Lately, when my pump turns on, the pressure starts out just above 0 and slowly (minutes, not seconds) climbs to normal, which is around 12 PSI. Any ideas what might be causing this?
low initial pressure
- Thread starter iam4iam
- Start date
From my (limited) experience, when a pressure gauge goes bad, it doesn't register any pressure at all. As much as I would like to hear that the problem is that simple, it doesn't seem logical to me. It seems more likely that the problem is in the filter, since the gauge does eventually climb to the correct pressure. Again, though, I am not 100% sure, which is why I am asking. Anyone else agree with Piolin? Other ideas?
I have never heard of a problem like this. Is the water flow from the returns also slow and ramp up? When is the last time you did a deep clean of the filter? How does the pressure gauge act on bypass, backwash, vac, etc?
I've never done a deep clean (and wouldn't know how). Not sure whether actual flow rate increases slowly, but it is sufficient immediately for the SWG to run. (SWG will give a "no water" error when flow rate is insufficient, for example due to lost prime.) Besides, doesn't lower filter pressure correspond to higher flow rate? Flow rate decreases as filter pressure increases, so it is like initially the water is flowing through the filter with minimal resistance--i.e. not really being filtered--and after a number of minutes the resistance builds up.
That is true assuming the water is getting there at all.
More here on cleaning a sand filter,
Pool School - Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters
And deep cleaning,
Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter
More here on cleaning a sand filter,
Pool School - Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters
And deep cleaning,
Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter
Thanks. I'll double check flow at returns. First I'll have to detach the PVC I have redirecting the return water toward the bottom of the deep end to help heat the pool.
For as low as to $12 and change you can eliminate that the problem is the pressure gauge, that was the reason for my initial post.. ?
Starting day 5/25/2015 INTEX AGP 24'x12'x54" 8,400 gal, with salt and borax, INTEX 3,000 GPH pump with 16"sand filter, WM Hayward Skimmer, Intex SWG CG-28669, 1 1/2" hard plumbed PVC, Lil' Shark Vacuum With Leaf Canister, TF100 test kit, speed stir, K-1766 Taylor salt test
Starting day 5/25/2015 INTEX AGP 24'x12'x54" 8,400 gal, with salt and borax, INTEX 3,000 GPH pump with 16"sand filter, WM Hayward Skimmer, Intex SWG CG-28669, 1 1/2" hard plumbed PVC, Lil' Shark Vacuum With Leaf Canister, TF100 test kit, speed stir, K-1766 Taylor salt test
Oh, no I never take it that way, this is the most friendly forum I ever been in my life all good, hope you can solved the problem soon, keep posting... ?
Starting day 5/25/2015 INTEX AGP 24'x12'x54" 8,400 gal, with salt and borax, INTEX 3,000 GPH pump with 16"sand filter, WM Hayward Skimmer, Intex SWG CG-28669, 1 1/2" hard plumbed PVC, Lil' Shark Vacuum With Leaf Canister, TF100 test kit, speed stir, K-1766 Taylor salt test
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Starting day 5/25/2015 INTEX AGP 24'x12'x54" 8,400 gal, with salt and borax, INTEX 3,000 GPH pump with 16"sand filter, WM Hayward Skimmer, Intex SWG CG-28669, 1 1/2" hard plumbed PVC, Lil' Shark Vacuum With Leaf Canister, TF100 test kit, speed stir, K-1766 Taylor salt test
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Slow to prime? Does the water in the pump strainer basket froth around while the psi is climbing and then becomes mostly all water as the psi goes to 12?
Although a slight air pocket does develop at the top of the strainer basket in the 17 hours between the final "ON" hour of one day and he first "ON" hour of the following day, the pump never really loses its prime. In fact, what I have described was first noticed at the beginning of one of the "ON" hours that followed an "OFF" time of only one hour, and in this case, there is no noticeable air at all in the strainer basket when the pump turns on. I do recognize that the filter pressure doesn't read "normal" until all air is purged from the system. I have noticed air bubbles coming out of the returns when the pump first turns on, even when the pump has only been off for an hour and there is no visible air in the strainer basket. However, this only lasts a matter of seconds, and that is not a recent occurrence like what I initially described in this thread.
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I am out of town at the moment, but I plan to check the flow at the returns when the pump first turns on when I return.
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