Is your filter pressure running low or does your pump motor sound strained? Was your pool pressure fine a week or so ago? Do you have an automatic floor vacuum that is barely moving on the pool floor? If you answered “Yes” to any or all of these questions, your pump impeller could be clogged with debris. This especially holds true if you have palm trees around your pool as the fine hairs of the palms tend to clog things up. The location of the pool pump impeller is shown in this cut-away of a pool pump.
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Lance Posted: 7/8/2015
I did as instructed and turned it back on and the jets just erupted with power (that is a good thing), but unfortunately the vacuum still isn't putting out any pressure. Zero. The tank gauge registers 2.5. I am still confused about my vacuum.Reply
tom Posted: 6/25/2015
OH MY GOD!! I was literally about 12 hours away from busting up my cement sidewalk ready to find the leak. I tried everything to fix my PSI of 2. New o rings, re caulked fitting, no luck. Googled and found this article. Went in and pulled out a huge wad of debris from the impeller. Everything working perfectly. Thank you so much for posting this.Reply
mpking60 Posted: 6/11/2015
When first reading "clean out impeller" I immediately thought "take apart pump"! But read and followed the instructions and viola...in less than 5 minutes my system is back to normal. I live in southwest PA next to another property with a long row of pine trees and it was the pine needles blocking the impeller. Thanks for excellent advice.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 6/6/2015
lost prime - See is our on "How To Correct Low Water Pressure in Your Pool System". If your pump loses prime, shut it off. If it runs too long without water in the basket, it will damage the motor.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 6/6/2015
What does it mean if my pool will not stay "primed" bout hour later my jets shut up ? Anybody know plz ?Reply
Happy Bill Posted: 5/31/2015
Amazing!!! I have owned the same 20 X 40 pool for over 30 years and thought I had seen it all. Then after vacuuming out the winter debris when I started recycling the water, the level in the pump would not get full. The pressure gauge was showing almost no pressure and the skimmers were barely skimming. The pump also sounded very different.I have three incoming water lines (2 skimmers and a bottom drain). Since I thought that possibly something had clogged a line I took turns shutting down all thee possible combinations of 2 lines leaving each one open all alone. Nothing changed. So I went to the internet and found your site. WHAT DID WE EVER DO BEFORE THE INTERNET!!!!!
After digging and digging in the impeller as directed I had only retrieved a total of about a tablespoon of debris. So I turned the pump back on - and VOILA - it sounded great, the water pressure was back up, and the skimmers were skimming!!! It only takes a little bit of debris to foul things up. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!
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Bodhi Posted: 5/30/2015
YOU ROCK!!! Freakin' awesome... Just saved myself $300 visit from pool guy with a stinkin' coat hanger!!!(Now I gotta tell my landscapers to NOT BLOW GRASS CLIPPINGS INTO POOL!!!!)
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lv2compute Posted: 5/27/2015
This worked amazingly! Thank you for your instructions. Pump seems to be working right again and hopefully the pool will return from being a swamp.Reply
mommyhearts Posted: 5/17/2015
Thank you thank you thank you! Worked like a charm! I was vacuuming leaves from the bottom of the pool, and since it was going to the waste setting I removed the baskets. I know better now, so do not remove your basket!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/2/2015
JJay - I wouldn't think that anything that small would clog up the impeller.Reply
JJay Posted: 4/29/2015
I knew there was a simpler way! When I would clean the impeller I always would take the pump motor part off and clean it that way. I have had to clean it three days in a row ( last time was years ago... it's been windy lately). It's waiting for me to clean it again (as the pool turns green), so I was going to get a short screw driver and do it your way. However, your device is so much better. Problem is I have not a single wire coat hanger in the place (NO WIRE COAT HANGERS!!!) but I have yards and yards of of wire you use to tie chain link onto thee posts and horizontal bars when building a fences. I knew the stuff would come in handy if I kept it long enough:) Thanks again!P.S. I know if the basket is crack you will have this problem but I just boat a brand new basket, and that still may be the problem. It is a generic one and I think the holes may be ever so slightly bigger and the outer surface is smooth. I noticed at the pool place that each row of holes had a little ridge going around horizontally under each row of holes. Do you think that my help prevent the smaller pieces from getting getting out into the impeller? THX
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Anonymous Posted: 4/27/2015
This information is fantastic. Thank you so much for posting. Just saved me a service call!Reply
patty356 Posted: 4/15/2015
Thank you for the step by step guide. It fixed the problem. With the costs already involved with maintaining a pool this saved me a service call and i'm sure a pricey fix. :-)Reply
safefunpool Posted: 3/26/2015
This Workthanks Patrick
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bedbugguru Posted: 3/6/2015
After doing all the maintenance on the system, my pressure was still low! Then I found this! Thank you! I'm back to normal pressure!Reply
Stephanie Posted: 1/22/2015
Thank you! The Impeller was clogged. The model of my pump was a little different, but there were 4 screws that we unscrewed to gsin access and clean out the debris! So happy it was not a leak in a pipe!Reply
