Hi there,
Had an issue happen with my pump's ability to keep prime and draw in water randomly in late February, and have been trying several fixes - all with no luck. The next step is the pool company is pushing for an $800 leak testing, which I am working to resolve on my own before it gets to that point. 13k gal inground saltwater pool, with two large live oak trees above and around the pool - so the pool gets tons of droppings and debris
. We had some good freezes in February, but I had the pump running 23 hours a day so nothing should have frozen and cracked. I have tried many common fixes, all with no luck so far, which is why I am seeking y'alls wisdom.
Issue: Pump does not draw in enough water, loses prime, and pressure is lost in the system, with zero pressure in the filter. My pump is a TriStar VS 950. No noticeable water leaks around pump, and water level was never low at the time of malfunction.
I have tried several things so far to resolve this, all without luck:
1. Filter cartridges cleaned
2. Skimmer line has been blasted with both a hose bladder and with CO2. No blockages. Pool guy was not able to blast the line between the floor main drain to the skimmer basket (two pipes in the skimmer basket - one from main drain to skimmer basket, and the other from skimmer to pump as I understand it) - so we do not know if that is a potential issue or not.
3. Replaced and lubed housing o-ring
4. Replaced and lubed pump basket lid o-ring
5. Replaced filter pressure gauge
6. Impeller has been cleaned - no blockages detected (although I have not fully taken apart the pump to observe the impeller from the inside)
7. Every time I attempt to prime, I fill the pump basket to the top. It immediately goes down to the lower level shown in the picture below. I also open the pressure gauge on the filter so that I can bleed out air. No air comes out during the priming process.
8. I have even tried to prime the pump with a hose shoved down the skimmer basket, and that does not lead to extra waterflow into the pump basket while priming
If you guys have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm about out of ideas besides replacing every o-ring and gasket in the pump.
Thank you very much for your help!
Picture #1 = photo inside pump basket while trying to prime, the water level starts full (after I fill it) but is brought low in the basket and a small amount of water is coming in from the skimmer basket line. Picture #2 = my equipment setup (the old robot cleaner motor is on the left, this is no longer used as we have a dolphin now).
Had an issue happen with my pump's ability to keep prime and draw in water randomly in late February, and have been trying several fixes - all with no luck. The next step is the pool company is pushing for an $800 leak testing, which I am working to resolve on my own before it gets to that point. 13k gal inground saltwater pool, with two large live oak trees above and around the pool - so the pool gets tons of droppings and debris
. We had some good freezes in February, but I had the pump running 23 hours a day so nothing should have frozen and cracked. I have tried many common fixes, all with no luck so far, which is why I am seeking y'alls wisdom.Issue: Pump does not draw in enough water, loses prime, and pressure is lost in the system, with zero pressure in the filter. My pump is a TriStar VS 950. No noticeable water leaks around pump, and water level was never low at the time of malfunction.
I have tried several things so far to resolve this, all without luck:
1. Filter cartridges cleaned
2. Skimmer line has been blasted with both a hose bladder and with CO2. No blockages. Pool guy was not able to blast the line between the floor main drain to the skimmer basket (two pipes in the skimmer basket - one from main drain to skimmer basket, and the other from skimmer to pump as I understand it) - so we do not know if that is a potential issue or not.
3. Replaced and lubed housing o-ring
4. Replaced and lubed pump basket lid o-ring
5. Replaced filter pressure gauge
6. Impeller has been cleaned - no blockages detected (although I have not fully taken apart the pump to observe the impeller from the inside)
7. Every time I attempt to prime, I fill the pump basket to the top. It immediately goes down to the lower level shown in the picture below. I also open the pressure gauge on the filter so that I can bleed out air. No air comes out during the priming process.
8. I have even tried to prime the pump with a hose shoved down the skimmer basket, and that does not lead to extra waterflow into the pump basket while priming
If you guys have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm about out of ideas besides replacing every o-ring and gasket in the pump.
Thank you very much for your help!
Picture #1 = photo inside pump basket while trying to prime, the water level starts full (after I fill it) but is brought low in the basket and a small amount of water is coming in from the skimmer basket line. Picture #2 = my equipment setup (the old robot cleaner motor is on the left, this is no longer used as we have a dolphin now).
