‘No Water Flow in Your Pool Pump’ Solutions

If you’re experiencing low or no water flow, don’t despair! This is a common issue and can be an easy fix sometimes. Here are a few quick checks you can do to see where the problem might be and some simple ways to rectify them.

Flow problems can happen for a few reasons, and if not fixed quickly, they can further damage your equipment, costing you more than expected! If you would like assistance, you can book one of our experienced team members to find and fix the problem for you here!

Top 6 reasons for low or no flow

#1 Blocked Baskets

The most common reason for low or no water flow is that your skimmer and/or pump baskets are full of leaves or other debris. Check and empty both the skimmer basket (by the pool) and the pump basket (inside the pump) to reduce restrictions & help free up the water flow. Check for broken or cracked baskets at the same time & replace if required. Note that you should not have leaves consistently building up in the pump basket. They should be collected in the skimmer basket. If this happens regularly, it usually suggests your skimmer basket may have a split. If pump baskets are choked with leaves, you risk blocking the impeller inside the pump (see point 5 below).

*Always turn the pump off before you remove the baskets! If your pool pump is below water level, you must close any valves in front of the pump and set the multiport valve on the filter to ‘closed’ to avoid water spilling everywhere!

#2 Low water level

The ideal water level for your pool is at least halfway up the skimmer box opening. Your pool water level can drop below the skimmer box and reduce (or even stop) water flow through the system during long spells of hot weather, windy conditions, no rainfall, or just extra swimming. Sometimes, the water level looks right, and the pump will prime but lose prime again within a few seconds. We call this surging, and low water levels cause it.

*When filling the pool with water from the garden hose or water tank, ensure that your water is tested with us for phosphates after you’ve filled your pool to the correct level.

#3 Check if your pump is primed

Look through the clear pump lid while it is on; if it isn’t filled with water, your pump isn’t “primed”. Sometimes, however, it can be hard to tell as the pump is completely full, so you need to look for leaf movement in the basket.

If you’re still not sure, look at the chlorinator cell. Is it full? If yes, your pump is primed. Still not sure? Next, check your filter’s pressure gauge, if there is pressure, then you likely have water flowing. Finally, check your pool. Is water coming out of the return jets? If there is, you have a primed pump!

Pumps are not always fully primed right to the top, but they should be at least at the top of the basket.

If your pump is not primed, turn the pump off and remove the lid (don’t lose the o’ring!). Empty the pump basket of debris and replace it, then use a bucket to fill the pump manually. This is called priming.

Pour it in slowly, and once the water stops gurgling and the level stays level with the bottom of the inlet pipe, replace the pump lid with the o’ring and turn your pump back on. This is usually enough to “jump-start” the pump, although if water doesn’t start flowing through after 30-60 seconds, turn the pump off.

Sometimes, priming won’t work on the first try, and you must repeat it a few times to make it catch. To help with water flow, try disconnecting the suction cleaner, removing the vacuum plate, and cleaning the skimmer basket before trying again.

Still no flow? While the pump is turned off, rotate the multiport valve handle to “recirculate” and try priming the pump again.

If, after these tips, you still can’t get your pump to prime, and you’ve tried all the tips in this article, it’s time to turn the pump off, give the pool a shock dose of chlorine, and contact us for assistance.

#4 Do you have a variable-speed pump?

Save power and money with variable-speed pumps that operate at lower speeds. The only drawback is a potential decrease in the flow rate. Most variable speed pumps start at high speeds to prime the system and then switch to a lower speed setting after 5 minutes to reduce power costs.

If you do have a variable speed pump, you should ensure your system stays primed once it switches to its lower speed setting. To do this, start with the pump off, then switch it on and observe the water flow through your salt chlorinator cell housing. Or check the return lines in the pool, or feel the flow pressure out of the returns. If everything works as it should, leave the pump running and come back to check once or twice, leaving 30 minutes between. This will ensure that the flow has reduced enough (if the speed setting is the cause).

If the pump does not prime or everything seems fine after running for an hour, it may be necessary to investigate further to find the root cause.

If you are not sure if you have a variable speed pump, check the top of the motor at the rear of the pump, as there will most likely be some buttons with speed settings. Otherwise, give us a call. We only need a photo of the pump to identify it for you.

#5 Check if your filter is the problem

A dirty filter will reduce water flow as the pump can only draw in what it can push through, so if the filter is too dirty, water flow will be reduced. Turn the pump off and set your filter to ‘recirculate.’ If you have a cartridge filter, remove the cartridge element and reassemble it so you can try it without the component inside.

Try running the pump and see if the flow improves. If it does, the filter most likely needs cleaning, so try backwashing and rinsing media filters or manually cleaning the cartridge element and see if it will prime after cleaning.

If you’re unsure how or confident to do these, contact us to do it for you.

#6 Check the pump impeller

*We do not recommend you take your pump apart unless you know what you are doing, as this can void the warranty and cause further damage. In this case, it is best to contact us to look at your equipment.

The impeller is essential to your pump as it draws water from the centre and spins it out at high pressure. However, if your pump impeller becomes clogged, its ability to move water is significantly reduced. Typically, a blocked impeller is caused by a broken or split skimmer or pump basket. If you notice excessive leaves in the pump basket or need to empty it, it could show that the impeller is clogged.

To ensure safety, permanently remove the power plug before beginning maintenance. Moving your pump to an appropriate location before dismantling it is wise. Most pumps have a “wet end” at the front and a motor that can be easily decoupled. Yet, it’s essential to remember how to reassemble the pump correctly.

Most pumps feature six or more nuts and bolts around the centre where the wet end and motor join. By removing these nuts and bolts, you should be able to separate the two halves of the pump. After the separation, you’ll notice a funnel-shaped diffuser part usually secured with several components.

This overview of dismantling will suffice for most pumps, but there is always an exception to the rule, so if you have trouble or want to double-check before you get started, give us a call, and we can provide some guidance specific to your pump.

The diagram below is not representative of all pumps.