How to PRIME a Swimming Pool Pump | Very Informative!

[Music] hey guys it's mark from hallmark pool supplies i'm here today to talk to you guys about how to prime the pump on your swimming pool although there are a lot of different systems and a lot of different pools the priming process is going to be the same and for this video i'm going to be working with a hayward filter system with a hayward super pump and i'm going to explain the easiest way we can go about priming our pump so first let's look at why we would be priming a pump maybe you lost prime maybe you just bought a brand new pump and you've installed it and you've got to get it started well when you buy a pump obviously there's no water in it manufacturers usually will tell you to fill the pump with water before starting this is so that we can prime the pump on your average swimming pool we have a drain and we have a skimmer some pools have multiple drains some pools have multiple skimmers it really makes no difference the priming process will be the same because we are going to be priming one line at a time it does make it easier for the pump to catch prime it's kind of like us drinking from a straw we can drink easier from one straw than two or three straws at the same time so we look at the lines coming in we have a drain line and we have a skimmer line if both lines are open i'm pulling 50 percent of water from the drain and 50 percent water from the skimmer if i close one line then i'm obviously pulling a hundred percent from one line and zero from the other the pump does not care which line we prime from we're just going to prime one at a time so the best thing to do when we're getting ready to prime is we want to open the lid and in this case we're going to open the lid and we're going to examine the lid and make sure the lid is good make sure it's not cracked make sure that the there's no debris or trash on the lid we also want to make sure that we inspect the o-ring or the gasket make sure that it's nice and clean because if the gasket is damaged or the lid is cracked or there's trash in here it will not make for a good tight seal we also want to make sure our plugs are nice and tight in this case we've got one on the front we've got one on the side because if these plugs are not tight or they're loose they will suck air and it is very important that we don't have any suction leaks as we call them because it will make it much harder for the pump to prime and once we do get the pump primed if we're sucking a lot of air we don't want to have air leaks or suction leaks and i will be making a video pertaining to that at a later date so let's just assume that everything is good we've got a drain we've got a skimmer everything's airtight the first thing we want to do is we want to close the drain and we want to close the skimmer by closing these valves completely now we're going to be able to get our garden hose we're going to put our garden hose into the pump and we want to let the garden hose run and we're going to fill this pump literally flush to the top it will automatically start pouring out we know that we've got it good and filled once we've done so we're going to remove the hose then we're going to come back here and we are going to put the lid down making sure that the lid is good and secure nice and tight like so and at this point if i can reach the switch to the pump and work the handle we're good if the switch is further away you may want to have somebody operate the switch while you work the handle but the idea is to turn the pump on and as soon as we turn the pump on we're going to open this valve ever so slightly and what we're going to do is we're going to use this as a reference point we're going to see the water coming in and when we initially turn the pump on we're going to see the water drop and then you're going to see water coming in and as it's coming in you're going to see it get faster and faster then that lets us know we can open the skimmer just a little bit more we're going to see the water coming in even faster then we're going to open a little bit more and we're just going to have to give it a moment be patient as it's running and the water's coming in and we look like we're doing good then we can open it all the way and she'll start running she starts filling up we've got it primed we know it's good then we're going to go over to the other line because remember we're going to do one line at a time now we're going to go to the drain and we're going to open the drain just ever so slightly if we open the drain all the way up we're going to lose prime we've got to do it slowly just like we did the first one little by little and as we go we see more and more air coming in that's because we're pulling water from the drain now and as it's coming in it's filling up we can then open it a little bit more now it's starting to run even better then we can open it all the way and now it's primed and now it's running so at this point it was very very basic very simple and there are a lot of different scenarios for an example if the system is level with the pool if the system is lower than the pool or the system is higher than the pool all will determine how easily uh this pump will prime we also have distance if the pool filter system is 20 feet from the pool or if it's a hundred feet from the pool will make a big difference in regards to how easy or how quick the system will prime in this case it primed very easily this is what we normally deal with but let's just say we are dealing with a system that is maybe further away or we're pulling water uphill so it causes the pump to work a little bit harder to pull that water to us well in that case what we want to do is we're going to do the same thing we're going to have these valves closed we're going to make sure that we open the pump we're going to get our hose put water in here fill this all the way up just like before then we're going to take the hose out we're going to make sure we secure the lid and put the lid down nice and tight i'm going to turn the pump on as soon as i turn the pump on i'm going to open the valve just a little bit to let that water start coming in and like i said before it doesn't matter if i use the drain or the skimmer pump doesn't care as long as it's getting water but we're going to do this very very slowly and we're going to start bringing the water in and you start seeing it coming in and you've got to sit here and watch it and let's just say that you see the water just coming in and it's just not increasing it's staying at the same rate remember