Hayward pro series fliter s244t. I cleaned out the filter basket after vacuuming and had the jandy valve pulling from the skimmer mostly. I refilled the filter with water and relubed the seal gasket and turned jandy valve to middle. Filter will not prime after many times trying refelilling, turning on/off. Tried jandy valve in all three positions. hayward pro series fliter s244t filter.
Filter won’t prime
- Thread starter Mintypool
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,071
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome! 
Might help to see a pic of your pool equipment. Was the pump basket full of water and working well before you started vacuuming? Any chance you sucked-up something during vacuuming?
Might help to see a pic of your pool equipment. Was the pump basket full of water and working well before you started vacuuming? Any chance you sucked-up something during vacuuming?
My understanding is this filter is self priming so no air bleed valve. usually when I clean out filter basket and fill back up a bunch of air comes out returns rapidly within a minute and primes, now a few bubbles are coming out one return but not the other and very weakly.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,071
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Kind of dark, but that valve is certainly open. Have you tried pulling water just from the drain to see if it makes a difference? That would rule-out a potential blockage at the skimmer line.
As for the self-prime, that would be your pump. The sand filter may not have an air relief valve, but that's different. Shouldn't effect anything. When a pump won't prime (basket full of water) we generally look for:
- Water low at the skimmer or a blockage
- Skimmer weir (flap) door stuck closed
- Air leak on the suction side (from pool skimmer to the pump)
But if everything was working properly before you vacuumed, I would back-track my steps to see what could have been effected. Maybe the water level got too low from backwashing? Maybe the pump basket clear lid O-ring got pinched or damaged? Try the drain suction only to rule-out a blockage.
As for the self-prime, that would be your pump. The sand filter may not have an air relief valve, but that's different. Shouldn't effect anything. When a pump won't prime (basket full of water) we generally look for:
- Water low at the skimmer or a blockage
- Skimmer weir (flap) door stuck closed
- Air leak on the suction side (from pool skimmer to the pump)
But if everything was working properly before you vacuumed, I would back-track my steps to see what could have been effected. Maybe the water level got too low from backwashing? Maybe the pump basket clear lid O-ring got pinched or damaged? Try the drain suction only to rule-out a blockage.
I had new pump last year but with old pump I had this problem once before and it was the way the lid on pump basket closes. Any tips for getting it to seal right. It is the kind that has 2 tabs that fit in on pump side then knob handles that lock it down
I did try pulling water from skimmer only and main drain only moving jandy valve. Could it be this valve is broke. And not letting water in?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,071
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Not really. I know the kind you mean though. Probably tough in the dark right now.
As for the 3-way valve, you should notice a difference if you close the skimmer to pull only drain water or visa-versa. Seems like an odd coincidence it would break during vacuuming. Tomorrow, with the pump off, you might try pushing water backwards by sticking a garden hose in the pump basket :inlet: when water enters the pump. That way you are trying to push water backwards towards the pool skimmer. (close off the drain valve). See if water goes back to the skimmer okay to rule out a blockage.Ok yea I was reading that in another thread as a possibility but hence I did it I could tell if water was coming into skimmer or not. How would you tell with oressure from garden hose?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,071
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
With a garden hose pushing water backwards from the pump back to the pool, you should see water flowing up & out of the skimmer hole at the pool. In your case, make sure to close off the main drain valve so all the garden hose water would be channeled to the skimmer. If it helps, you can wrap a rag or shirt around the hose you have jammed into the pump "inlet" opening to help seal it off to keep water going backwards to the pool.
Also now that clearly there is a bunch of air in the system from not priming how long should I ren each test without damaging the pump
One more thing too when you refill up a basket obviously the water goes out of the basket via via the intet and outlet inside and doesn’t stay full. How much water do you put in?
Did the hose in inlet and water was flowing. Filled again and didn’t prime. Was reading on the forum on a past post about turning sand filter to close before filling so I did that and let hose run a few minutes and lubed the lid again and finally it primed! I don’t know if the closed position of the filter caused it to work or just relubing the lid. Anyway thanks for your help. I’m going to be on here more this year.
I have another question actually which may be related. When vacuuming I have an adapater that fits over the skimmer basket so it can catch larger debris before getting to the filter basket like leaves etc. When I use it with one hose (white) I can here that air is being pulled where the hose sleeve attaches to the hose. I replaced the cuff but still same problem. I have another hose(blue) and when using that the is no air leaks that I can see but always has small bubbles coming from outlets when vacuuming. If I don’t use the adapter and put hose directly into skimmer line white hose works great no air because the cuff is now under water. Blue hose directly into skimmer still has small air bubbles. Anyway is it normal to vacuum without the adapter and plug directly into skimmer but doing this obviously allows more debris to the filter basket
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,071
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
That's great!
Glad you were able to get it going.For the vacuuming, I've never used those vacuum plates. Some have good success, others not. You would have to search the forum threads for that vacuum plate or create a new titled thread to get some ideas and direct responses. But I too just place my vacuum hose directly into the skimmer hole to reduce the chances of air getting into the hose & system.