Pool Pump Problem

[aquamom]

Someone please help! After mucking with this thing for a week and a half I am about to go nuts!

We have an 18x36 inground run on a Hayward S-200 pump. The pool was pretty nasty. I am talking frog/tadpole pond. So I added algecide and triple shocked the pool and was running the pump. Everything was going fine.

The next morning after doing so and cuting the pump back on it ran for about 2-3 hours. I came out to check on it and noticed that the jets in the pool were not blowing out water and that the pump was not primed anymore. So I shut everything off and tried to backwash. NOTHING, no prime, no nothing. No mater what position I put the vari-flow valve in, it does nothing. The pump sounds fine, the impeller is fine and turns freely. I tried using a drain jet in the skimmer as well as in the pump housing, thinking there is a clog somewhere. Again nothing. So I decided to open the pump up and check the sand, though it was replaced in 2004 and the pool was not used then or barely in 2005. Anyway, sand is gross, dead poles and muck, etc. So I put in new clean sand and even run the drain jet into the return pipes to the pool.

I have manually tried to prime the pump by filling the housing with water and letting it overflow and then slapping the lid on and cutting it on. The water spits back out the hole and then nothing! Maybe I need to keep trying to manually prime it??? Short of calling in the pool peeps who want 70 bucks for coming over and 70 per hour there after. Maybe a bunch of fill dirt to get rid of this money pit is in order instead! HELP!

TYIA!
Laura

[21958]

have you checked to make sure their is no debris caught in the pump impeller it may still turn fine but leaves and such can cause priming difficulties.. check the gasket under the lid making sure it is properly inplace and not got debris on it. Could be a split or leak at a connection in suction side of pipe.

[Walter]

you could also have an air lock in the system, usaully after a night of sitting it should come out and you should be able to prime it back up.