Messed up my pump basket

[embellisher]

I have an AGP, 27'x52".

I had to replace my return hose, and set my valve on the filter to closed, so that I would not lose much water. And after replacing the hose, I forgot to set it back to run! :x After the timer kicked on last night, went out to add some bleach, and found that the pump was sucking air.

So now, my pump basket leaks around the top. Did I deform the basket assembly, or should I try replacing the o-ring on the lid? Maybe the suction just messed up the o-ring?

Anybody else ever do this?

 

[waste]

I have an AGP, 27'x52".

I had to replace my return hose, and set my valve on the filter to closed, so that I would not lose much water. And after replacing the hose, I forgot to set it back to run! :x After the timer kicked on last night, went out to add some bleach, and found that the pump was sucking air.

So now, my pump basket leaks around the top. Did I deform the basket assembly, or should I try replacing the o-ring on the lid? Maybe the suction just messed up the o-ring?

Anybody else ever do this?


More folks than you can imagine :lol:

Sometimes when this happens, no damage is done

However, often the basket may warp or the influent and effluent fittings on the pump may warp and develop leaks. The other thing to check is the underside of the pump for leaks. What happened is that the water still in the almost empty pump cavitated and may have melted the fittings or rubber parts.

Please check the pump for leaks (while it's running) and tell us what you find - we'll then be able to tell you how to repair any damage done by this oversight

 

[embellisher]

It looks as if the pump strainer housing is warped, or something like that.

The pump housing appears to be OK, no leaks. Motor turns, and pumps water, but sucks a lot of air.

It has one of those clear resin lids with the o-ring. Those clear lids are made of some tough stuff, I don't think it would warp, and it looks true when I sit it on a flat surface. When I put it on the strainer housing, and twist it to the locked position, it will rock back and forth with a little effort. And, when the housing fills completely with water, it leaks around the lid.

When the pump is running, it sucks quite a bit of air into the housing, but I still get decent pressure on my return, enough to rip my skin off if I am not careful. But it has a lot of bubbles in it. Hey, I got an aerated pool now!

I put some vaseline on the o-ring, to try and tighten the seal a bit. It helped some, but still sucks a lot of air. And when the pump shuts off, water leaks out the top of the housing. :|

Any ideas other than spending $50+ for a new housing? How difficult are these to replace? I have never done anything like this before, but live 50 miles from the nearest pool store, and don't care to pay their trip charge. If this is something that is fairly straightforward, maybe I could learn as I do it.

If the person who bought the pool (I bought the home 2 years ago) had been educated, they would have had the installer put in a 3/4 hp motor instead of 2!!! hp. A 3/4 probably wouldn't have warped the housing in 45 minutes, which is how long my pump was on before I discovered the problem.

 

[waste]

Sorry for the delay in responding my computer has been acting up (I installed more memory today and ... so far so good)

The air and water on the lid is probably caused by the lid gasket getting damaged and replacing that should fix the problem, The lid, as you said, should be sturdy enough to withstand the heat created by the pump cavitating. However, the threaded connection coming into the pump could also have been melted, which would also cause an air leak. Try the new gasket and see if you still have air in the pump - if so, I'll tell you how to diagnose and repair the front end. (***also, do NOT use Vasoline on the gaskets!!! it's petrolium based and will "eat, not treat" the rubber material -- only use silicone or teflon based lubes - or one that says specifically for pool o-rings***)

Again, sorry for the delay in responding - I won't let it happen again :-D