No Flow Through Skimmer Return

[smh60]

Recently I found that my pump was not holding a prime and it was corrected by increasing the pool water level, which I thought was already sufficient.
So I was checking everything and I noticed that while the pump was working (holding prime), there was no flow through the skimmer return.

I stopped the pump and started it again. Flow would begin in the skimmer return and then it would just stop. Again the pump was probably drawing on the bottom drain. It seemed clear that a stop (seen in side view image) in the skimmer flow valve assembly (pictured, Hayward SP-1070-FV) was dropping to stop flow through the skimmer return. There is a moveable door on the bottom of the assembly, but I can't seem to fix it by positioning between open to closed. I don't know what happened in handling these pool parts in trying to understand pool operation and maintenance.

This is no good obviously since I want surface floating debris cleaned out.

One note: the missus took out the pool cleaner. The output from the pump goes to a Jandy energy filter and to the port for the pool cleaner, but I can hardly believe that would affect anything. I changed the valve near the pump to fully open and fully closed and it did not seem to have an effect.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Mitch,

Your setup has the main drain plumbed into the bottom of the skimmer.. The floating diverter valve is what (in theory) decides if the water is taken from the main drain, or the skimmer itself.

Since there is only one pipe that goes from the skimmer back to the pump, if the water is not coming through the skimmer mouth, it can't be a pump problem.

I suggest that for now, you take the floating diverter out and see what happens..

I suspect that your weir door is stuck up, not allowing water to flow in from the pool. The only other option is that your "floating" diverter valve is not floating..

I have two rent house pools with the same set up.. I just took the floating diverters out and never looked back.. Main drains are not needed for most pools..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[smh60]

Excellent analysis, Jim. The weir door had been replaced recently and I thought I had seated it properly.

I went out to pull on it and it would not flip down. I re-seated the holding rod and the flow had no problem. I will check on it daily to make sure it does not lose its seating again.