Booster pump running but not pumping water

Fiveflat

Well-known member
Apr 8, 2021
54
Herald, CA
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
As the title States, booster pump turns on with schedule but it's not pumping water. My cleaner is just sitting there looking stupid. Did it possibly lose its prime?
It's a Pentair Boost-Rite. How do I re-prime if that's the case?
 
Is your main pump running when you try and run the booster? Water flowing from the main pump will automatically prime the booster pump.

I would disconnect the water in line for the booster pump and see if you have water flow through it.

Post pics of your equipment pad, pumps, and plumbing.
 
Yes main pump is running. It starts up with high RPM too to help with prime. It stayed primed as well.
Pic attached
20210417_104834.jpg
 
I was hoping you had flex pipe for your booster pump that is easy to remove.

With your main pump running I would open up the drain plug on the booster pump and see if you have water flowing through it.

With your hard plumbed setup coming up through concrfete it is difficult to do much diagnostics.
 
I pulled that top drain plug but I didn't pull the bottom one. Obviously I should have water coming out from that top plug correct? Wouldn't my Intelliflo be pumping that water up to this and out that top plug?
 
I pulled that top drain plug but I didn't pull the bottom one. Obviously I should have water coming out from that top plug correct? Wouldn't my Intelliflo be pumping that water up to this and out that top plug?

Yes I would think you should.

Where does the input pipe to the booster connect to at the other end and pickoff water from your return flow?
 
That's a good question. Probably somewhere underneath a bunch of concrete I presume. But with the information you provided I cranked up the RPM on my Intelliflo to 3000 and that forced that boost write to prime.
Seems to be working now...
Thank you very much!

Do you have any input on what RPM I should be running this pump at? I have an 18K gallon pool and my spa sets about 5' higher
My little Racer pool cleaner sure seems to boogie around good at 3000 rpm lol
 
Do you have any input on what RPM I should be running this pump at? I have an 18K gallon pool and my spa sets about 5' higher
My little Racer pool cleaner sure seems to boogie around good at 3000 rpm lol

During cleaning running the booster pump or for normal filtering?

With VS pumps the answer is usually the slowest RPM that works for the task.
 
OK that seems to be about 1800 RPM. Just interesting how that booster lost its prime somehow. I noticed a little air coming out all of my pool returns also when I cranked up the RPM. Thanks very much for your help!
 
More and keeps coming together for me now. I was confused why I can set the RPM on the booster pump when it's a single peed pump.

It's not for the booster, it's for the Intelliflo!
So even with a booster attached the rpm of the Intelliflo effects the Racer as well.
Man, I almost feel dumb 🤣
 

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