Help, new pump not working

[Poconos]

Sorry for not getting to this sooner but I wasn't on the forum yesterday. What cover are you talking about that you can't get off? Sounds like you have an air leak somewhere on the suction side. It doesn't take much of a leak to prevent the pump from priming. These pumps are not designed to pump air, only liquid. They will pull a slight vacuum then damp and virtually no vacuum when dry. Whether they prime on their own or not is determined by how much vacuum they can pull and the level of the pump above the water surface. To help it along with priming you should fill the pump basket chamber with water, seat the lid, then fire the pump. Most common source of an air leak is the pump basket lid gasket. Wipe clean the gasket and mating surface and lube the gasket with silicone grease. If you see any cracks, tears, etc on the gasket, replace it.
Hope this helps.
Al

[jnorris]

Al, you are my hero! But I swear, I had already tried what you said, but because you said to do it, I gave it one last shot. I took the lid off the pump basket, inspected the o ring, it looked brand new, took it off, wiped around the lid rim, put the o ring back on, filled up the pot as much as I could, hurriedly put the lid on, and started it up. It worked!

Now, tell me why it would suddenly stop working? Should I just replace the o ring (5 month old pump, o ring looks brand new), or should I be lubricating it each time I open the pump pot? I only open it every couple of weeks or so, to clean it out, usually there's not much in there but a couple of small bugs.

[Poconos]

What make/model of pump? Should not be any need to lube every time the lid is taken off, just make sure the sealing surfaces are clean. In 9 seasons I've never replaced the gasket in mine and lube it usually at beginning of season...sometimes. As I said it only takes a tiny leak when the basket is not loaded with water for it to fail to prime, especially on low speed. Does the water drain out when the pump is off? If so you may have a leak somewhere else in the system that lets water drain back through the skimmer. In any case, glad it's working again.
Al