Water Not Free-Flowing When Pool Pump Switched On
by Pat Hughes
Sometimes when turning the pump on after shut down over night the water has flowed normally without priming, but sometimes after much priming it has "fired" up quite vigorously making the sand filter bubble in a similar way, which has made the water push through at the base in the pool but not sucking the water in through the skimmer at the top. Now after such an event I cannot get free-flow at all when switching the pump on even after leaving the hose on for some time. The sand filter, I believe, now needs replacement sand which I am about to arrange, but would this be part of the problem? The pool does not have a cover over it and it is sited over a very large tree with debris constantly falling into the pool. Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks for your question Pat I have written about problems like this at these posts: AIR AND BLOW BACK..LOSS OF SUCTION.. Closed Valve Setting Still Lets Water Through!...Pool Leaking.. Above Ground Swimming Pool Losing Water..Running Sand Filter System.. There could be a variety of problems with the loss of suction from the pool pump. *Broken, worn, or torn gasket on the pump lid *Impeller blocked with debris *Loose pump lid *Cracked or broken suction lines Whenever air gets into the system it will create an air pocket in the pool pump. This could be caused by any number of reasons, a few of which are above. The sand in your sand filter should last anywhere between 5 - 10 years, depending on the amount it's used. More use will equal more frequent changing out of the sand. Before you replace the sand I would advise you to look inside the filter to make sure there's enough sand. Your owner's manual or contacting the manufacturer can help with that. Also be sure the sand doesn't need to be de-greased. Squeeze the sand together and if it feels greasy or sticks together, it might need a de-greaser. A good de-greaser is "Filter Fresh" which can be found at any pool store. It's the product I use when the sand filters at the YMCA need to be de-greased. If after de-greasing you're still not getting the pressure you need, it might be time to change out the sand. You should backwash the filter when the pressure reaches 8 - 10psi over "just backwashed" pressure and stop when the water turns clear. This takes about 1 - 2 minutes. Make sure you pool water level is correct; 1/3 to 1/2 up from the bottom of the skimmer(s). Too much water and the skimmer won't have enough suction...to little water and air will get into the system. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out for you Have a great Summer Robert Donation..My Pool Guy.. |