this is a visual point so it's coming in and it's just not really building up any more flow or it literally stops if this happens then what we want to do is we want to close this and then immediately turn off the pump then what we're going to do is we're going to open the lid and we're going to get our hose and we're going to put water in it again i'm going to fill it all the way back up again and then we're going to take our hose out we're going to put our lid back on make sure this is secure and then we're going to turn on the pump and at the same time start to open this valve slowly again like where we had it before and we're going to watch this and we're going to see the water coming in and if the water comes in and it starts building up and getting faster then we can go ahead and start to open this a little bit more and as we open it more you're going to see more and more water coming in what we're doing is we're pulling that water towards us now let's say the same thing happens again because we're pulling from a further distance or we're pulling uphill then at that point we want to close this turn off the pump now we're going to be able to open this again and we're going to be able to get our hose and we're going to have to put water in it fill it back up again make sure she's nice and flush then we take our hose out now we can put this back on nice and tight and then we're going to be able to come over here and turn the pump on and at the same time open this same valve that we were already working with in this case it's the skimmer and we're just going to let that water come in and now we start to see water coming in a little bit more she's starting to run she's getting primed it's what we want then at that point we can open a little bit more if it if it backs down we can always close the valve just a little bit more let it catch up once it catches up then we're going to be able to finally open that valve and we're going to have that primed then we're going to do the same thing with the drain we're going to open it up slowly you're going to get a lot of air the water is going to go down that's normal because we're now going to prime this line and we just let this go and slowly work it little by little like we did the skimmer and this will prime now let's just say for an example that we open this up a little too much and we lost prime again no worry all we're going to do is we're going to turn off the valves here and then we're going to turn off the pump that way we can open this back up and put more water in it again sometimes you have to prime pumps multiple times depending on height or distance and what we're doing as an example is kind of like this glass of water that i have with a straw if i put the straw in and put my thumb over the straw you can see that it holds the liquid and the moment that i release my thumb you see the water come out this is what these valves are doing these valves are holding the water that we've pulled from the pool to the pump so that we don't lose that flow and this way once this gets primed these valves will hold that water just like my thumb over the straw so at this point time we've got this filled back up we're going to put our lid back on tighten her down we're going to turn on the pump as soon as we turn on the pump we're going to be able to open this valve slowly but what we're going to find is we're going to actually be able to open it a little bit quicker because we already had that line primed and now it's running and now we're going to go back to this line and work it again slowly until this starts filling up and we get all the air out now everything is running it's getting better now we can open it and now we've got it primed and so it's running now it's fully primed and it is very important that when priming a pump that you make sure that it is primed and you do have it going because you do not want to walk away from this if this is just barely running because pumps that run with no water in them for a long period of time this is a normal basket from a hayward super pump and this is the result of the same basket in a super pump when it is running with no water in it it gets so hot the water will literally boil i have seen baskets shrivel up like this i've seen pumps get so hot that the plumbing even gets warped and deformed if we have that we're going to have a bigger problem so always stand by the pump to make sure that it is primed it's running you've got it good and for those of you that have systems that are higher than the pool anytime we want to clean the basket in the pump it's always wise to turn off the pump and then close both valves so that we can open this to clean our basket out when we get debris in it when we're done we can put the basket back in we can secure the lid and once we've done so we're going to be able to turn the pump on and then be able to open our valves back up because keep in mind at that point we're already primed the reason we're doing that is because if i leave the valves open and remove the lid it's just like the straw with my thumb all the water is going to go back down and then you're going to have to prime the pump again this right here will hold the prime so when you clean this out and put it back on and open these up you'll be ready to go okay so as a rule of thumb we also want to make sure when we're priming a pump that we also have enough water in the pool because if your water level's low you're definitely not going to be able to prime so make sure that the water levels high enough and for those of you that are having or experiencing a problem priming off of the skimmer it could be that you have a clogged skimmer and if that is the case i will be making a video at a later date in regards to unclogging your skimmer and i want to thank you guys for the recent support we've been getting a lot of new subscribers lately if you guys haven't already subscribed do so now if you guys found this video to be helpful make sure you hit the like button if you have any questions comment down below or contact me i will be glad to help remember us for all your pool needs at hallmarkpoolsupplies.com as always i appreciate you watching my name is mark and i'll see you guys on the next video [Music] you

Channel: Hallmark Pool Supplies

Views: 55,109

Rating: 4.8725867 out of 5

Keywords: swimming pool, pools, in ground pool, above ground pool, pump, pool pump, priming a pump, diy, how to, hallmark pool supplies, filter system

Id: YztmTi68HXI

Length: 12min 49sec (769 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 05 2021