Problem with new Power-Flo LX pump

[haeffnkr]

Hello,
I have a "new" 110 volt 1.5 hp Hayward Power-Flo LX pump.
I bought this pump from a guy in the local paper, it was still in the box, unopened, we open it and ran the pump for a couple seconds to verify it started. The pump appeared to be never ran, looked brand new, with all the packing material and manual in the box. The seller stated he changed his mind on installing a pool at his house.

The reason I bouhght the pump ---
I have 1.5" sump line under my fiberglass pool, ground water settles under there and I need to pull it out. To much ground water makes the base sand mushy and can cause bad problems with the shell. (my neighbors has majorly cracked right down the middle of thier pool....)
I have seen my pool installer do this with out issue a several times when they were building the pool and draining the pool for maintenance the last 2 years in the fall. They used a 1.5 hp Hayward superpump. They hooked the sump line up to the intake side of the pump poured in some prime water and the ground water comes gushing out the open end of the pump when they turn it on.

When I try this I get nothing with the new pump, the prime water pours out then nothing is pulled in from the sump line. The pump runs fine - no crazy noises, runs smooth and seems to be at full rpm, etc.
I snaked a garden hose down the 1.5" sump line(pipe) and there is water in there for sure.
I have also sat the pump on my pool deck with the a 4' piece of 1.5" flex pipe in the pool and the output pouring back into the pool and I can barely get a trickle of water to be pulled through and dumped back in to the pool. The pump is only 1' above the water line when I try this. Surely it should pull a steady full stream of water - shouldn't it?

I have glued my pipes together - there is only one drain plug in the bottom of the basket and it is tight with teflon tape. I have no leaks that I can see.
I put my finger over the end drain plug and ran the pump primed and it barely creates any suction. A tiny amount but not much. Nothing like my main pool pump that is a 1.5 SuperPump, when I am vacuming with it, it will suck your fingers off! The gasket around the stainer lid appears fine, still has a little bit of the factory "grease" on it, again this all looks brand new. I have the pump on a 20 amp circuit with a heavy duty 15 amp cord running to the outlet.

So -
Is the pump bad?
Are the LX pumps bad vs the SuperPumps?
Is something in the impellor of this pump?
Did I miss something during setup of this pump?

thanks for your suggestions.
Kevin

[ChuckD]

Kevin,
From your description, I'm inclined to wonder if you're giving the pump enough time to prime. I have a Superpump and the manual states that priming may take up to 5 minutes. I know you say you have a different Hayward, and I can't speak for it, but my pump, which located a good thirty feet from the nearest skimmer can take a couple minutes to see more than a trickle and then another two minutes to see full flow.

Chuck

[haeffnkr]

Chuck,
Good point but I have let the pump run on the pool deck for 10 minutes, it pulls no more than a trickle.

Surely it should do something more than that it the pump is pulling water 1 foot away with a 1.5" pipe?

I will set it up again and see what happens if I run it longer.

thanks Kevin

[haeffnkr]

Hello,
I have run the pump on my pool deck several times now for several 10 minute runs, and shorter.
The first time I actually got it to work somehow???
It worked like it should have - it started to slowly pull water from start up then finally got to full prime after a couple minutes when the basket was staying full and had the water gushing out of the exit side of the pump with a 1.5" PVC pipe attached. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I poured a lot of water in the basket and the intake pipe and it was cold/empty?

I have since not been able to duplicate it though, I tried 10 times.
Upon initial start up with water in the basket and some even in the intake pipe - or not - when turned on a hand full of water is pulled into the pump basket with the initial startup - then the trickle stops and no matter how long you run the pump it will not pull anymore water, and it appears the initial prime is lost? The pump will not get primed enough to continue pulling water into the basket, but why?

Any help would be appreciated.
thanks Kevin

[Poconos]

Kevin,
If there is any air leak, no matter how small, on the suction side you will have trouble lifting water the 1' to get a solid charge. Once you get that solid charge it should "suck your fingers off". Have you applied silicone grease to the gasket on the pump basket lid? I have an old jacuzzi pump that's a PITA because of the stupid lid.
Best guess for now.
Al

[SCO93]

I could be totally wrong about this, but after reading this post, I thought it just might be worth mentioning. After looking on Hayward's site, the information about the LX pump is as follows:

'The Power-Flo LX™ is a high-performance pump series designed for the rigors of above-ground and on-ground type swimming pools. Combining durable, corrosion-proof construction with advanced features and options, Power-Flo LX sets the standard for value and performance.

For above-ground and in-ground pools requiring self-priming action, Power-Flo II is the pool professional`s choice for superior performance and unparalleled quality.'

The reason I am copying this information from their site is......Since 'self priming' is not mentioned as a feature of the LX, could this mean that the pump is designed to operate only at below the waterline? I assume most AG pool pumps are below the water line, where I think, priming would not be an issue, or as much of one. Trust me, I'm no expert when it comes to pumps, so again, I could be way off base here, but after reading this, it sounds like maybe the LX isn't the right pump for the job. Is it possible to put the pump lower than the waterline outside the pool, at least until (if) the pumping begins? Just a thought.

Jason

[bdavis]

You are correct SCO93. The Power-Flo LX is a flooded suction pump and needs to be installed below the waterline.

What is really needed for the job is a self priming pump like the Power-Flo II. Similar to the LX, but self priming.

Cheers
Bob

[haeffnkr]

I am speechless...It is right in the manual with pictures...

"The Power-Flo LX pump MUST be installed below the pool water line (see Figure to right)"

I skipped right over that and went to the troubleshooting pages.
Thanks for the help - I really appreciate it.
This forum is live-saver - I would have played with this WRONG pump another 2 weeks trying to get it to prime reliably!

I assumed pumps are pumps, especially Haywards pumps - I have seen 3 different pumps used for this purpose, brought out by the builder, they were all Hayward and had no idea there was AG pumps and BG - Oh well, live and learn, now I know pumps are not all alike.

thanks again
Kevin
(with a red face...)

P.S Who wants to buy this pump?