Pool Pump Pressure Too High!

[drchris33]

Hello all, this is my first post. I moved into my house two years ago. It has an indoor pool. I have never had a pool so I have tried to learn a lot about taking care of them. We have an approximately 27,000 gallon inground pool. It is enclosed in a pool house out behind our house. Since December of last year, our pool has been a nightmare. We have had a few local "experts" come in and try to fix it.

To start, it is a concrete pool that is painted. It has a Hayward Pro series sand filter. I have recently replaced the multi-port as well as had a new pump installed. It is a Challenger 1.5 horse power. Prior to this, we had to have the plumbing redone since it wasn't done right the when the pool was installed. I have tried on multiple occasions to try to get the pool up and running this year but have been unsuccessful. Right now, when I turn the pump on, it jumps up to 32 PSI. I have backwashed and rinsed multiple times. We have had our lines scoped and claims to have no blockages. I have done a deep sand filter cleanse per your YouTube videos. No one can seem to figure out the problem. I am super frustrated. Being a physician, and a general surgeon at that, I understand basic physics and chemistry. In vascular surgery, if you have too high of pressure, you either have an inflow clogging or an outflow clogging. But I am to the point where I want to throw some C4 into our pool house and let it blow up. We have spent so much money on trying to get this thing fixed. Since December, we have had it re-plumbed and actually two pump motors replaced as well as the multi-port valves.

Anyone have any ideas?? I would greatly appreciate it. My kids have been missing out on swimming. The first year we had it, things went pretty well and we would swim year round. So I am open to any and all ideas.

Thank you so much!!

Chris

 

[Butterfly]

Welcome to the forum

Have you checked the gauge? Does it drop to zero when the pump is off?

We'll help get those kids swimming

 

[one_knight4u]

Hello Chris,
Welcome to TFP, and we are glad you are here.

If you would, please update your signature with the info about your equipment. A short article on how to do that is found here. This will help everyone who offers advice to know what kind of equipment you have at a quick glance without having to re read your posts each time and makes it so you don't have to enter it every time you need to ask for help. In short, it helps us to help you.

In vascular surgery, if you have too high of pressure, you either have an inflow clogging or an outflow clogging.

Very close, only with water plumbing, if you have inflow clogging, pressure will be reduced (no, i would not recommended you slightly clogging the inflow to the pump, that would create more problems that would cost alot more down the road). Outflow clogging will raise the pressure though and that is what we have to work with.

Give us some more detail about number of input lines, number of return lines, size of line. If you could also take some pictures of your setup that would be extremely helpful also.

 

[jblizzle]

Are you sure that is not a normal pressure for you? Have you seen it lower?

Need more details about the equipment and plumbing.

 

[sargent]

Can you set the valve to recirculate (bypassing the filter)? When you do that do you get sufficient flow? If yes, then the problem lies with your filter. If not, then you have a blockage in your pipes, probably after the filter since you can backwash. Are the return valves open? Can you post pictures of your equipment pad showing the plumbing?

 

[drchris33]

Thank you for all the replies. I've had a busy week. I will try to get the pictures today.

The gauge does drop to zero with the pump off. It is a brand new multivalve and gauge.

Regarding normal pressure, when the pool was working last year, it ran 10-15 psi. And I am fairly confident that the equipment is the same, just newer.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Welcome to the forum

Adding your pools info to your signature would be helpful as outlined here - - > http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/165-getting-started

Maybe some photos of the plumbing setup too.

You need to rethink that "inflow clogging". If anything on the intake side is getting clogged the pressure at the filter will be lower than normal as the pump is struggling to get enough water to pump. Not enough water to pump = low pressure. You have a restriction in the filter (unlikely) or downstream of the filter in the return to the pool.
Do you have a heater and if so are there valves to divert around (bypass) it and are they in the proper position ??
Try pulling all the eyeball jets out of the returns and see if your pressure goes down at all.

 

[mgarf33]

First you need to know the actual flow rate.
I would install a flow gauge, or two pressure gauges (one directly before and one directly after the pump. Use the mfg. specs of the pump to determine flow.
Once you know the flow you can determine the pressure drops for each section of plumbing or piece of equipment.
If you don't wish to install gauges everywhere, you can install P/T ports also know as "Pete's Plugs". Installing these will not only help diagnose your current issue, but will also help to calibrate the system and diagnose future issues with ease.

