Help! Our newly plastered pool just finished filling and we have turned on the pump. It won't pull water in. Is there a priming we needed to do?
help! Starting pump after drain
- Thread starter kolbajen
- Start date
Absolutely. With everything sealed up (except the air relief valve on top of the filter) turn the pump on and let it run. If your lift is not too high, it should prime itself in sixty seconds or so. I wouldn't let it run more than two minutes unless I was sure it was priming. If that fails, post back and we'll have some tricks to help you get it primed.
First close the air relief valve on the top of the filter if it's open.
This works best with two people and at least a 2-gallon bucket. Open the pump strainer basket and steadily but rapidly pour water into the strainer. It will go down the pipe and return to the pool.....pour it in as fast as you can without overflowing the pump basket......emphasis...GET IT IN THERE QUICKLY!.
Now, Just as you run out of water in the bucket, VERY quickly replace the pump basket lid and seal it.....IMMEDIATELY turn the pump on.
The idea is to close the lid with water still flowing out of the pump basket back to the pool. Sealing the pump will hold a lot of water in the pipe and, when you turn the pump on, it should prime pretty easily. Essentially, you are no longer requiring the pump to "lift" water out of the pool because the pipe is already full (or almost)
That has always worked for my pool...give it a try.
This works best with two people and at least a 2-gallon bucket. Open the pump strainer basket and steadily but rapidly pour water into the strainer. It will go down the pipe and return to the pool.....pour it in as fast as you can without overflowing the pump basket......emphasis...GET IT IN THERE QUICKLY!.
Now, Just as you run out of water in the bucket, VERY quickly replace the pump basket lid and seal it.....IMMEDIATELY turn the pump on.
The idea is to close the lid with water still flowing out of the pump basket back to the pool. Sealing the pump will hold a lot of water in the pipe and, when you turn the pump on, it should prime pretty easily. Essentially, you are no longer requiring the pump to "lift" water out of the pool because the pipe is already full (or almost)
That has always worked for my pool...give it a try.
Kolbajen, there are other ways depending on your filter/ pool configuration (not!! that Dave's advice isn't good)
If you have 2 or more suction sources, close all but 1 and try again (Dave has already told you the method of getting a pump to prime - try using it with only 1 suction source open --- if it works, open the other sources 1 at a time s-l-o-w-l-y, so that you don't kill the prime, if you see a bunch of air entering the pump, close the valve until it refills with water and slowly crack it open again).
With any luck, this will be enough, if not - we'll talk you through whatever you need to do to prime your system :-D
If you have 2 or more suction sources, close all but 1 and try again (Dave has already told you the method of getting a pump to prime - try using it with only 1 suction source open --- if it works, open the other sources 1 at a time s-l-o-w-l-y, so that you don't kill the prime, if you see a bunch of air entering the pump, close the valve until it refills with water and slowly crack it open again).
With any luck, this will be enough, if not - we'll talk you through whatever you need to do to prime your system :-D
Actually, Ted's idea is much easier for one person to do and works well on my system, too. I would try it the next time you need to prime...it takes a lot of "panic" out of the process.....just be sure to open the remaining valves s-l-o-o-w-ly or you'll lose the prime again.
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