Pump looses power after 5 min

bhoat · Postby **bhoat** » Fri 06 Mar, 2009 09:08

I have an old in ground pool, with some marcite dropping off. I just replaced my pump motor, pump gaskets, orings, and some fittings. It does still shoot out some bubbles on the return jets.
I turn on the pump after cleaning the cartridge filter and it provides great initial flow and pressure. after several minutes flow is cut down. If I am vacuming the pool, the same. I am not sure how to diagnose the problem.

Postby **Me...** » Fri 06 Mar, 2009 10:50

If you have a suction leak, then vacuuming should lose prime much quicker than just normal filtering because of the increased draw on the skimmer line. This assuming your vac hose is prefilled and the pump is not just sucking the air out of the hose.

Do you have separate main drain and skimmer lines? Does shutting off one line make more or less bubbles return?

Do you lose water?

If yes, that leads more to a suction leak UNDER water level somewhere.
If no, then possibly look for a suction leak ABOVE the water level somewhere.

You replaced pumps parts but did that include a new pump seal? Air can be sucked in there. The fitting threaded into the front of the pump is a common place for suction leaks as are any valves and unions in front of the pump.

Bob O · Postby **Bob O** » Fri 06 Mar, 2009 16:37

Thank you for the reply,
I have only one return, my skimmer. I put an adapter on the skimmer for my vacume.
Should I try and fix the bubbles and see what happens?

Postby **Larry** » Sat 07 Mar, 2009 02:02

Should I try and fix the bubbles and see what happens?

If there are bubbles that indicates a leak on the suction line as Me... suggested. That would cause the pump to lose prime as it cavitates and you would correspondingly lose suction and pump pressure.

clewis138 · Postby **clewis138** » Sun 07 Jun, 2009 10:45

help, im having the same prob. any help?