Help! I lost prime on pump after pool people set it up!

[poolgal13]

Update--After thinking it through, I believe that I must have leaves clogged in my skimmer line, since I vacuumed directly into the skimmer hole without something to catch the leaves. Consequently, the main drain and second skimmer pipes can't send their water because all three pipes converge into one line that enters the pump. Unfortunately, the skimmer line I used is the final one to enter the pump. So I am imagining a clog of leaves near the pump entrance that is blocking everything. How would I get it out?

[searayrules]

Your setup sounds similar to mine. I usually leave the main drain 1/2 open during this process. I also never suck leaves thru the piping and just let the pool cleaner pick up the leaves for what its worth before using vacuum hose... I think if you open all the valves and have a garden hose to fill pump basket couple times you will get it going again.. May take a few times of opening lid, filling with water, and closing of the lid to get her going. If it hasn't caught in 30 seconds I shut down and do again.... Good luck!

[poolgal13]

Success! Hubby and I went back out and discovered that the mysterious clear glass with a lid right before the pump basket is actually something you pop off to get out debris. It opened right up, we cleaned out a huge amount of leaves, and followed our normal pump priming process using only the main drain and closing the skimmers. After about 5 frantic minutes, the main drain started flowing and I was able to SLOWLY open up the skimmer lines without losing prime. I guess I had a TON of air in the lines because the system had been trying to vacuum without good flow due to the leaves. Lesson learned: no vacuuming without a way to catch the leaves!