Low flow problems

Jedi Jeff · Postby **Jedi Jeff** » Sat 04 Jun, 2011 12:33

Just opened my pool for the summer. inground 16x32 8 deep, salt water system, had to replace the pump motor, local pool guy said a 1hp motor was adequate for my pool. impeller was cleaned all seals replaced. Had a problem with pump taking prime. This has been resloved. However the pump runs fine with good pressure for about 30 minutes to hour then it loses suction/flow. filter has been backwashed and cleaned. This is an older and i suspect rednecked engineered pool (not by me) there is no pressure guage. Air accumlates in the pump basket(clear top). I can run the system on waste, or backwash for minute and place back on filter, or by removing and replacing the clean pump basket top, runs ,with good pressure and flow then gradually diminishes again.

Jeff

Gator12 · Postby **Gator12** » Fri 10 Jun, 2011 07:51

It sounds like you are just sucking in air somewhere. I would check to make sure the o-ring on the clear pump basket lid is not cracked and is lubed up. This was part of the problem with my pool losing prime over time. The other part was an old Jandy 3-Way Valve was sucking in some air. I just replaced the valve and re-plumbed the couple of feet of pipe to the pump.

This website should help finding where you are sucking in air from
http://www.poolplaza.com/pool-school/po ... _air.shtml

Postby **czechmate** » Fri 10 Jun, 2011 08:49

Jedi Jeff wrote: This is an older and i suspect rednecked engineered pool (not by me) there is no pressure guage. Air accumlates in the pump basket(clear top).
Jeff

You already went thru some expense. I would not run a full size pool without a pressure gauge. Sometimes you can not tell how high the pressure is, with extra 4 " after rain.
It can be costly if your filter can cracks and pump will drain below skimmers.
Check all return lines, skimmers etc, for leaks. You may also be starving the pump.

willie · Postby **willie** » Sun 24 Jul, 2011 13:05

I had been experiencing reduced flow and high preesure at the gauge (30psi as opposed to 15psi). It is a Hayward sand filter with a top mounted multiport valve. After eliminating a faulty multiport valve, pump or clogged return lines, I removed the sand from the filter, removed the laterals and removed the lateral assembly with the center pipe. The good folks at Hayward poured some sort of epoxy or fiberglass resin in the bottom of the lateral assembly in the manufacturing process. This hardened resin is about 1/8 inch thick and about 2-1/2 inches in diameter and it WAS affixed to the inside bottom of the lateral assembly (below the center pipe). Having dislodged istself over time, this fiberglass "biscuit" was loose in the lateral assembly and had effectively turned itself into a stopper regarding the upflow through the center pipe. When the pump was first turned on, this "biscuit " would be sucked up flat against the bottom of the center pipe and cut off the majority of the water flow back out of the multiport valve to the pool. I removed the "biscuit" by reaching into the lateral assembly holes with needle-nosed pliers and breaking the "biscuit" into small pieces. They would then drop out of the center pipe to be discarded. Put everything back together and it works like new. This was a very odd problem and I hope this helps others

jday1960 · Postby **jday1960** » Tue 16 Aug, 2011 20:19

can low reduce my chlorine flow out of a frog cycler. I am not getting good flow, sealed up what I coulde fine replaced o rings, etc. Still not getting much cholrine in pool from frog cycler(no where near as much as in the recent past). COnstantly having to add chlorine manually algae every week for the first time ever. Help!!!!!