Intelliflo VS Pump Running Too High After System Blocked Alert

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Foody said:
HHow do I check for air in the pump basket?
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Look in the pump basket, it has a clear lid. Do you see any air bubbles?


I watched some videos on youtube and use a screwdriver to try to clear or make sure there is nothing blocking the impeller.
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That is a good way to damage the impeller. You should only use your fingers. But that only checks the impeller inlet. You have to take the pump apart to check the impeller. That means removing the motor from the wet end.


I have the valve that you basically twist to "open" and pull up and twist back to "lock" in order to go to backwash mode.
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That is a push pull valve and I don't think it has a bypass mode.
 
I only see water splashing and I guess there are some bubbles here and there but I assumed that was just from water splashing.

That's what I thought, though I made sure to use the screwdriver very gently. So you mean I have to disconnect the part between the pump basket and the drive/motor?

Any specifics I should know other than just unscrewing?
 
If you "see" water, then there must be air, otherwise, there is no way to see the water except for the debris moving in circles.

So if there is air in the pump basket, it could be a clog further up the pipe. That is always good to check first just to make sure. On the other hand, the air could be in there because the pump is having a hard time priming due to a clogged impeller.

Backflush the suction line first just to make sure since that is easier than taking apart the pump. Take off the pump lid and put a hose wrapped in a wet rag inside the pipe that enters the pump basket and seal it the best you can. Turn on the hose and see if anything comes out of the skimmer.

If that seems clear, then the next step is to take apart the pump. Have you ever done that?
 
mas985 said:
If you "see" water, then there must be air, otherwise, there is no way to see the water except for the debris moving in circles.

So if there is air in the pump basket, it could be a clog further up the pipe. That is always good to check first just to make sure. On the other hand, the air could be in there because the pump is having a hard time priming due to a clogged impeller.

Backflush the suction line first just to make sure since that is easier than taking apart the pump. Take off the pump lid and put a hose wrapped in a wet rag inside the pipe that enters the pump basket and seal it the best you can. Turn on the hose and see if anything comes out of the skimmer.

If that seems clear, then the next step is to take apart the pump. Have you ever done that?
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I've never taken the pump apart. I bought the house with this pool and have been learning on here and other sites since. But still a newbie.

I've actually used a drain bladder and tried to clear anything from the suction side that connects to the skimmer. I didn't see anything come out other than just some bubbles and water flow. The water flow was not that strong, but then again, the skimmer is already filled with water to begin with. Am I suppose to see a huge rush of water to signal that the lines are clear?
 
You should see the same amount of water that comes out of a hose. In the skimmer, it may not appear to be much because the diameter is bigger. Did you remove the skimmer basket? That can help you see any debris that might be coming out of the pipe. You can also reach down to the skimmer pipe and feel the flow coming out. If you can't feel anything then it is probably plugged but then the hose would probably not stay in the pipe by itself.
 
mas985 said:
You should see the same amount of water that comes out of a hose. In the skimmer, it may not appear to be much because the diameter is bigger. Did you remove the skimmer basket? That can help you see any debris that might be coming out of the pipe. You can also reach down to the skimmer pipe and feel the flow coming out. If you can't feel anything then it is probably plugged but then the hose would probably not stay in the pipe by itself.
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There is water coming out from the Skimmer and I removed the Skimmer.

Do you think it is the drive that's gone bad? The computer brain may have gone bad perhaps.
 
Have you checked the impeller yet (inside the pump)? Before concluding the drive is bad, I would check the impeller.
 
The Intelliflo is just like the Whsiperflo and here is a video on how to remove the wet end:



You don't need to remove any of the plumbing and just pull the motor out of the stationary wet end.
 
mas985 said:
The Intelliflo is just like the Whsiperflo and here is a video on how to remove the wet end:



You don't need to remove any of the plumbing and just pull the motor out of the stationary wet end.
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Thanks, I will try this weekend. I had a neighbor look at it and he said the pump basket area doesn't have enough water in it once its running. When its stopped, the pump is full. Buy once it turns on and running at 3450 rpm, the water lever inside the basket is low.
 

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That really sounds more like a suction pipe blockage than an impeller clog. Are you positive that is clear? You might try a Drain King on that pipe. When back flushing that line, did you see ripples in the skimmer?

Also, do you have a check valve on the pump suction line? A picture of the pump and pad equipment might be useful.
 
mas985 said:
That really sounds more like a suction pipe blockage than an impeller clog. Are you positive that is clear? You might try a Drain King on that pipe. When back flushing that line, did you see ripples in the skimmer?

Also, do you have a check valve on the pump suction line? A picture of the pump and pad equipment might be useful.
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Hey Mas, thanks for all the suggestions.

So I was able to fix it on Friday afternoon. What I did was I decided to use the drain bladder again and if that didn't work, I would have to get a new drive for the pump like the Pentair rep suggested. Good thing I tried to unclog it again because after pumping water into the pipes for 5 mins and filling the pump basket all the way up again, rocks shot out of the pipes and into the pump basket once I turned on the pump. About 5-6 good size rocks came out. So apparently that's what's been causing the pump to run at such a high speed to compensate for the clog.

Hopefully this info will help someone else in the future as well. Now its on to read more about the TFP and BBB methods!
 
mas985 said:
Were you originally flushing from the skimmer to the pump?

Pump to skimmer generally works better.
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No, I was flushing from the pump basket pipe out to the skimmer originally as well. It just didn't dislodge the rocks the first time. I told myself that I'll try it one more time and flush as much as possible and if it doesn't work, then I'll have to pay the money for a new drive ($600!).

I don't know if it was the drain bladder flushing that knocked the rocks loose or filling the basket and the pipes back with lots of water before turning on the pump that did it. Probably a combo of both.
 
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