Pump over heating

[Patriot_Son]

When I got home today at 4pm, my wife tells me the water is not moving in the pool like normal. Upon inspection, pump running and no water movement in the view window of the pump filter. Remove filter cover and smoke escaped, water inside hot (did have direct sun exposure). Primed the filter housing with water hose and covered. Resumed pump and took about 10min for pump to prime up and start. Stopped pump, switched to backwash and restarted. Backwashed till clear and then cycled off and switched to Rinse for 90 sec. Cycled pump and returned to filter and resumed pump. Quickley established prime and resumed pumping. Worried my main pump going out! Copying and pasting this message to appropriate topic, once I find it.

 

[MarianParoo]

Re: Adding Borax to reach recommended level and think I created more trouble for myse

Could it be that your pressure in the filter was high and you didn't notice it? Backwash whenever the psi rises 25% over just-backwashed, "clean" level.

Another thought is that your pressure gauge is bad. Try turning the pump off for a sec. Does the gauge go to zero? If not, get a new gauge.

 

[Patriot_Son]

Re: Adding Borax to reach recommended level and think I created more trouble for myse

Filter pressure has always been about 23psi, which seems high but even after backwashing till clear, it seems to stay 21 to 23. I usually backwash when pressure gets to 24. This morning I went out to the pump before kicking on and the water level in the pump basket was down to the impeller inlet. I followed the priming instructions and removed the pump basket lid filled with garden hose for 4minutes and cleaned the lid o-ring and basket housing surface. Returned the basket lid and tightened Activated pump and basket level immediately dropped. Timed the priming process and it took 4minutes for the pump to reach prime. I am starting to think I have a clogged line, but to me that doesn't explain how air is bleeding in over night. I am thinking of trying a 1 1/2"-3" drain opener and run the water through skimmer line and the suction line. Not sure which direction to start from though. I am hoping its a partial plug causing air accumulation past the blockage.

If I am totally off in my thinking, please let me know.

Gauge does go to zero, when I power cycle pump.

Could this also be time to change sand in my filter trap?

 

[zea3]

If the heat caused any warping in the pump strainer lid or pot then air could get into the system, however that would not cause the water to drain out of the pump pot. How far is the pump from the pool and it is at a higher grade than the pool?

Your sand may need a deep cleaning Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter. What does your water look like? Clear? Cloudy? Green?

 

[Patriot_Son]

Water looks good. Alot of rain recently so a little cloudy but chems look ok. I associated the cloudiness to the pool pump not running and filtering the water. I can still see the bottom clearly. Only see the cloudiness with light on at night or in direct sunlight. Now that pump is primed I am running over night tonight with some clarifier.

 

[Patriot_Son]

So I got home from work today and same thing, pump running and no prime. Primed the pump manually and put it running. Once pump on step and cycling water I cycled the pump on and off to clear some of the air from under the glass. After a couple of cycles I allowed the pump to run for a minute or 2. Noticed something strange, when I powered off the pump. Whole system made a rumbling noise and the pump sucked all the water from the basket and out the return line until the basket level was below the pump impellar inlet. Does this mean I have a subtotal blockage on the return side? Seems as though the pump is strong enough to re-establish flow but creates a vacuum, so when the pump cycles off it empties the return line. Am I making sense?

 

[Patriot_Son]

If the heat caused any warping in the pump strainer lid or pot then air could get into the system, however that would not cause the water to drain out of the pump pot. How far is the pump from the pool and it is at a higher grade than the pool?

Your sand may need a deep cleaning Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter. What does your water look like? Clear? Cloudy? Green?

Pump is about 48 ft from the pool and there is no grade. Water is clearing up, but I am having to manually prime pump everyday. Pump pot/lid do not appear to be warped or disfigured in any way.

 

[JoelFitz]

Intermittent prime failures are so much fun to figure out. First I think we can associate the cause to be with the pump and not the filter. If the pump runs fine after you prime it then you can also rule out a clog.

Once you establish prime do you bleed off the excess air from the filter? If not do this then shut the pump off and observe what happens through the lid, this should prevent the emptying of the pump pot. What you're looking for are any signs of air intrusion into the pump.

I know for a fact the plugs on the Stealth pump are weak as I've broken plenty trying to tighten them to stop a drip so check those for integrity. My money is with this issue especially if the pump runs all day w/o a prime issue until it's been off for the night. Pro tip buy yourself a couple replacements before messing with them in case one breaks while you're checking it. Could be as simple as a worn O-ring on the plug, if so have some Teflon tape to wrap the threads.

Be sure to check your suction 3-way valve if you have one leading into the pump. Remove the handle and pour some water into the grooves of the valve stem where it enters the lid of the valve. If the valve is holding the water should fill the void and stay there, if it gets sucked in the valve you have a bad O-ring issue and should have them replaced. Not listed if you have automation or not, if you do the valve to check at the pump is the actuated one.

Next check your skimmer weir door(s). When they hang-up they'll make the pump lose prime. You want to be sure they swing all the way up and down w/o catching on the skimmer wall.

Last that I can think of is a seal leak. I would like to think if you had a wet spot around the pump everyday you'd have declared it but I've seen a leak so small it never wet the pad but rather puddled on the pumps base. It was an extremely hard to find issue but can be possible.

GL!

 

[Patriot_Son]

"Once you establish prime do you bleed off the excess air from the filter? If not do this then shut the pump off and observe what happens through the lid, this should prevent the emptying of the pump pot. What you're looking for are any signs of air intrusion into the pump."

How do I bleed the excess air from the filter? I have a Pentair Tagelus sand filter.

 

[JoelFitz]

I guess it depends on what valve you have on top but on most for that filter it's located by the backwash port on the body of the valve, it's a thumb screw or a threaded plug I would imagine.

 

[Patriot_Son]

Pool Service Guy coming tomorrow

 

[Patriot_Son]

I AM BACK ON PRIME!

I ended up changing the Jandy Stealth Pump Lid, Locking Ring and O-Ring. I also changed the key (handle) assembly on the Tagelus 100D sandfilter multi-port valve. WhaLa! Pump singing like a songbird and the water is flowing like Niagra Falls.

Now back to Chemistry!