Thanks for the input guys. the pump need to be wired for 115v because the is no 220v available, and it's IG. The home owner doesn't want another new filter, so here is where it stands now. I hooked an air compressor up to the the suction side (made a set-up with brass fittings and a blow valve) blew air through to the skimmer, shot water up the the top of the lanai, the blew air through the return line, and that worked fine too. So I installed a 3/4hp supermax pump, along with a tee fitting with a ball valve to hook up to the garden hose (to help with priming), put the filter back together with a new manifold and grids, and put in a new spider gasket. The new pump wouldn't catch prime either! it fills up the filter, but the pump itself never fills up.

That led me to believe that it was pulling air from somewhere. The customer is clearly upset. So I told him that the cheapest thing I could do is just bypass the slimmer altogether, and drop the suction pipe into the deep end of the pool (you can only see about 1' of pipe, everything else is buried). Wouldn't you know, the pump STILL won't catch prime, even with a shut-off valve in-line. if there is something going on with the multi port valve or the filter, could that keep the pump from priming? He also has a chlorinator, which i checked out while I was troubleshooting, and that had no obstructions either.


We're at close to $600 for parts, and I quoted him turn-key ready at $750, before the I knew of the other problems.... I'm lost as to what to do now, I've got 3 1/2 days labor/troubleshooting into it. If you do the math, it's actually costing me more money driving out the than I'm gonna take home. I want to make this guy and his wife happy, so there is no way I can leave it unfinished... what is the best way tell him that I need more money? I need to get that squared up first thing in the AM, before I get another day's labor in to it.