edge Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Ok guys, once again, another issue. Bare with me, I ramble, bad, its bad. Im gonna summarize this then explain in painful detail. Summary: Started cleaning pool, vacuumed lots of trash out to waste, Had to empty pump basket countless times, basket cracked due to trash and soome trash has gotten into pump, Pump run "fine", Ive cleaned the system the best I can as is. I have very low pressure while pump is running, No air leak known, Brand new gauge thats working just low pressure 1-2 psi. I need to know how to get the debris out of pump without taking it apart or should I just take it apart and clean it out. Now if you neeed more info... last season, Pump ran fine, Didn't have a gauge that worked so unsure of pressure. Fast forward to today and since opening the pool. Installed a new gauge. I'm seeing like 1-3 psi when the pump is filtering, air purged out, Pumps sounds like its getting plenty of water. Also when I purge the air from the filter, my stream is weak. Much weaker than it was previous to all the vacuuming to waste for this season. Doesn't appear to be an air leak issue as No air coming out of jets once it primes. Its def flowing and circulating lots of water But seems weak. i.e. Doesn't want to run a suction vacuum without "help." Also, No sandy or cloudy water is returning into the pool if that helps to eliminate some plumbing issue. After cleaning the pool, vacuuming huge amounts of debris, loading up the pump basket until it literally cracked. It still catches the debris bit Im buying a new one because obviously the pump isn't meant to chew up everything the vacuum picks up lol. I've sucked lots of stuff into/thru my pump in the past week. I know it's got junk in it. I know trash is in the impeller. I can physically feel it if I reach my hand in there. I can feel very little pieces of stuff sticking thru what feels like a crack, where the impeller meets the body of the pump i guess. Is one of the settings on the valve intended to clear the pump of debris by chance (backwash the pump of debris?) Is there a way to clean the pump out without disassembling? I saw a DYI with a guy using a coat hanging to hook it and just slip it around the edge in there to get junk out but I think that ain't gonna cut it. Due to pressure reading being low, I've checked to make sure the gauge didn't get junk up in it and its clean. As far as air leaks, The T manifold is clean although it was cracked(I epoxied it until I buy one)Should be sealed. The only place I think I may have an air leak is the "spider valve" handle. When changing positions if you dont push down it seems to leak air very slightly. Is there a o-ring in there or Do you just replace it? I am mechanically inclined just new to pool equipment. If needed I'll just take it apart and clean it out , replacing o-rings etc. but to be honest i'm not even sure what my pump PSI should be. I thought like 10 or so. Again its a 16'x32" , 20,000 Gal, vinyl with a hayward 1.5hp pump, sand filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 If you can feel stuff in the impeller, you can usually (at least I can) get it out that way if you don't want to take the pump apart. It's not easy, but possible. For most people, it would probably be easier to just take the pump apart. What kind of pump do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 This may be very important info. Got home yesterday to see some air bubbles returning to thru the returns. Very little bit but they were there. Also, the water coming into my pump never seems to fill to the top of the pump and stays , its like it ALMOST sucking it faster than it can feed it. Even after purging air out of the system it does it every time. I can even fill the pump full, it immediately starts to leak down so I put the cap on quick and tighten it down. Kick it on and again it just acts like its never fully primed. Ir runs, it sucks and pumps but the basket area is about 1/2 full. This is like this no matter whether I select bottom drain, skimmer or both result in same flow going into the pump. I have notice a Gurgling or maybe air leak noise from the spider valve. Cannot pinpoint exactly but I'm considering taking it apart to replace the gasket and oring in there. As far as the pump goes I actually think its a Pentair Whisperflo http://www.sunplay.com/Pentair-WhisperFlo-Pump-011522-p/011522.htm Looks just like it. Yesterday I took the drain plugs out of it and ran a water hose thru it as much as I could then Id fill it with water, kick the pump on and let it push the water out the bottm drain hole until it was almost dry then id refill and repeat. Didnt really see any difference. Wouldn't I just take it apart where the motor bolts to the pump body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 I guess I should have more directly addressed the main question. It sounds like you definitely have a clogged impeller. You're not going to do any good by priming the pump more or better, the blockage is on the pressure (return) side of the system. The water comes into the pump and can't go anywhere but back the way it came. Technically, you COULD have a blockage further along (the multi-port valve, filter, return lines), but based on the things you described, 90% chance it's the impeller. The only reason I asked about the pump was so I could describe how to take it apart, if you (or anyone else needed). There are six 9/16" bolts to remove the motor from the housing. You need an Allen wrench (don't know what size) to remove the diffuser then you can remove the debris from the impeller. Put back together and you should be back to normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Spa Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Pull the basket out of the pump. Reach back into the pump with a pair of long needle nose pliers and work at pulling "stuff" out (gently). You probably can clear it this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thanks