Pump losing prime after cleaning skimmer baskets

[cloeymi12]

The last couple of days after cleaning skimmer baskets the pump losing prime and automatically starts priming. The pump primes no problem with no air bubbles. Skimmers seem to have good flow. Flaps don’t seem to be stuck. Good pressure from the returns. Skimmer lines are fully open, main drain is slightly close to give more suction to skimmers. For Reference; we are using skimmers socks and right now heavy with cotton wood floaters. Emoting baskets several times a day plus skimming top of water.

We back washed, flow is good. Running pump 24/7 at 2800 for 3 hrs, 2150 for 22 hrs.

What would cause pump to lose prime? is it normal?

 

[Texas Splash]

This is a new occurrence as of the last couple days correct? Didn't do it before? When your pump pot drops water when the system shuts off it's a sign there is an air leak somewhere. It could be anywhere. You should look carefully all around the pad for any potential places you could have an air leak.

 

[cloeymi12]

correct this is a new occurrence. just to clarify, I am not shutting off the pump just emptying the skimmer baskets (not the pump/filter basket).

It not happening every time. Now I do know that I have a small leak in the the cell (the black ring to screw cell in) but I don’t think that would have any impacted to losing prime.

 

[mgtfp]

I suspect that your full socks are restricting water flow to a certain degree. Somewhere you are sucking air in that, because of the slow flow, gets trapped somewhere along the line at a high point and doesn't make it to the pump. When you remove the basket, water flow increases and the air makes it all the way to the pump, all at once, and the pump loses prime.