Not Priming - thoughts please!

[nykid]

Hello TFP fam, have a situation that is driving me crazy, or maybe it was the 95-degree heat when I changed this out over the last 2. days. Need a sanity check from the experienced ones.

My old 1/2 hp Whisperflow that served me well seized up. Had an extra pump and appropriately sized filter and plumbed both in. I am currently not getting water/ not priming into the pot. What I have done so far:

1. New pipes all glued/sealed. Unions so I can pull pump off.
2. Reused check valve from old pump.
3. Union at the pump has liquid pipe seal into pump
4. All unions and pot o-rings have magic lube
5. Disconnected the helper pump for now.
6. Water half way up skimmer
7. Vacummend skimmer. Stuck a hose with a rag into inlet from the pot to flush, water is moving well on the inlet side.
8. Tried 'Filter' and 'Recirculate' on the valve, no dice.
9. With pot open and with. water hose in it, I can tell the pump is pulling in water into the filter. (no DE yet cause I can't get this to prime / run. Eventually I'll buy a VS)

The one thing I have not tried yet is to put more epoxy around the 3 - suction side 90degree PVC connectors to see if there is a leak.

Thoughts?

 

[duraleigh]

It sounds as if you are doing many of the right things but I would bet you have a suction side leak (air being drawn in). It seems like that is the issue about 75% of the time and you have covered several of the other items. Find that leak and it will prime.

Epoxy?? Yikes! Please don't use that.

There is an outside chance the impeller has come loose from the motor but that is pretty rare.

 

[drsipe]

Just a few things very quickly.

1. Can you verify that the pump is spinning, you may need to remove the rear motor cover to see the shaft
2. I see that you re-used the check valve, if this means that you had to replumb and re-install the check valve, is the check valve in the correct direction
3. You can check for pipe blockage by disconnecting the suction side of the pump and using a shop vac to blow back thru the pipe to the skimmer

 

[nykid]

Ack.. not epoxy. I meant the PVC pipe glue/cement/ purple primer and clear stuff.

 

[nykid]

Just a few things very quickly.

1. Can you verify that the pump is spinning, you may need to remove the rear motor cover to see the shaft
2. I see that you re-used the check valve, if this means that you had to replumb and re-install the check valve, is the check valve in the correct direction
3. You can check for pipe blockage by disconnecting the suction side of the pump and using a shop vac to blow back thru the pipe to the skimmer

#1, Yes spinning. #2 I reused the grey pipe as well so. I know flow is correct. #3. Going to try that. I vacuumed from the skimmer side. I'll unhook the pump and blow towards the skimmer.

Will report back. Thanks!

 

[nykid]

Mystery solved and I'm going to blame it on the heat.

When I open up the inlet pipe to blowout to skimmer as recommended, the union into the pump was loose. I never cleaned it up when dry fitting. Took it out, completely cleaned, some pipe thread, teflon, and magic lube to o-ring that I didn't know existed. Started right and have been running since. One thing for sure, the 1.5hp turns the pool over much faster than the 1/2hp. It's going to cost me though.

THANK YOU duraleigh and drsipe!