Low, inconsistent pressure in return jets & almost no suction inside skimmer

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I moved into a house with a pool a few months ago and everything was working great. About 2 weeks ago I went on vacation for 10 days, and just my luck during those 10 days it rained a bunch and majority of the leaves fell off the trees. I had someone stopping by periodically and emptying the skimmer, but when I returned home it was loaded with leaves. I cleaned it out, cleaned out the basket at the pump, and backwashed the filter. Now the pressure at the return jets is very low, and it is not smooth. I can easily plug the jet closest to the skimmer with my thumb. I also noticed that there are some air bubbles coming from the jets. Today I tried hooking up the vacuum to the inlet at the skimmer and there is no suction. Any suggestions on how to fix this. The primer basket has water coming into it, but the flow is inconsistent and I can see the level move up and down about an inch or two while the pump is sucking. Oh, I also noticed that when backwashing the water flowing out has significantly less pressure than it did when it was working correctly. I also made sure my water level is correct.

Thanks again!

Were there leaves in the pump strainer basket? If it was stopped up, that could cause the symptoms you describe.

Also, if leaves got PAST the pump strainer basket, and have clogged the pump's impeller, that could also cause problems like yours.


Ben

If I remember correctly, there were some leaves in the pump strainer basket, but nothing severe. The skimmer basket was packed though. Also, the first day or two it seemed like there was some suction in the skimmer, but now it seems like there is none at all.

If the pump's impeller is clogged, is it possible to unclog it? If so, can you tell me how?

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I don't recall the pump basket having very many leaves in it. However, I exposed the impeller today and it was not obstructed. There was a very small amount of debris in it, which I cleaned out. I reassembled the pump and fired it up... unfortunately the problem still exists. Any other suggestions? I appreciate any and all help!

You sort of have to work it in stages.

1. Shut the pump off, open the pump basket, let everything drain and stabilize. Fill the pump basket and turn the pump on --JUST BRIEFLY! If the pump is operating correctly, and the filter and lines downstream are operating correctly, the pump basket should empty almost instantly.

2. After checking the pump, if it and the gear downstream seems clear, you'll need to test the lines and valves UPSTREAM of the pump. But, you'll need to post pictures before we could begin to tell you how to do so. Use Picasa, Webshots, Flickr or whatever, to post.