Pump not priming

[meeps]

Hello,

My pool pump is failing to prime itself (no flow warning). If I put it on pool / spa boost instead of filter, I can get it to eventually prime with about 6 buckets of water. I have always had issues with this pool priming (this seems to happen once a year). The pool technician that came out a while back said they should not have designed the pool to go uphill. I cleaned out the DE filter and re-added DE hoping that would fix it, but no luck. There is one leak, which I am hoping to seal that may be causing air loss here. We recently had someone install a new pump and afterwards we have some water leaking out of the top of the filter junction (I don't know the name). I have checked the O ring in this junction and it looked ok to me, and I also added a bunch of Jacks lube to try to stop the leak. It still leaks once the filter gets going. It has a hand tighten type locking mechanism that won't tighten very far (if you try to over tighten it just loosens if that makes any sense). I have attached 3 pictures of what this looks like. How can I seal this to get rid of this leak?

Thanks!

 

[1poolman1]

Is that a NorthStar pump? All the pictures show the pump outlet. Pumps don't prime from there. A leak there would not stop a pump from priming.

 

[Jimrahbe]

If I put it on pool / spa boost instead of filter, I can get it to eventually prime with about 6 buckets of water.

M,

Can you show us what you mean by the pool/spa boost instead of filter.

Where are you adding 6 buckets of water? If you pour it in the pump basket, it will just flow back into the pool?

Show us some pics of your whole equipment pad and maybe we can spot something.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[meeps]

Is that a NorthStar pump? All the pictures show the pump outlet. Pumps don't prime from there. A leak there would not stop a pump from priming.

Yes it’s Northstar, I think SP4015X20NS. I just ordered a strainer cover o ring which is somehow missing.

 

[meeps]

M,

Can you show us what you mean by the pool/spa boost instead of filter.

Where are you adding 6 buckets of water? If you pour it in the pump basket, it will just flow back into the pool?

Show us some pics of your whole equipment pad and maybe we can spot something.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I’ll try to get some picture tomorrow. The multi port valve has a setting called pool or spa boost on the Hayward valve. I am filling the strainer basket with water and turning the filter off and back on to get the water into the filter.

 

[Jimrahbe]

M,

Well for sure it won't work with the pump lid O-ring missing..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Poolbreh]

New north star pump or motor? I thought north star was discontinued ages ago. I believe the pump lid has a T gasket, they were kind of notorious for spraying out water and leaking, they also came with a blue oring for pressure testing. I don’t remember the unions giving me too much trouble. I would still replace union/bulk head oring. If the equipment is much higher than the pool and you have air leaks the whole intake line will drain back to pool. I would fix orings first if that doesn’t fix the problem or the lid continues to give you problems, maybe throw a check valve in there. A check before the pump is a bad idea, I pump that needs to be primed every single day is worse.