 

[mas985]

The gauge does drop to zero with the pump off. It is a brand new multivalve and gauge.

Is it an entirely new filter or just a new valve? What was your old valve/filter and now the new? Has the valve size changed (eg. 2" to 1 1/2")?

 

[drchris33]

Here are the first half of photos of my set up in the pump room

 

[drchris33]

So I can't post the rest of the pictures right now because I guess there is a quota which I have already reached with the first few. Hopefully I can post the rest another time.

I haven't changed sizes in the PVC pipe. The things that are new on my system are the multi-valve and the pump motor. Some of the PVC plumbing is new inside the pump room. I do have a heater that is integrated into the system.

I backwashed again today and the pressure was only 8-9 psi. But then as soon as I turn the system back to filter, it jumps up to 32 psi. I have two skimmers at the end of my pool.

I think that is most of the questions that were asked. I think my pump motor is only one speed.

- - - Updated - - -

Not to be stupid but what are the eyeball jets in the returns?

 

[n240sxguy]

The eyeballs are the pieces that move to let you point where the return water goes. Is there anything coming out the returns back to the pool? That's crazy high pressure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[drchris33]

I have two return points. One has an eyeball and one doesn't. I think it came like that when I bought this house two years ago. There isn't very much coming out. Sometimes there will be some bubbles when the pump is on filter setting, but I just went out and turned it on and really had no action.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

On the multiport valve you only move it with the pump off and you should try to always turn it one direction. The one direction is a necessity but on some model valves it's what the manufacturer wants the customer to do.

If you switch the valve to "Recirculate" and turn the system on does the pressure stay the same or is it less ??

"Eyeball" jets.

 

[jblizzle]

You have to become a supporter to raise your storage allotment or host the pictures somewhere else. See the tutorial in the forum issues area.

 

[drchris33]

Here are the rest of my pictures. Hopefully we can figure this out

 

[mas985]

I backwashed again today and the pressure was only 8-9 psi. But then as soon as I turn the system back to filter, it jumps up to 32 psi. I have two skimmers at the end of my pool.

Given, this started to happen after you changed the multi-port and the above symptom, I would suspect the multi-port.

There isn't much else that can cause blockage on the return side except maybe the heater. Is that something you can bypass?

 

[CUTiger78]

I think Sargent & MAS985 are focused on the right place for initial troubleshooting - low hanging fruit and it's free.

The multiport valve on that filter has 6 settings: filter, closed, waste, backwash, recirculate, rinse. You've got high pressure on filter, but it backwashes OK. Waste and rinse pressure & flow should be a lot like backwash. Recirculate should have good suction through the skimmers & good water pressure & flow back into the pool, actually, a lot like filter. I've never run mine on closed and I'm thinking you'll only want to do that for a moment, just to troubleshoot.

BTW, the filter manual is available on line.

The results of troubleshooting each mode could point to a multiport problem, a plumbing connection problem, or maybe an internal plumbing problem in the filter.

Good luck!

 

[drchris33]

I'm not sure why the filter would be the issue. I bought the exact same kind that I had before. I backwashed, rinsed, and ran the waste again yesterday. I ran it on re-circulate and it was still around 30. I ran it on the closed option and was in the high 20s. In those pictures, the two pvc valves are new. I tried closing each one and running the pump; there was no change in pressure. I'm really frustrated at this point. There seems to be not much suction when I am running the pump. I put my hand on top of the skimmer hole after removing the basket and the suction isn't very strong.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

If you have a restriction on the return side (after the pump) it will cause the pressure to increase like yours is doing. That restriction on the return side will also cause the pump to have lower flow and lower suction because the pump it working harder to try and push the water back to the pool. Without the restriction the pump will have more suction and more flow.
I know it's frustrating but it's hard to diagnose without being able to see, hear or feel the circuit in question. You just need to go component by component in the system from the pump to the pool until you find the culprit.

In recirculate you are bypassing the filter so if the pressure didn't change or change much than the filter isn't the problem and it's downstream.

In "closed" I thought the pump and returns were closed and the pump would have a really high pressure, 50+ ?? Someone, anyone ??

You say you backwashed, rinsed and then "ran the waste" again. What is "ran the waste" ?? When you are in "backwash" water should be flowing out of the waste port and being drained. Does your waste line drain out in the yard or is it connected to a sewer ??

Have you tried removing the eyeball return jets to see if it makes any difference in pressure ??