I searched all over the internet for help and looked up the manual to the pump but nothing helped. I've used this forum for other information so hopefully someone can help me with my problem. I'm a new pool owner (in ground, solid cover) and just closed for the winter. The first time it rained I connected my pool cover pump up to a hose and plugged it in and it pumped the water right off with no problem.
This last week I noticed that it was no longer draining water off. I tried to fix it and noticed that because of the cold (I'm in Maryland), there was apparently water still in the hose that had frozen, which I thought was maybe why it was not working, i.e. the hose was clogged with ice.
I pulled the pump out of the puddle on the cover and unplugged it. I got the ice out of the hose and it's no longer frozen. Today it's raining harder and there is a large pool of water on the pump. I put the pump in the water without the hose and it immediately kicked on and started pumping water out through the hose hookup, so I know the pump works, the float is fine, the holes are clean (not clogged), and the electricity works. I reconnected the hose to it and put it back in the water, and it refuses to turn on.
So the only possible thing I can think of is (and considering the first time it worked fine, I don't know why it'd be a problem now), does the elevation of the hose have anything to do with it? By this I mean will it not turn on if it has to pump uphill? My pool is surrounded by a deck, and since the cover is sagging a good 8", it has to first send the water up about 12" high, across about 8 feet of deck, then back downhill to our drainage ditch on the side of the house. Do I need to somehow position the hose so that it does not have to go that far, or position it where it does not go uphill (unfortunately not possible at my house)?
I couldn't find any specifications saying it wouldn't work with my setup, and it already worked fine the first day I used it. It works fine without the hose, so why is it having problems when I reconnect the hose?
Thanks for any help you can provide to a new home/pool owner.
Further information:
Pump Type: little giant model apcp-1700
Manual pdf: http://www.littlegiant.com/media/documents/998295.pdf
Cover: Ultra Loc solid cover
This last week I noticed that it was no longer draining water off. I tried to fix it and noticed that because of the cold (I'm in Maryland), there was apparently water still in the hose that had frozen, which I thought was maybe why it was not working, i.e. the hose was clogged with ice.
I pulled the pump out of the puddle on the cover and unplugged it. I got the ice out of the hose and it's no longer frozen. Today it's raining harder and there is a large pool of water on the pump. I put the pump in the water without the hose and it immediately kicked on and started pumping water out through the hose hookup, so I know the pump works, the float is fine, the holes are clean (not clogged), and the electricity works. I reconnected the hose to it and put it back in the water, and it refuses to turn on.
So the only possible thing I can think of is (and considering the first time it worked fine, I don't know why it'd be a problem now), does the elevation of the hose have anything to do with it? By this I mean will it not turn on if it has to pump uphill? My pool is surrounded by a deck, and since the cover is sagging a good 8", it has to first send the water up about 12" high, across about 8 feet of deck, then back downhill to our drainage ditch on the side of the house. Do I need to somehow position the hose so that it does not have to go that far, or position it where it does not go uphill (unfortunately not possible at my house)?
I couldn't find any specifications saying it wouldn't work with my setup, and it already worked fine the first day I used it. It works fine without the hose, so why is it having problems when I reconnect the hose?
Thanks for any help you can provide to a new home/pool owner.
Further information:
Pump Type: little giant model apcp-1700
Manual pdf: http://www.littlegiant.com/media/documents/998295.pdf
Cover: Ultra Loc solid cover