What could cause a pool pump to barely pump. The motor is running fine .Ican see water from thr inlet side going into the strainer basket but it never really builds up very much pressure.The strainer basket never really fills completely thanks
does it pump OK in "backflush" or "waste"? If not, the pump impeller may be worn out. If it pumps OK, then I'd check the gasket in the valve, and both filter baskets.
If debris gets past the filter (usually a basket at the pump inlet) it can get trapped in the impeller and/or volute. This will result in very poor performance. I've found that seed pods from some of my trees are the worst culprit. The repair isn't all that difficult but does involve separating the pump halves which are frequently held together with a large band clamp. Once its accessible just clean the debris out and reassemble.
If this solves the problem the next step is to get a filter basket that has smaller holes. I've found that some after market baskets have larger holes and result in the problem.
RB
Gary wrote:
This will also happen with excessive back-pressure on the pump. Check the differential across your filter, and restrictions in the plumbing returning water to the pool.
Paul K
You might have to remove the pump vane cover from the motor and clean the pump vanes. Mine gets clogged with tree debris and it really slows the movement of the water. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....
The "inlet" side of the pump is called a volute. The volute is bolted or clamped to the motor of the pump. If you separate these items from one another you will find, on the motor side, a diverter and behind the diverter is the impeller. You most likely have some vegetation caught in your impeller. You can dig it out using a small piece of wire, a twist tie or pipe cleaner. This will keep you from having to take off the impeller and possibly damage the shaft seal.
When putting it back together, you will need to lube the o-ring with Super-Lube.(A teflon based lube sold at any pool store.)
If you need more help, snipped-for-privacy@bellsouth.net
Hope this helps. Daryle Abel
Ahhh, volute. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....
Have you tried backwashing recently?
AJS
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