I have a hayward two speed pump feeding a clean and clear single cartridge CC 200 filter. My pump loses its prime over night. No water seen leaking from any joints or connections. Replaced the air relief valve and pressure gauge. The strange part I’m finding is briefly opening the air relief and the valve actually SUCKS air in, with significant pressure which causes the pump to prime. It seems counteer intuitive to me that ingesting air from the discharge side would cause the pump to come to life. I’ve thought of adding a check valve, but I think that’s more of a band-aid for symptoms and not a cure. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hello JHarbinson - It sounds like you may have a suction side air leak. The common areas for air leaks are the pump lid o-ring, the intake fitting on the pump and the diverter valves in front of the pump.
There are a couple ways you can test for suction side air leaks. The first test is the incense method. With the pump running, you wave a lit incense stick near the suspected leak area. The smoke will be drawn to the point of an air leak. Another method is to use a running garden hose. With the pump running. you can run water onto the suspected leak areas. Any air should disappear from the pump strainer if there is an air leak.
A check valve installed on the suction side of the pump plumbing is common and will help with holding the prime.
Thank you for shopping with INYOpools.com!