POOL PUMP Not Priming? Here's How to Quickly PRIME a PUMP | Swim University

Is your pool pump running dry? If you don’t have water flowing through your pump, it’s time to prime. Priming a pool pump means getting water flowing through your pump before you let it run. If you turn on your pump and it's not full of water, the whole thing can overheat. It can even melt your pump seals and damage your pool plumbing. But all that can be avoided by priming. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to prime your pump.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to How to Prime a Pool Pump
00:57 - How to Prime a Pump Step-by-Step
01:14 - #1. Turn Multiport Valve to Recirculate
01:24 - #2. Remove Winter Pool Plugs
01:39 - #3. Fill Pump With Water Using a Hose
02:10 - #4. Turn On Pump
02:40 - Troubleshooting Tips for Priming a Pump

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[SwimUniversity]

We hope this helps you get your pump primed! And if you need more help taking care of your pool, grab the free Pool Care Cheat Sheet at 👍

[tshadow]

Thank you for this video. I primed my pump using the fill the skimmer method. A trickle of water (pump on), turned into a strong flow, finally filling the pump. You saved me $$ . Thanks again.

[mindyaronow]

Every spring I get nervous I’m not going to remember exactly how to do all these steps! I love all the start ups refreshers! Thank you

[trentmeidinger]

THANK YOU for these tips, particularly setting to “recirculate.” I was about to give up on pool pump, and that tip worked like magic! 😊

[cheetahprague]

Pushing water through the skimmer helped me get mine to prime. Thanks you.

[DeborahBacon-cvut]

This video was helpful and got it almost working which was encouraging. I went and got the big toilet plunger that has the smaller end on bottom, inserted that in the skimmer hole and plunged away with the pump on, I started hearing gurgling and then everything was gurgling. Ran to the pump and it was primed and pumping. Thanks for the help.

[danielm]

Thanks for the vid! How many times and how long should I try the manual prime process (adding water to the filter pump) before I give up?

[reese]

Thank you for this video. I've never owned a pool before. I got my pump working again from learning to pour water in the pump.

[sherryjohnson]

Ugh my pump won't stay primed, when set to waste, pump full of water, pipes leading to it, cleaned filters/ baskets, new hose.. Is my hose to long? Also I know at 5 ft water breaks up, and my water level is probably like at 1/2 foot

[lethallena]

The hose in skimmer line solved it. Thanks!

[SparzWizard]

Help! my pump has been running but there's no water in the pump basket. When the pump is off, there's water but it's only half way full like beneath the pipe hole in the basket. The other day I tried vacuuming the pool floor, cleaning out the debris in the skimmer basket, and pump basket. First time cleaning.

[CTCAdventures]

Thank you. Worked great. Wish I would have seen your instruction and hour ago lol.

[thNoteOfficial]

Do you turn it on with with recirculate on? After you fill with water? Then once primed turn back to filter?

[johnkneup]

Thanks for the info. My pool wouldn't prime after a drain and refill. I filled the cleaning area by the pump with water and it primed first time after filling.

[cardo]

Excellent info, thanks for sharing your knowledge 👍🏽

[xxkrushaxx]

Thanks for the info helped out heaps ✌🏻

[LindseyHazel]

Interesting!! Every time my pump turns on, air bubbles through the line-- will priming my pump help this from happening?

[MattSteinman]

Everytime my pump turns off for the day, I lose suction. The next day when it turns back on, it takes about 3 minutes to get the prime back. I replaced the line coming into the pump the other day and still have the issue. Is it possible to lose any air/suction from the filter side, once the water travels through the pump? We also get ALOT of air coming through the jets.

[swilliams]

You turn valve to recirculate but I don’t see when you turn it back to filter, at what step? Thanks

[Rav]

I have lots of air bubbles coming out of one of my return jets and one just makes bubbles the last doesn’t even do anything.