• Why is my pump losing prime when I vacuum my pool?

“I’m trying to vacuum my above ground pool but every time I plug the hose into the skimmer my pump runs dry and loses prime. Why is this happening?”

There could be several reasons why this is happening. One of the most common would be air in the hose. When you first put your vacuum hose into the water and before you put the vacuum on it, hold it up to a return jet while the pumps running; that’ll blow out all the air from the hose. Another thing you look for is any holes in the vacuum hose. If there’s a hole near the top of the hose and it’s near the surface it’s going to suck in air that’s going to cause you to lose prime. Another common issue is a clogged vacuum hose.

Another thing, when you attach that vacuum hose and increases the suction pressure, this could cause the hose that runs from the pool and the intake of your pump to collapse. Make sure you know that that hose is nice and firm and it does not collapse. The last thing to check would be the Pump Lid O-Ring. That’s a very common spot for air to get in especially when you connect the vacuum hose and increases that pressure, it could pull in air and cause the pump to lose its prime. Those are the things that I would look for.