Priming Your Pool Pump: A Guide | Pool Maintenance NJ

Priming Your Pool Pump: A Guide

Pool Maintenance NJ - Once spring hits and you’re looking to open the pool, you can’t miss the crucial step of priming the pump. This will allow your pump to more readily draw water from the pool. It doesn’t take long, but it does require adherence to several steps. You can do this on your own or you can hire a professional to handle it for you as part of pool opening services.

Follow these steps to priming your pool pump:

1. Turn the system off. Do this whenever you’re working on your pool for safety’s sake.

2. Open up the air relief valve on top of your filter. This will remove any excess air pressure present in the system.

3. Open the pump basket lid to remove any debris inside.

4. Inspect your pump basket lid for any cracks. Take a look at the condition of the O-ring and make sure it is lubricated.

5. Turn the Multiport Valve to Recirculate: This will help you bypass the filter system, so the water coming into the pump will enter only via your multiport valve. The water will filter right back into the pool without touching the inside of the filter. Remove plugs in the skimmer or return jet so as to ensure the smooth flow of water.

6. Fill the Pump with Water: Take off the pump lid, inspecting that all drain plugs are in place to avoid leaks. Use your garden hose to fill the pump housing containing the basket. Basically you’re filling the lines from the skimmer to the pump so as to create suction for the water. Two minutes of filling ought to do it. You could also directly spray water via the hose nozzle right into the pipe by aiming the nozzle into the opening inside the pump housing.

7. Turn on the Filter: Turn on the system once the air relief valve is open and the pump lid is back. If it doesn’t work, there is no suction or the water is sputtering, there’s probably not enough water in the lines and you may have to add more. Just go through the above step once more. If you don’t see air bubbles in the lid when the pump housing is filled with water, you know you’ve done it correctly.

8. Listen for air flowing out of the air relief valve on the filter.

9. Close the valve when you notice water is steadily flowing out of the air relief valve.

10. Close the diverter valve, then open up the air relief valve again so as to get out any air.

11. Close the air relief valve and turn off the system.

Pool Maintenance NJ - Having problems with priming your pool pump? No worries, just call Central Jersey Pools at 732-462-5005. This is part of our pool opening service package that we offer our New Jersey customers.