Super pump has very very little pressure

[nabril15]

Hello
Up until yesterday, my Haward Super Pump moved my Navigator cleaner up walls and super fast. I changed the filtering basket since the old one was broken, and now, the pump pressure is very weak.
Observations:
1. Regardless of the valve open (suction, main, and skimmer), the pump's basket only fills up about halfway and the cartridge filters pressure reading stays at 0.
2. The suction cleaner moves, but very slowly.
3. When I turn the pump off, a rush of water fills the pump's basket completely. The water comes from the return side.
4. I stuck my hand in the basket's hole that goes toward the pump's motor to clean it out as much as possible.

From number 3 I deduce that perhaps something is stuck in the impeller or elsewhere.
What can i check in the pump? How?
Thank you

 

[duraleigh]

Your description sounds like a suction side air leak. Somewhere between the skimmer and the pump, you are sucking air. Find that leak, stop it and all the symptoms will be gone.

There is an article in.... Pool School - Suction Side Air Leaks

 

[nabril15]

Thanks duraleigh

Is it possible to get a leak from one day to another? A naive question, perhaps.

 

[JamesW]

An air leak can happen any time. Perhaps debris in the sealing area. Check to make sure that the gasket and lid are clean and lubricated and make sure that the gasket is not deformed or crushed.

To check for an air leak, try turning the pump on and off a few times and watch for water to squirt out when turning off.

Some other possibilities:

Since the old basket was bad, there might be debris in the impeller. With all power off (don't rely on just a timer as that can turn on power by itself), you can feel inside the hole going to the impeller to see if it's clogged. Sometimes you have to remove the impeller to check for sure.

Make sure that the basket is in correctly. There's a front and back. If backwards, the basket won't seat fully and it will block the flow of water.

Make sure that the basket isn't floating up. This happens more with aftermarket baskets than Hayward baskets. Try putting a rock in the basket to keep it down.

 

[nabril15]

How do i check the impeller? What do I have to remove or take apart? I see 4 screws on the black, outside part of the motor. Do i take them off?

 

[JamesW]

You can remove the four screws and pull the back end out to get to the impeller.

Google seal replacement for Hayward Superpump to find videos showing how to get the impeller off.

 

[nabril15]

Thanks James. If i open that up, I will have to replace seals inside probably, right??

 

[JamesW]

Typically, yes, you should but it's not always necessary.

How bad was the basket? Is it likely that debris got to the impeller?

 

[nabril15]

The old basket was torn on all corners, so it was time to replace it. The new basket sits in perfectly.

I took apart the pump, and the impeller looked clean. During reassembly, I managed to idiotically over tighten one of the plastic drain plugs, and the head came off. Great. Add to your problem, Norm; a bit of water leaks from it. I will have to drill it out carefully.

The low suction pressure continues after. No water is spit out from the basket lid.
What else can I try?

 

[Brett_N]

May sound stupid, but, are you sure you have the lid over the strainer basket tightened down? Or that it's not chipped or dirty or similar?

I swore at mine for an hour, then realized there was a stick on the mating surface which allowed an air leak.

 

[JamesW]

To get the broken plug out, heat up the end of an old flat head screwdriver and push it into the center of the plug melting the plastic. Hold securely and let cool and then unscrew.

You might have a clogged suction line.

 

[nabril15]

Good suggestions Brett and James. I wil recheck that lid; I've looked at it a million times.

James-your point is valid if it was only happening with the suction cleaner, the one I use most. My main drain doesn't suck in big items, so it should fill my basket normally, no?

 

[JamesW]

As long as the clog isn't at or past the T that combines both lines. Just trying to rule out everything. Sounds like it's probably an air leak, but it could be something else.

If the pump ran dry, the mta going into the pump might be loose. Try wiggling the pump to see if the mta seems loose. Try running water over suspected air leak spots with a garden hose to see if that helps.

Sometimes the impeller can get clogged in a way that's hard to see. If you have a bunch of small rocks or hard seeds, they can sometimes clog the center of the vanes. Try sticking a wire through the holes to see if they're clear.

Maybe some pictures would help.

Maybe video?

 

[nabril15]

Hello James and thank you again.
Here are a couple of pictures of my valves and setup. Obviously, I need to replace that leaking drain screw before I can continue to trouble shoot, since I imagine it just became another air leak; it's the screw towards the back.

 

[nabril15]

I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble attaching pictures or url's.

 

[kimkats]

Use photo bucket or such. That is the way I was able to do it.

Kim

 

[nabril15]

thanks Kim
Let's try this

Library Slideshow by nabril15 | Photobucket

 

[nabril15]

An update.
I replaced the leaky drain plug using the great tip to heat up the screwdriver. Big thanks.

The suction dilemma continues. The basket fills up with water to less than halfway. With the pump running, I poured water over all pipes and valves and unions, and I did not see bubbles.

James-you mentioned the MTA. What is that?
Never mind... Male threaded adapter. The pump has 2, one on each hole (suction and return).

If something is clogging my union of the 3 intakes, can i try to loosen it by inserting a hose into my pump's intake pipe so as to send water backwards perhaps?

 

[JamesW]

Try the hose. Maybe check the impeller again. Poke a solid piece of wire into the holes to see if anything's stuck in them.

 

[nabril15]

Hey James......I tried forcing water backwards, using a hose, but I'm not sure that I did anything. I saw water flowing out of the suction hose, but I doubt that I was able to achieve any kind of real pressure to dislodge something. I will take it apart, and look again. I don't want to remove to much of the motor assembly, because I picture that it's easy to take apart, but, as usual, putting it back together is not ever the same. How far into the motor assemble do I remove?