Pump not priming

[jnojr]

I noticed this AM my pump was shutting itself off. It wasn't priming. I cleaned out the skimmer & pump basket, then cleaned the lib and re-lubed the O-ring. For a while, it seemed to be trying to prime, but now I don't see any water being drawn in to the pump at all. The diverter on the suction side looks like it's "Off", but I have no idea why that would be or what might have changed.

 

[Texas Splash]

You have three suction lines. The actuator valve on top pulls water from your spa (OFF right now I believe), then the valve below/right that pulls water from two other sources. Skimmer and what? main drain maybe? Cleaner? Have you tried turning that valve one way or the other? Also made sure the water level is high enough in the pool and that the skimmer weir door (flap) isn't stuck closed?

 

[jnojr]

You have three suction lines. The actuator valve on top pulls water from your spa (OFF right now I believe), then the valve below/right that pulls water from two other sources. Skimmer and what? main drain maybe? Cleaner? Have you tried turning that valve one way or the other? Also made sure the water level is high enough in the pool and that the skimmer weir door (flap) isn't stuck closed?

That's the valve for my suction vac. It was open, I closed it just in case there was some hideous leak. That didn't help.

But I just tried again with it open. Water did start pouring in. Closed it, water continued pouring in. The basket was nearly full and the relief valve on the filter started gurgling, and I thought we might get it! But suddenly all the water in the basket vanished and we were back to square one.

 

[Texas Splash]

So if water was flowing in okay when on the vacuum line, then you lost prime shortly after going back to the skimmer only, that seems to be the problem line right there. The weir door operating okay? Not jammed up? No diverted valve in the bottom of the skimmer that may be closing the suction hole? Any chance of a potential clod in that skimmer line? It would seem unlikely if the skimmer basket has always been in there, but had to ask.

 

[jnojr]

So if water was flowing in okay when on the vacuum line, then you lost prime shortly after going back to the skimmer only, that seems to be the problem line right there. The weir door operating okay? Not jammed up? No diverted valve in the bottom of the skimmer that may be closing the suction hole? Any chance of a potential clod in that skimmer line? It would seem unlikely if the skimmer basket has always been in there, but had to ask.

I think losing suction at any given position of the vaccum valve was a coincidence. I just tried again, and with that valve open, closed, or any point in between water was NOT running into the pump. I have no idea why water would sometimes run and sometimes not.

 

[Texas Splash]

Let me tag a couple guys who may know more about the spa actuator valve as that seems to be the only other item standing in your way of good prime that I can see.
@mknauss
@ajw22

 

[ajw22]

The suction actuator just moves the handle with a motor. I don't think this has anything to do with the prime problem. The valve looks like it is set properly to have the spa suction off and pool suction on.

The diverter in the valve may have broken. I would pull the actuator off the valve. Then open up the valve remove the diverter and examine it. Put the handle on the diverter without the actuator and control it manually until you solve your prime problem.