in my return jets or deep water returns in any situation other than an initial repriming of the pump after the system being opened.
* i do no have any leaks or water loss on the pressure side.
* i have freshly cleaned cartridge filters.
However, i've noticed the following metrics.
1. pressure from the return jets just feels kind of inadequate. at 1800 rpm you can tell there's water coming out but its not forceful. at 2500rpm, there's some water pressure but nothing crazy. at 3100rpm there somewhat of forceful water pressure but at this RPM normally it would be quite forceful.
2. The air relief valve on the filter - when i am purging air after an initial start up on the top of my cartridge filter, and the water finally purges the last bit of air out and the water comes shooting out (with the valve open) it seems to come out much less forcefully at any given RPM than i can recall in the past.
3. Skimmer baskets wind up 'floating' instead of sucked down into the skimmers. Normally when i am at 2400rpm (i run solar so i have to run higher rpms in general) there some resistance when you pull the basket out. Now they practically float at that rpm.
4. my SLAM is NOT going well. i've followed SLAM procedures for every pool opening i've had, and even my first year of having the pool it went from brown and murky to being able to see the floor within a day or 2. I'm on day 4 and my water is still too cloudy to see my deep water returns. I can only think that i'm just not getting sufficient circulation. my PH is 7.2 CYA is sub 20 (lost and replaced a lot of water) and i've been maintaining FC of 10-25 for days, and i've gotten lucky with basically no sun since i started, its been overcast everyday.
Since having the inclination i have some low flow, i've done the following:
1. Cleaned my cartridge filters (which weren't dirty anyway as i cleaned them at season end)
2. Took my cyclone and blew out my skimmer lines and the return lines with the jet covers removed in case there was some kind of blockage like a dead mouse or something.
3. Dissassembled the pump again, ensured the impeller spins fine at various RPM. Reassembled it made sure others no leaks from the housing.
I know its kind of subjective, but the amount of pressure i get from the returns at over 3k rpms is what i've remembered it being like at around 1800rpm in prior seasons.
I have a new seal kit on order, and the only thing i can possibly think of is that perhaps the cone that leads from the basket on the pump into the impeller is somehow not sealing properly, and perhaps there is water that is escaping the pressure side, back into the suction side, causing some sort of recycling effect which is causing suction AND poor pressure? is this a phenomenon that exists? or perhaps its just the shaft/other seals i should have replaced if i had the kit on me when i first disassembled it.
I appreciate any input anyone might have on this.
Below is a description of why i disassembled the pump in the first place:
I'm the middle of the worst pool opening I've had in years. Normally when i open my pool in spring its crystal clear, this year my cover fell in after a storm and some other issues, long story short, terrible opening to a swamp, lots of debris and leaves etc and brown water. I opened up early this year since i knew it would be extra work. I got everything all set to go then. I'm very familiar with the SLAM process and i wasn't too concerned about anything else than manually removing lots of the leaves and brushing.
Anyway, i get everything read to go, turn on my pump and it wont start, gives me an overload warning and i could not manually turn the fan that spins at the back. I look into potential causes and one of them is blocked/stuck impeller. So i unbolt the motor from the suction side housing, dont really see much going on with the impeller but it definitely wouldn't spin. i take off the entire front end, impeller etc exposing the drive shaft. I dont really see much wrong but its definitely still stuck, so i assume its the bearings. I then begin the procedure of trying to further dissassemble the motor. part of that was using a screwdriver on the bolt on the fan on the back of the motor. in the process, the motor seemed to 'unstick' itself and was basically freely rotating. so i'm thinking, oh ok cool i guess its fixed now. I know it is procedure to replace the seals and everything but i didn't have a kit on hand as i wasn't expecting to have to do this (i've since ordered one). i put it back in the pool ,got it running, started the SLAM that night, and didn't really think much of it until i still wasn't seeing my main drains after 2 days of SLAM levels and brushing/vaccuming etc.
