Hello! We have an above ground pool with a sand filter system. We had to buy a new pump last week when the old one finally bit the dust. When we first hooked up the pump, everything ran wonderfully for the first day or two. Now we have hardly any suction at all, it isn't even enough to move the skimmer, and the return is so weak that I can put my hand over it completely with no resistance. We have tried everything we found online. The pump would start strong after we backwashed then would fade again after 30 minutes to an hour, so we thought maybe the sand needed replacing. Did that but still the same result. Pump started off great then I checked it about 30-45 minutes later and almost zero water movement. Turned it off, back on, still very weak. The only time it has good pressure is after a backwash. The skimmer and filter baskets are clean, the water level is correct, there is no air in the filter basket, no leaks anywhere on the system, we don't see any clogs in the lines, I have tried to feel the impellor and could not find anything stuck as best I could determine but it was hard to really dig the way it is set up (my fingers would not reach far into it, and yes, it was unplugged). We are at a loss!! Is there something we are missing or could we have gotten a faulty pump? Thanks in advance for the insight!
Pump losing suction shortly after coming on
- Thread starter jrsdelorenzo
- Start date
cfherrman
TFP Guide
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,847
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome! 
I would also encourage you to post a full set of water test results so we can rule out chemistry. Evening you are describing sounds a lot like an early algae bloom about to happen. Still in light-transparent mode.
I would also encourage you to post a full set of water test results so we can rule out chemistry. Evening you are describing sounds a lot like an early algae bloom about to happen. Still in light-transparent mode.Update! Just wanted to give an update in case anyone experiences the same problem we had. After process of elimination for everything under the sun, we figured out that the new pump we purchased was too strong for the size sand filter we had (we bought a higher HP because the old one never seemed strong enough). We researched and found the correct size sand filter that would accommodate the GPM that our pump was pushing and everything has been running perfectly since!