Anonymous Posted: 12/6/2014
What a life saver! I had alot of leaves in the propeller area! Cleaned it out just as you recommended, my pressure is back to normal!Reply
Brutus Posted: 11/23/2014
Perfect solution. My pools pressure had dropped since yesterday and none of my troubleshooting improved the situation. Your directions helped resolve within five minutes. Saved me a $100 service call. Thanks.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 11/12/2014
Thanks for the detailed instructions on what to do when your pump pressure suddenly drops dramatically. I knew the problem had to be a blocked impeller but I had no idea how to clean it out short of disassembling the unit. Your method of using a bent hanger to clear the debris was all I needed to get things back to normal. You're a (pool pump) life saver. Thank you so much for posting such helpful information!!Reply
Anonymous Posted: 11/2/2014
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Was just about to call a pro and look into a new pump since ours is so old.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 9/29/2014
Rob1957 - Thank you for this information. We very much appreciate feedback like this. I'm sure it will help many other readers.Reply
Rob1957 Posted: 9/29/2014
As my neighbor has a large pine tree upwind from my pool, cleaning the impeller is part of my normal maintenance. I can now tell it's a clogged impeller just by the sound of the pump. Here's another tip, although unusual. After spending more than a year trying to detect a leak on the suction side, I noticed one of my palm trees was dying. I broke out the "pre-landscaping" photos of my pool remodel, and low and behold, there was a 2" pipe with a joint close to the palm, although 3' down. Once I started digging, the soil got wetter and wetter. It turned out that a root from a neighbors tree had grown under the 2" pipe and raised the joint just enough to suck air. I didn't even know it was possible to suck air when under 3' of soil. Once the repair was made, all was good. Never rule out the extreme!Reply
Kent kong Posted: 9/26/2014
Thank you sooooooo much. I was just about to call in the pool people then I found this. The impeller was blocked with plant material. When it was cleaned the pressure returned to normal!!!Reply
sprocket Posted: 8/23/2014
Thank you so much!! I didn't even know there was such a thing as a pump impeller or that it could get debris caught in it. Our pressure had dropped significantly, and after trying everything else (emptying baskets, new o-ring, backwash) I found your "how to." I didn't even need the wire, I was able to fish out a large ball of palm tree matter out by hand. After putting everything back together, the pump works like a charm and the pressure is excellent. I think it's even better than before!Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/1/2014
Ok- so I tend to look for info like this but most times discredit it before I try it. This time I actually followed the steps listed and wow- this was exactly the issue. Resolved. Thank you.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 7/6/2014
Thank you SO much!!! We couldn't figure out where our "great" pressure went all of a sudden…… came across your website and suggestion to clean out the impeller and we're back in business!!! Awesome!Reply
ncberra Posted: 7/3/2014
who knew. winner! thanks a million...Reply
Anonymous Posted: 7/3/2014
Awesome fix! I thought for sure I was going to have to call the pool company. Thanks so much...Reply
Anonymous Posted: 6/24/2014
Been all over the internet all day trying to find a fix for the low pressure in my above ground pool FINALLY found it here with the impeller clean out.WOW! Thank you for your help. Pump is working like new!Reply
Liameen Posted: 6/14/2014
Just tried that fix on my Hayward pump. My heater wasn't coming on because of low pressure. Sure enough, there was a good sized plug of pine needles in there. My pressure at the filter was around 6-8 psi. Now it's around 13-15 psi. Now the heater is coming on again. Thanks for the tip. You live and learn.Reply
stargazer308 Posted: 6/9/2014
You Sir, are a genius! It is 11:40 p.m. in NY and I just cleaned my impeller which I didn't even know existed half and hour ago. Even Girly Girls can fix this one! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R. Posted: 5/28/2014
Still sucking air - Since you have hoses, I'm assuming you have an above ground pool so you have no underground pipes to worry about. Try putting a soapy solution around the outside of the skimmer to see if any bubbles get sucked into a leak in your skimmer. Also place this soapy solution around all your hoses and union joints to double check your connections.Reply
Still sucking air... Posted: 5/27/2014
Have replaced the O rings on vacuum side.Have tightened fittings
Checked impeller…OK
checked hoses…OK
Still blowing bubbles so it must be sucking air?
Up to 8 lbs of psi only.
Any other suggestions why I cannot build pressure up to ~12 lbs?
RSVP
Thank you
David
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Steveg Posted: 5/26/2014
It freakin worked!!!!!!!!!!!Reply
Migs Posted: 5/17/2014
This saved me!!!!! Thank you.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 5/2/2014
It worked ! Thanks !Reply
Anonymous Posted: 4/1/2014
Worked great! ThxReply
Anonymous Posted: 3/29/2014
Just saved myself some money. Quick and easy fixReply
Anonymous Posted: 2/23/2014
Thanks for this info. My pressure was slowly declining over the past few weeks, and couldn't figure out why! After checking everything else, this did the trick and took only a few minutes. Thanks again!Reply
Anonymous Posted: 12/28/2013
Was about to give up on my pool today and thought I would google the issue and this fixed the problem in minutes.Reply