Pump Loses Vacuum Overnight, Can't Get it Back in The Morning

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T

TexasEllis

Bronze Supporter
Nov 18, 2016
37
Frisco, TX
I have a 9 year old Jandy system pool just outside of Dallas. Due to the slope of my yard and placement of gas line, my pool equipment is about 4 feet higher than my pool. it is a Jandy Stealth pump with a new motor I installed last year.

The other day I noticed the pump sound wasn't right and there was no water in the pump. I primed the system, got water coming from the bottom drains and then coaxed the water from the skimmers.

Yesterday I came home from work early and noticed the pump sound wasn't right. (Pump, motor and existing water was hot.) I went through the same process of priming it and slowly getting the water through the skimmer lines and it ran well into the evening.

Same problem this morning. I am figuring I have done something to cause air to get in the system so badly that all of the water in the pipes between the pool up to the equipment empty and the pump just can't pull it back to work. Again, my equipment is 4 feet above the pool.

Any thoughts on what I should be troubleshooting? Certain rubber gaskets, seals, etc?

Thank you for your thoughts.
 
Welcome :wave:

You are heading in the right direction. It sounds like you have an o-ring that isn't sealed. Have you cleaned your filer recently? Maybe the o-ring there got pinched. Or you may have a leak at a pipe joint.

Easiest way is to get it running good and then stop it. You should be able to hear where the air/water are exchanging. It sometimes makes a funny (different) sort of sound, kinda like a 'bloomp' sound. At least that's what mine sounds like when there is a leak at the inlet to the filter.
 
Thank you. :)

I did clean the filter and I pinched the O ring when I reassembled the unit. It was leaking so I reset it and it didn't leak. But maybe I pinched that O ring enough air is getting in. Might be time to purchase a new one. And that means paying top dollar to Leslies....... GRRRRRRR!
 
Once the pump is primed and running, do you see any air in the pump basket or is only after the pump is off that it loses prime?

One test is to fully prime the pump and then turn it off and listen to the filter. An air leak will bubble up through the filter housing and you can usually hear it.
 
Sorry for the late response. Been out of town. I got the O-Ring for the filter and that didn't do it. (Got it from Amazon for $30 with expedited shipping.)

So I changed the O-Ring on the filter basket for the pump. Kudos to Leslies for not killing me on the price. It was just $22, $6 more than online. (Been 10 years) Seems like I have better flow but still have air in the basket. In addition, I will prime it then release a valve to either the pool or one of the skimmers and flow is strong but then it dies. When I stop it I can't hear a an air leak.

Maybe it's the pump? The motor is good, I replaced that last year but the pump itself is 10 years old and ran hot one day when I was gone and I didn't catch it. It's a Stealth, SHPM2.0 2.0 HP. Thoughts from those in the know?

And thank you very much for your help.
 
If you see air in the pump basket, it is leak on the suction side of the pump. Did you check the drain plug?
 
To check for an air leak, get the pump running full prime and then have someone turn the pump on and off a few times while you check all of the possible places for an air leak. If there is a leak, water will often squirt out when the pump turns off.

Also, look under the pump to see if there is a seal leak.
 

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I am either losing my mind, the pool is tricking me after 10 years or my head is going to explode.

So after trying for an hour to get the pump to work yesterday, I go out this morning, prime it and BAM! It works like a charm. Water flowing, everything is working fine.....

What the heck?

Anyhow, thank you to each who have responded with help. I appreciate it very much. I have replaced motors, salt cells, parts, etc...... Have NEVER experienced a goofy thing like this. Glad the winter is coming on.
 
I am officially going insane....... same problem this morning. Prime it and it works great. O-Ring on filter and pump basket have been replaced. Weir doors are operable. Do I need to check the flow valves to the pool drain and skimmer baskets? Any other suggestions before I pay some guy $150 to fix something I should have figured out myself?
 
Is the water level high enough. Look inside the skimmer while the pump is running and see if any air is getting sucked into the lines.

The valves could be a problem too although those usually leak fairly slowly so while there is air in the pump basket, it won't lose prime that quickly.
 
Yes, the water level is high. I have auto-fill through my sprinkler system and I run it every night. I know this is a goofy problem. Once it's running it's great. No leaks, no problems. It's just after it stops and sits still it looses vacuum. This morning I went out 20 minutes after the system started and the pump was running dry. I shut it down, closed the valves, primed it and BAM! All good. I started with the pool drain, then added the skimmers after it was running for a while.

This evening I emptied both skimmers and they were full of leaves. (I am in Dallas and the trees are dumping leaves right now) So I know they are working. Emptied the sweeper 4 times today. It's working fine.

Wondering if I should take the valves apart and replace the seals? I checked both drain plugs and they are in good working order.

I have noticed that when I run it with just the valve to the pool open there is air in the pump filter basket. Once I open both skimmers it disappears.

Again, I appreciate the suggestions and help. Great forum. I hope I can help others the way you have helped me.
 
Finally got it right. Had I been born with an engineers brain rather than a salesguy brain, this might have been easier. I replaced the O-rings in the 3 valves to the pool main drain and skimmer baskets that are positioned prior to the pump. Thus the inability to create vacuum and draw water. Fixed them last night and the pump worked fine this morning when I tested it before work.

Thanks again to the help and suggestions and especially to James, Mas and Pebeader for their diligence.
 
So glad you were able to get this one worked out. Wish we could have been of more direct help, but sometimes you have to figure out what it isn't, before you find what it is.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and thank you for following up on this, we now have more things to try with the next member to come along with this issue. :)
 
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