What to Do if Your Pool Pump Won't Prime

If your pool pump wont prime that means that it is not able to relapse all of the air from the pump and is not moving water through it. This can be a problem because for your swimming pool to stay in tip-top shape, the pool pump has to prime. There are number of reasons why your pool pump might not prime. Once you have determined the cause of the problem, you can fix it.

Causes

Your pool pump may not prime for any number of reasons. There may not be enough water in the strainer housing and therefore a suction leak has been created. You might have a leaking joint or a loose strainer cover. The washer, or O-ring, that fits under the strainer housing may be worn out and damaged. There may be some debris lodged in the piping causing a clog. Debris may have gotten into the system and damaged or broken the impeller.

Your problem may also be caused by poor placement of your pool pump. Before you get involved in a big diagnostic test, you should make sure that the pump is placed at water level. If you need to, you can place it just a bit above the water level. The pump should also be close to the pool. If it is more than 10 feet away, it may not work properly. Many manufacturers recommend that you not keep the pump more than 20 feet away.

Solutions

You can run through a number of tests to determine if you can repair the pump yourself. These tests are easy and may save you from calling a technician out to your home.

First you want to turn off the pump and close all of the valves. You want to try to release all of the air from the system. In order to do this, you will need to open the air relief valve. Most pools are fitted with such a valve. If your pool wasn’t fitted with an air relief valve, you can open the strainer and allow some of the air pressure to escape.

You should then check the strainer basket. See if there is unwanted debris present. If so, discard it. Also, check to make sure that the basket is not damaged. A damaged basket could harm other pump components. This is also the time that you should check the impeller. Debris could have actually broken the impeller, although it could just be damaged. You should carefully examine the O-ring to make sure that it is not worn or damaged. A worn or damaged washer can prevent a good seal and allow air to enter the system. 

If you haven’t found a solution from the above procedures, you can open one suction valve at a time and try to release any built up air. After purging each line, you can test the pump to see if it will work. You can continue in this way until you have checked each individual suction valve.

If you aren’t able to get your pool pump to prime using these procedures, you should call a professional.