Pool pumps
Pool Pump Problems
Pump trouble usually falls into a few buckets: it will not prime, it will not start, or flow is weak. Each has a short list of likely causes you can work through in order.
Lost prime is almost always a suction-side air leak or a low water level. Weak flow points at clogged baskets, a dirty filter, or a fouled impeller.
A pump that will not start at all shifts the focus to power, the capacitor, and the motor. Start with the simple, cheap causes before assuming the worst.
This page is a short orientation. A fuller write-up is on the way. In the meantime, see Pool Pumps.
Related topics
- Why Your Pool Pump Loses PrimeA pump that keeps losing prime is almost always pulling air somewhere on the suction side. A diagnostic sequence, the O-rings to check first, drain-back explained, and when the pump itself is actually the problem.
- Pump PartsThe wear items behind most pump repairs.
- What High Pool Filter Pressure MeansA pressure gauge climbing 8 to 10 psi above baseline is your filter asking to be cleaned. Here is what it means and how to fix it.