* i do not have airbubbles in my return jets or deep water returns in any situation other than an initial repriming of the pump after the system being opened.
* i do no have any leaks or water loss on the pressure side.
* i have freshly cleaned cartridge filters.
However, i've noticed the following metrics.
1. pressure from the return jets just feels kind of inadequate. at 1800 rpm you can tell there's water coming out but its not forceful. at 2500rpm, there's some water pressure but nothing crazy. at 3100rpm there somewhat of forceful water pressure but at this RPM normally it would be quite forceful.
2. The air relief valve on the filter - when i am purging air after an initial start up on the top of my cartridge filter, and the water finally purges the last bit of air out and the water comes shooting out (with the valve open) it seems to come out much less forcefully at any given RPM than i can recall in the past.
3. Skimmer baskets wind up 'floating' instead of sucked down into the skimmers. Normally when i am at 2400rpm (i run solar so i have to run higher rpms in general) there some resistance when you pull the basket out. Now they practically float at that rpm.
4. my SLAM is NOT going well. i've followed SLAM procedures for every pool opening i've had, and even my first year of having the pool it went from brown and murky to being able to see the floor within a day or 2. I'm on day 4 and my water is still too cloudy to see my deep water returns. I can only think that i'm just not getting sufficient circulation. my PH is 7.2 CYA is sub 20 (lost and replaced a lot of water) and i've been maintaining FC of 10-25 for days, and i've gotten lucky with basically no sun since i started, its been overcast everyday.
Since having the inclination i have some low flow, i've done the following:
1. Cleaned my cartridge filters (which weren't dirty anyway as i cleaned them at season end)
2. Took my cyclone and blew out my skimmer lines and the return lines with the jet covers removed in case there was some kind of blockage like a dead mouse or something.
3. Dissassembled the pump again, ensured the impeller spins fine at various RPM. Reassembled it made sure others no leaks from the housing.
I know its kind of subjective, but the amount of pressure i get from the returns at over 3k rpms is what i've remembered it being like at around 1800rpm in prior seasons.
I have a new seal kit on order, and the only thing i can possibly think of is that perhaps the cone that leads from the basket on the pump into the impeller is somehow not sealing properly, and perhaps there is water that is escaping the pressure side, back into the suction side, causing some sort of recycling effect which is causing suction AND poor pressure? is this a phenomenon that exists? or perhaps its just the shaft/other seals i should have replaced if i had the kit on me when i first disassembled it.
I appreciate any input anyone might have on this.
Below is a description of why i disassembled the pump in the first place:
I'm the middle of the worst pool opening I've had in years. Normally when i open my pool in spring its crystal clear, this year my cover fell in after a storm and some other issues, long story short, terrible opening to a swamp, lots of debris and leaves etc and brown water. I opened up early this year since i knew it would be extra work. I got everything all set to go then. I'm very familiar with the SLAM process and i wasn't too concerned about anything else than manually removing lots of the leaves and brushing.
Anyway, i get everything read to go, turn on my pump and it wont start, gives me an overload warning and i could not manually turn the fan that spins at the back. I look into potential causes and one of them is blocked/stuck impeller. So i unbolt the motor from the suction side housing, dont really see much going on with the impeller but it definitely wouldn't spin. i take off the entire front end, impeller etc exposing the drive shaft. I dont really see much wrong but its definitely still stuck, so i assume its the bearings. I then begin the procedure of trying to further dissassemble the motor. part of that was using a screwdriver on the bolt on the fan on the back of the motor. in the process, the motor seemed to 'unstick' itself and was basically freely rotating. so i'm thinking, oh ok cool i guess its fixed now. I know it is procedure to replace the seals and everything but i didn't have a kit on hand as i wasn't expecting to have to do this (i've since ordered one). i put it back in the pool ,got it running, started the SLAM that night, and didn't really think much of it until i still wasn't seeing my main drains after 2 days of SLAM levels and brushing/vaccuming etc.
