Most Common Pool Pump Problems

Whether its the beginning, mid or end of the swimming pool season your pool pump could wind up having some mechanic problems that could prevent you from using the pools filter system. But most of the time the pump will stop working and can be generally fixed within a few hours or days. Sometimes you can even get away with repairing your pool pump yourself if you are mechanically inclined and also know what is wrong with the pump.

Below you will find some of the most common problems that will occur with your in ground or above ground swimming pool pump and some solutions and troubleshooting tips that may help you get your pump going again in no time.

Always be sure to shut off and unplug your swimming pool pump before working on it. Also, If you are not handy and still have no idea what you are doing, you could always bring your pump to a local pump shop and have it repaired by a professional.

Pool Pump Does Not Have Full Prime

If your pool pump is not priming all the way this could mean you either have an air leak on the suction side of the pump, to low of a water level in the pool or possibly something could be jammed inside the pump impeller. The first thing you will want to do is check the water level in the pool to make sure that it is at least “mid skimmer” which means the water level will be at least up to the middle of the skimmer.

Next you will want to check the pump fittings, gaskets and o-rings to see if they are loose, broken or worn. Things like a flattened o-ring inside of a suction union will cause the pump to suck air. Make sure all the o-rings and gaskets are in good shape.

Once you have checked the pool water level and the gaskets, you also will want to make sure that the pumps impeller is not clogged or jammed with debris. You can do so by opening up the pump strainer cover while the pump is off. Once you have the pump strainer cover off feel the eye of the impeller with your finger and see if you can feel if its free and cleared or gobbed up with junk.

Pool Pump Making A Humming Sound

If your pool pump is making a humming sound it could mean one of three different things. If the capacitor is bad in your pumps motor it will cause the pump to hum in some cases. Always check your pumps capacitor when or if you hear a humming noise. The second reason your pool pump could be a making a humming sound is because the pumps motor windings that are inside of the motor could have got really wet from the rain water or something leaking on the filter system. Let the pump dry out for a while and then try plugging it in again. The last thing that could be causing your pump to make a humming sound is that the motor armature inside of the pool pumps motor could be frozen and stuck. This sometimes happens if the pump has sat for a while with out running. Take a small hammer and tap the motor housing a few times and then try replugging the motor in, sometimes the tap of the hammer on the motors casing will knock the surface rust free inside and then the pumps armature will free up.

Pool Pump Is Blowing The Circuit Breaker

If your pool pump is blowing the circuit breaker then chances are there is something really wrong with the pumps motor. The best thing to do is to bring it down to an electric motor repair shop or you can replace the motor with a new one and reuse the wet end of the pump. Be sure that nothing is jamming the pumps impeller and also make sure the pump has not been sitting in a puddle of water. Sometimes when pool pumps sit in a puddle of water for a while especially after a hard rain, they can get soaked and this will cause the circuit breaker to blow. Usually letting the pump dry out for a day or two and then replugging it bag in will do the trick if the problem was indeed that the motor windings were soaked with water.

Pool Pump Will Not Prime AT All

If your pool pump will not prime there are a few things that you will want to check for. The first thing you will want to do is to make sure that the pump basket in front of the pump has been filled with water before you turn the pump on for the first time of the season. The next thing you should check for is to see if the pump has any loose drain plugs, fittings or o-rings. Once you checked all of those you should check the skimmers. Sometimes the winter plugs are still in the skimmers or the skimmer baskets have become to full of debris and the pump cannot draw in enough water.

Pool Pump Is Sucking Air

Most of the time your pool pump will start to suck air from a bad gasket or o-ring. The first thing to always check when your pump starts sucking air is the strainer cover gasket and then also the o-ring that is inside the union on the front or otherwise known as the suction side of the pump. Once you have checked the o-rings and the gaskets you will next want to check the drain plugs on the bottom of the pump. Pumps like a Hayward Super Pump have a drain plug on the front and the side of the pump. If this plugs loosen up a bit from vibration they can allow air to be sucked into the impeller. If you find a leaking drain plug, remove it, re Teflon tape it and replace it. If you find a bad or flattened o-ring you should also replace it.

If you have any questions or need additional help please feel free to leave your questions below.