again for the replies to all my threads. These have helped me a ton. Im used to forums for car tech etc but when it came to pools I didnt know where to turn without paying for the answers lol I agree, I def think(KNOW) there is junk in the impeller. I believe just going ahead and taking it apart will save me trouble and the possibility of more damage to the pump. I don't want it running daily and be just eating its self up inside or starving for water etc. I can feel the individual impeller blades and there is no large pieces in there but i can feel pieces in the small gap between the impeller and the body of the pump. So on the other side of things (like you stated above) it may be full of junk. OR have stuff wound around the impeller which I cant feel. Either way its worth a shot to try this because that pump is about $650 from what im seeing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 UPDATE! Come home this evening and took the pump apart. It wasn't very hard to figure out the problem. The impellers were all stopped up completely with pebbles. Literally maybe 1 or 2 were somewhat clear. It took an hour to dig out the rocks and get all the junk out of the impeller. They were STUCK. I put the pump back together, primed it, turn it on and guess what...12-14 psi instantly! The pump basket was full and it was pumping like a beast. Oh man was I relieved. i have a small water leak above the pump where the pvc fitting connects to the pressure(top)side but that it! I looked over into the pool and it was moving the water so quick it looked like someone had jumped in it. I just THOUGHT it was doing ok before. I couldnt really get good pictures of the junk in the impeller but lets just say it was clogged with a handful or pebbles the size of nerds candy and bigger. I had to dig them out with a small screw driver. YAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 this is my pump. I was wrong, its a FOXX but a Whisperflo, guess they all like to use that name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Foxx must have had some deal with Pentair. It's a Pentair Whisperflo...Foxx is a builder. Your filter is also a Pentair TR60 even though it has the Foxx name on it....assume the whole pad is Pentair. When you fix the leak on top of the pump, get a pump union...much easier to repair in the future, you will cut the plumbing this time, next time you will replace an o'ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Foxx must have had some deal with Pentair. It's a Pentair Whisperflo...Foxx is a builder. Your filter is also a Pentair TR60 even though it has the Foxx name on it....assume the whole pad is Pentair. When you fix the leak on top of the pump, get a pump union...much easier to repair in the future, you will cut the plumbing this time, next time you will replace an o'ring. I was wondering because it looked identical to the pentair but then when I read it said FOXX I was like umm ok. Also the Skimmer top reads FOXX as well. Im glad I took it apart and got it all cleaned out. this sucker is doing the job and moving WAY more water than I exected. Oh and its much quieter too not that its not starving for water and chewing rocks. Heres a picture of the flow on the far side return and the disturbance on the water, whereas before it would of been slick as glass because of such little return. Heres a video of it running And pressure as of this morning after running all night (freezing temps) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 That leak repair on the top of the filter is an abomination! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Yes it looks like crap I know. I used gorilla glue but for some reason it foams when it cures so it spread out all funny and I pushed it down to flatten it. Then I just silicon-ed over that to make sure it didn't leak there anymore. I'll be replacing the T soon. But I'm not going for aesthetically pleasing pool equipment as much as I am it working and allowing me to use my pool. I will be replacing any broken or "repaired" pieces soon, I just needed to get it to where I could diagnose and fix my major issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Even though I have never successfully "liked" a post (because somehow having ZERO likes is over the daily limit), consider the like button pressed Pool Clown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Ok well damn. Ill paint it black when i get home. That little T is expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 BTW is that pressure a normal filtering pressure? 12-14? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 We're just having a little fun with you. By the way, unless "that little T" is cracked, you should be able to replace a o'ring to stop the leak. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 We're just having a little fun with you.By the way, unless "that little T" is cracked, you should be able to replace a o'ring to stop the leak. :-) well the T itsself is cracked. whoever installed it previously tightened it too much on the male fitting on top and it cracked the plastic. its not leaking now though. I only have one small water leak at the top of the pump where the pressure pipe comes from the pump going into the valve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 This is where its leaking. May could just need tightening. I havent attempted a fix yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Buy one of these... http://www.inyopools.com/parts_praher_high_temp_unions.aspx #3 to be exact and a 2" x 1-1/2" reducer. Next time it leaks, replace the o'ring (or rings). No more replumbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettnolan Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Btw, there is also a white version that is not a high temp union that is cheaper...this is just the first place I found a picture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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