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

[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!

[BigDave]

Now that you've found the problem, you should probably find a way to fix it. It looks to me like the weir(flapper) is sticking on the water bond(stainless plate in skimmer).
Can you put the weir back in (pump off) and see where it hangs up? If it is hanging up on he water bond, it should be straighforward to remove the water bond, bend the edge that touches the weir back a bit and replace it. Don't try to bend it in place, it's held in with one small bolt through a hole in your plastic skimmer - something will break before the plate bends. If you do this, be sure to replace the water bond it is critical to your pool's electrical safety.

If you're not comfortable with this ( or maybe to preserve warranty ) you may want to get your electrician back to fix the water bond - he should have installed it.

As far as start up chemistry, you're right, you need chlorine. Read through the stickies here and the guides on poolsolutions.com and make a plan. If you have questions, open a thread in the chemistry section. My #1 pool chemistry tip: Order a Taylor k-2006 test kit.

[PoolDoc]

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?

Sorry, we tend to take short cuts with vocabulary, especially this time of year. Yes, the technical name for the flapper is a "weir" -- I won't bother you with an explanation of why. AG = above-ground; IG = in-ground.

By the way, if you keep the pool full (and fix the 'flapper') you normally won't have to work about priming.

Glad you found the problem, though.