6 Steps To Fix A Pool Pump That Won't Prime

From www.swimmingpoolsteve.com/pag... this video talks about 6 troubleshooting steps that you should take if you can not get your pool pump to prime. A pool pump that will not prime is a very common problem for pool owners and fortunately by following a step by step process you can double check the most common reasons why a pool pump will not prime. For most pools this is simply going to be a closed valve preventing the pump from priming or quite often a missing O-ring or failing / dried gasket on a union or the pump lid which needs to be lubricated or potentially replaced.
Of course there are some things that the average pool owner will not be able to troubleshoot or diagnose themselves but if you take these simple steps on your own you can eliminate some of the easy potential fixes before you have to call in a pool professional to diagnose your pump priming issue for you.
#poolpump #plumbingproblems #diyrepair

[@QuaabQueb]

Another top contender is a burnt out mechanical shaft seal. I deal with a handful of these every year. If they get really bad some times you will see some water dripping from the weep-hole beneath the pump in between the wet end/strainer pot and the seal plate.
I have also had strainer pots crack, usually at the bottom due to water getting in over the winter. These can be particularly evasive because they are hard to see and will not always leak.

[@kevinmccall1727]

Is it common for a pool company that's doing weekly maintenance on your pool to leave the o- ring off and not realize it when they turn pump back on and see its leaking?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Lol, yes. Shouldn't be.

[@chadandes869]

My VST super flow or is it just VS it’s VS. It comes on tries to prime then you hear a click and it stops. Everything seems free nothing blocking the lines still no go.

[@phillipmills9797]

What about a clogged filter or air in the filter, would I still be blessed to prime.

[@tiny_toilet]

Steve, I love the feel of pool plaster so much, I actually want to resurface my shower floor with it. Is that a stupid idea? Will it hold up to running water? (My shower is definitely low flow FWIW.) Will it resist growth of mold? Would it be helpful somehow to seal with either penetrating or surface sealer? I wonder how a pebble mix would work, too? Great video as always BTW.

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Plaster is only good for constant submersion. Wet sometimes / dry sometimes locations are no good for plaster. Tile is your only option for this type of environment I think.

[@drdrew3]

FIRST check the areas that are quickest to diagnose and easiest to fix: low water level, stuck weir, full baskets. The tiny air leaks from broken equipment are far less common and extremely time consuming to rule out.
It literally took me weeks to find where the persistent air in my pump basket was coming from… the handle of a suction side ball valve was the culprit. Another several hours to dig and saw and replace with double union sided valve. Twenty years later still waiting for the other 2 original ball valves to fail

[@wilsontyler2305]

I’m a circulation engineer in AD pools pool company in Ghana
I need a vacation in your company please

[@TheNine6]

A stuck weir is the most common over sight, in my experience, for technicians with 20+ year experience. 🤣 Nothing is worse than needed 45 min to figure that out

[@drdrew3]

I was going to make this same comment. A weir door stuck in the closed position will block flow to the skimmer like dam. If you check your skimmer baskets BEFORE focusing on the pump you can save a lot of time.
I was really stumped until I left the noisy pump area and heard the air gulps and waterfall around the stuck door. Lesson learned

[@TheNine6]

@@drdrew3 happened to me year and years ago. Not if I suspect a issues with the suction line (pump fills and dies) I go and watch the skimmer. I usually solved this issue over the phone now