Results for "pump losing prime"

Found the pump basket completely packed with air again this morning when I went out to check on the pool — same thing that happened yesterday, and the day before that. Once I manually fill the housing with water and get it going, the pump runs beautifully all day with no issues at all. But the second I shut it off for the night and try to fire it back up, it just churns away with a basket full of air and refuses to catch on its own.

This has become a frustrating daily ritual. I have a standard above-ground setup and the pump is maybe three or four years old. Water level in the pool looks fine, and I haven't noticed any obvious drips or wet spots around the equipment pad. I'm not sure if this is a seal issue, something with a valve, or just normal wear and tear at this point.

Is there a way to track down exactly where the air is sneaking in? I'd love to fix this myself if it's something manageable, or at least know what I'm dealing with before calling someone out.…more

During freezing weather my pool pump starts making this bizarre clicking sound that I've never heard before, and I'm genuinely confused about what's causing it. We have young kids who love to explore everything in the backyard, and I want to make sure our pool pump will be safe sitting outside through the cold months.

I've heard horror stories about pumps getting damaged from freezing, which could lead to expensive repairs or worse - safety issues when we open the pool next spring for the kids. Should I be taking it inside somewhere, or is there a way to properly protect it outdoors? We live in an area that definitely gets below freezing, so I'm particularly concerned about freeze damage.…more

Nobody warned me that after the pool guy installed my new variable speed pump yesterday, I'd be staring at this digital display like it's speaking ancient Greek. The installer basically ran off after hooking it up and now I'm supposed to figure out how to program different speeds throughout the day.

I get that I'm supposed to run it at different RPMs at different times to save energy, but honestly have no clue where to start. Like, what speeds should I use and when? And how do I actually punch this stuff into the control panel? My old single-speed pump was so much simpler - just flip the switch and forget about it!…more

Noticed my 20,000-gallon inground pool vacuum's been running without a vacuum plate and now I'm worried it's dangerous with kids swimming daily. My skimmer doesn't seem to have a separate vacuum port - just the main opening where the basket sits. I've been manually vacuuming by removing the basket and connecting my vacuum hose directly to the suction line, but I lose all skimming action during the process.

The pool stays pretty clean most of the time with my regular chemical balance (chlorine at 2.0 ppm, pH 7.4, alkalinity 120 ppm), but I do need to vacuum weekly to pick up the fine debris that settles on the bottom. Would a vacuum plate help me maintain skimming while vacuuming, or is there another setup I should be considering for my skimmer configuration?…more

Halfway through prepping for our pool party this Saturday, I realized I have no clue which filter setting to use when vacuuming all this debris. I've got some pretty heavy debris that's settled on the bottom of my pool after a storm, and I'm worried about clogging up my filter if I vacuum it all up normally.

The guy at the pool store mentioned something about using the "waste" setting when vacuuming, but I didn't really understand what he meant. Does this actually work, and when should I be using waste instead of the regular filter setting? I don't want to mess anything up since I'm still learning all this stuff.…more

Found out from my wife that our pool filter pressure gauge has been stuck at a weirdly low 6-7 PSI all week and now I can't stop obsessing over it. My 20,000 gallon inground pool has been running fine otherwise, but I'm wondering if this low pressure is something I should be concerned about.

I've heard people talk about high filter pressure being bad, but nobody ever mentions if pressure can be too low. The pump seems to be running, but I'm not sure if the water flow looks as strong as it used to be. Water chemistry has been balanced - chlorine at 2.5 ppm, pH at 7.4, and alkalinity at 110 ppm. Should I be worried about this low pressure reading, and what could be causing it?…more

Walked out to check my pool skimmer this morning and I'm staring at all these mysterious parts with zero clue how they work together. They keep pitching fancy skimmer upgrades and I don't even know how my current skimmer is supposed to work in the first place.

I see leaves and bugs floating on the surface and sometimes they get sucked into that rectangular opening, but other times debris just sits there. Is there something I should be doing differently, or is this normal? I'd rather understand the basics before these salespeople convince me I need to spend hundreds on upgrades.

Basically, what's the step-by-step process of how water and debris move through a skimmer system? I want to know if mine is working properly or if there's a DIY fix I can try first.…more

Three different pool cleaning methods later — skimming, brushing, and running my pump for hours — and my water is still cloudy, so I'm wondering if vacuuming to filter works. Is it okay to vacuum debris directly through my pool's filtration system? Want to make sure I'm cleaning it the right way without damaging anything.…more

My Vegas hotel's pool is supposedly "closed for winter" but I'm literally watching guests splash around in 70-degree weather right now. Do most hotels and resorts close pools during winter months like other places? Or does the desert climate keep them running all year?

Looking at both resort pools and maybe some residential options. Want to know if there's a specific season or if it's pretty much always pool weather out there.…more