Seeking help with new pool- sand filter works barly for short time and no pressure

[aylad]

A 1 HP pump should be plenty for your pool--I have a 1 HP pump on my 18 x 36 IG and it works just fine.

When you turn the pump on, are you making sure that there is sufficient water level in the pool? Does the pump ever prime?

[tallguyy808]

i dont know if air is seeping in. ill try the shaving cream trick.
I took the pump off and brought it to namco last night. they just put it to power and ran a hose to it and said it was fine.
i hooked it up and i swear its worse. he told me to put it in bypass to pool mode ...and it didnt help. ill get no pressure on the guage still..and it will only shoot into the pool a hair...then after awhile you it will make gurgling noise...and it will push lots of water into the pull and suck at the pool skimmer like crazy for a short time then stop completly...then it wont push water at all. i even took the cap off the motor skimmer...and unlike before...now water just sits there. its full...then after time water will start rising......if i leave it open after a lilttle bit wham! it will suck the water in and push it into the pool for a short time...then nothing all over again. it still seems like a pump to me. no?

[BigDave]

Would you please take pictures of your equipment and connections, put them in picasa ( or photo bucket or whatever family friendly photo sharing you like ) and post a link here?

[tallguyy808]

How about a video. This is my first youtube upload...hope you can view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHNtRUB1Xlg

I tried the shaving cream test today...and it looks like it wont work with gel style cream lol so ill have to get regular shaving cream.
I called the installer 2 times today without a call back. this is all getting fustrating. im going to namco on break again too.

[tallguyy808]

happy day! Its fixed! after showing my video to the manager that tested the pump last night...he schooled me about priming the pump and how the system must be closed to keep the prime. Pretty much that i cant have the cover off and you must have prime when the motor starts...if you lose it you are not going to get it back since my filter has no bleeder. Now get this....the problem was the skimmer flapper!
I took it completely off then opened the lid on the pump skimmer and i got tons of consistant water..i was like WOW...i sealed it up tight and started the pump and whoosh its working perfect now and has 10lbs of pressure.

thanks all for your help and i hope this helps someone else if they have this happen to them.

now i just need to read the forums and learn about chemicals. im gonna run the pump till bed time and i put some shock in that has sodium chlorine...hopping it will raise the chlorine level which is reading 0.

[tallguyy808]

wierd my reply hasnt shown up yet. i posted a link to the video of it on youtube...is that now allowed?

[aylad]

Your link to the youtube video is still in the mod queue...Ben needs to approve that one before it's added to the forum. I'll alert him that it's here, and ask him to look at this thread while he's at it...


Janet

[PoolDoc]

Tallguy,

The video is helpful. I'm pretty sure the problem is you've got a sticking weir in your skimmer, so the skimmer doesn't stay flooded. AG pumps are not necessarily 'self-priming' so when air gets in, the pump air locks.

Try this: raise the water level in the pool ABOVE the weir gate, so the skimmer remains flooded 100% of the time, and then try again.

[tallguyy808]

ahh pooldoc i didnt see your reply...that the post went to 2 pages. is the flapper a weir? Also what is an AG pump?

i think my water level is fine......when the pool was filled it was on the 2nd screw down on the housing...now its inbetween that one and the one below with evaporation and loss from unhooking etc etc. thanks man! wish i saw your post earlier.
i have lotssssssss to learn about pools!