Can't prime my pool pump -- what am I doing wrong?

[PoolBoy48]

Hi there, I don't believe I know how to prime my pump correctly. The strainer section overflows when I open it so I can't add much more water but as soon as I turn on the pump the pressure gauge only reaches 5psi and the water in the strainer area goes down by half. Is there a simple explanation for this?

[PoolDoc]

Is there a simple explanation for this?

Probably. But without seeing your piping and filter, and knowing your pool layout, it's hard to tell.

There are a bunch of videos on YouTube, but most of the ones we've looked at are pretty bad. However, this service guys videos are much better than average, and he covers a number of possible issues with priming or pump behaviour:

MrDgvb1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k-B...4D975AEA898B07