Hayward Power Flo LX won’t prime.

[Windylou]

Opening pool, started SLAM last Thursday. Everything has been working fine. This am I get out & do my am routine. Brushing, backwash, leaf rake. Cleaned strainer out twice before it lost prime as I was brushing up gunk. Now I’ve been trying to get it to prime for an hour. I’ve backwashed, recirculated, put the water hose in the pump housing, left the lid off for several minutes. As soon as I put the lid back on and start it, water drains down and no prime again. I’m certainly not a newbie here, but I feel like I’ve tried everything.

 

[Texas Splash]

Some things to try:
- With power OFF, reach into the pump pot and feel for the impeller area where water leaves the pump pot. Make sure nothing got stuck or twisted around the inlet/impeller area.
- You may have vacuumed-up too much junk at once. Check for a clog by pushing water backwards (with a garden hose or water bladder) from inside the pump pot back towards the pool. Try again from the other direction (skimmer towards pump).
- Fill the pump pot with water the cover with the clear lid.

See if any of that helps.

 

[1poolman1]

If there is nothing clogging the pump, place a running garden hose into the port at the bottom of the skimmer and turn the pump on. It may get the system running. Unfortunately, while they will self prime for a while, PowerFlo pumps are designed as above ground pump that don't have to lift water the way an in-ground pump does. The water falls to them from the skimmer that is higher than the pump inlet.

 

[Windylou]

Thanks for the help. I tried everything to no avail. I finally turned it off & on about 6 times in a row and that seemed to work.

 

[Texas Splash]

I finally turned it off & on about 6 times in a row and that seemed to work.

Yikes. Hopefully that doesn't become the norm. Glad you're back up & running again though.