Hi All,
I'm came back from vacation to find a pool pump that had been running dry every day for so long that smoke came out when I removed the cover to the pump basket...
I figured that there was either a clog from the pipe from the pool to the pump or the pump itself was bad. A quick fill of the pump basket and turning on the pump motor (there was suction, which immediately emptied the "pot") made me think it was a clog in the pipe.
I got out a 25 foot snake and ran it from the pump basket as far as I could. No obvious block. I then ran a blaster-type hose fitting with copious water from both directions. Again, no obvious block.
I also decided to disassemble the pump enough to see if Incould see any fault with it. While the motor ran like a champ, the impellor seemed to be "off", so I bought a replacement Jandy pump on Craigslist. I hooked it up, and everything looked great... until it didn't. I am down to virtually no suction, so no flow on the return.
My only suspects are a walnut shell (from a nearby tree)in the pipe that turns sideways sometimes (allowing flow) but now is turned in a such a way as to block the flow, or some other item like this.
The only other variable is that we have passive solar panels on a flat roof 8 feet above the pump. It takes about 7 or 8 more PSI to push the water up... Normal PSI without solar panels and with a clean filter is 13. This rockets to 30, even with a clean filter.
I am stumped...
I'm came back from vacation to find a pool pump that had been running dry every day for so long that smoke came out when I removed the cover to the pump basket...
I figured that there was either a clog from the pipe from the pool to the pump or the pump itself was bad. A quick fill of the pump basket and turning on the pump motor (there was suction, which immediately emptied the "pot") made me think it was a clog in the pipe.
I got out a 25 foot snake and ran it from the pump basket as far as I could. No obvious block. I then ran a blaster-type hose fitting with copious water from both directions. Again, no obvious block.
I also decided to disassemble the pump enough to see if Incould see any fault with it. While the motor ran like a champ, the impellor seemed to be "off", so I bought a replacement Jandy pump on Craigslist. I hooked it up, and everything looked great... until it didn't. I am down to virtually no suction, so no flow on the return.
My only suspects are a walnut shell (from a nearby tree)in the pipe that turns sideways sometimes (allowing flow) but now is turned in a such a way as to block the flow, or some other item like this.
The only other variable is that we have passive solar panels on a flat roof 8 feet above the pump. It takes about 7 or 8 more PSI to push the water up... Normal PSI without solar panels and with a clean filter is 13. This rockets to 30, even with a clean filter.
I am stumped...