How To Clean Pool Pump Basket

Newbie with questions on how to clean out pump basket

Thread starter gwtw
Start date Jun 15, 2018

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Occasionally when I clean out my pump basket, my pump loses prime. I'm a newbie so I'm wondering if I am doing something incorrectly to cause this. My pump is Century Centurion single-speed pump that is approximately 14 years old, and my sand filter is a Hayward Pro Series S244T that appears to have no air pressure relief valve.

Here is the procedure that I use when cleaning out the basket. 1. turn off pump. 2. loosen two round knobs on pump lid. 3. remove lid (water then comes pouring out) 4. clean out basket 5. put basket back on. 6. put lid back on and tighten knobs 7. turn pump back on.

This works 90% of the time, but occasionally my pump loses prime. Is there something that I should be doing before or after I clean out the basket to prevent my pump from losing prime? Directions I have read online say that you should release the air pressure valve after cleaning out the basket but it appears that my older Hayward sand filter doesn't have a pressure release valve. Is there any other valves that I need to be turning on or off before or after cleaning out the basket to prevent my pump from losing prime? Is it normal for water to pour out after opening up the lid, and do I need to put water back in there before I put the lid back on? Just want to make sure if I'm doing everything correctly since nobody has ever showed me how to do this, and the directions I'm seeing online seem to differ since my older sand filter doesn't appear to have an air pressure relief valve.

: May 3, 2014

: 44,214

: Laughlin, NV

Pool Size: 6000

Surface: Fiberglass

Chlorine: Salt Water Generator

SWG Type: Pentair Intellichlor IC-40

I do not have a sand filter, but I would think moving your multi-valve to waste would be the same effect as an air pressure relief valve. It would let the water in the system above the level of the pool to drain back to the pool.

Others may correct me -- but that is my thought.

Take care.

Water will pour out unless you have a shutoff valve in the line before the pump.

This is going to be tough to explain, but I'll try. So since you have an in-ground pool, I'm assuming the top of your hayward sand filter is about 3 feet above your pool (this matters). Also I'm assuming you have a fairly standard hayward multiport valve attached to that sand filter which has ~6 position which include filter and close.

Steps that I take.
1) Turn off pump
2) Close and valves going INTO the pump, I have 3
3) Leaving multiport on 'FILTER' I unscrew the lid off the pump basket. Since I'm still on 'FILTER' the water in the filter will try to suck in air from the pump basket and flow water into the pool returns until the water has reached level.
4) I allow the water level in the pump basket to go down about 1/2 to 1 inch, then I switch the multiport valve to 'CLOSED', then the water level stops moving and the basket is still 80% to 90% full.
5) Remove basket and empty it out in the yard.
6) Replace basket and screw on the lid
7) Multiport valve to 'FILTER'
8) Open valves coming into the pump
9) Turn pump back on

I'd have to think about it for a bit, but this may only work because I have a side mounted hayward multiport valve. If you have a top mounted valve, it might be different.

This is going to be tough to explain, but I'll try. So since you have an in-ground pool, I'm assuming the top of your hayward sand filter is about 3 feet above your pool (this matters). Also I'm assuming you have a fairly standard hayward multiport valve attached to that sand filter which has ~6 position which include filter and close.
Steps that I take.
1) Turn off pump
2) Close and valves going INTO the pump, I have 3
3) Leaving multiport on 'FILTER' I unscrew the lid off the pump basket. Since I'm still on 'FILTER' the water in the filter will try to suck in air from the pump basket and flow water into the pool returns until the water has reached level.
4) I allow the water level in the pump basket to go down about 1/2 to 1 inch, then I switch the multiport valve to 'CLOSED', then the water level stops moving and the basket is still 80% to 90% full.
5) Remove basket and empty it out in the yard.
6) Replace basket and screw on the lid
7) Multiport valve to 'FILTER'
8) Open valves coming into the pump
9) Turn pump back on

I'd have to think about it for a bit, but this may only work because I have a side mounted hayward multiport valve. If you have a top mounted valve, it might be different.

I don't have any valves going into the pump, other than the lever that opens and closes the skimmer and main drain. I also don't see a "CLOSE" mark on the multiport valve, but it is pretty faded. My sand filter is about 3 foot tall if you don't include the multiport valve in the measurement. The only thing that is on top of the sand filter itself is the multiport valve and the gauge to read the filter pressure. There is no air pressure relief valve on the side of the gauge or beside it anywhere. I saw something on the internet about adding water to the basket before closing the lid so I wondered if this would help in my situation. If I need to switch the multiport to waste after I clean it out, I could do that too. I'm just trying to figure out what the correct procedure is to clean out my pump basket to prevent it from losing prime when I do it in the future.

I don't have any valves going into the pump, other than the lever that opens and closes the skimmer and main drain. I also don't see a "CLOSE" mark on the multiport valve, but it is pretty faded. My sand filter is about 3 foot tall if you don't include the multiport valve in the measurement. The only thing that is on top of the sand filter itself is the multiport valve and the gauge to read the filter pressure. There is no air pressure relief valve on the side of the gauge or beside it anywhere. I saw something on the internet about adding water to the basket before closing the lid so I wondered if this would help in my situation. If I need to switch the multiport to waste after I clean it out, I could do that too. I'm just trying to figure out what the correct procedure is to clean out my pump basket to prevent it from losing prime when I do it in the future.

If you have a standard Hayward 6-way multiport valve - Filter is at 12 o'clock, Waste is at 2 o'clock, Closed is at 4 o'clock, Backwash is at 6 o'clock, Recirculate is at 8 o'clock, Rinse is at 10 o'clock. I have this valve on a Hayward sand filter installed in 2007. I do not have an air pressure relief valve.

Since you don't have any valves on the intake side of your pump, the water will drain back to the pool when you open the pump cover to empty the basket. You can limit the amount of water that drains back from the filter by putting the multiport valve in the Closed position before you open the basket cover. The water will still likely drain out of the pump, below the level of the intake line.

After you empty the basket, fill the pump with water from the pool until it's full. Secure the lid, turn the multiport valve to filter and switch the pump on. You should maintain prime if you can do this quickly enough.

Good luck!

You say there is a lever on the skimmer and main drain, is the only 1 skimmer. If so, closing that lever will stop water from flowing back into the pool on the intake side.

Try closing that lever and setting the multipart valve to close before opening the lid.

If you have a standard Hayward 6-way multiport valve - Filter is at 12 o'clock, Waste is at 2 o'clock, Closed is at 4 o'clock, Backwash is at 6 o'clock, Recirculate is at 8 o'clock, Rinse is at 10 o'clock. I have this valve on a Hayward sand filter installed in 2007. I do not have an air pressure relief valve.
Since you don't have any valves on the intake side of your pump, the water will drain back to the pool when you open the pump cover to empty the basket. You can limit the amount of water that drains back from the filter by putting the multiport valve in the Closed position before you open the basket cover. The water will still likely drain out of the pump, below the level of the intake line.

After you empty the basket, fill the pump with water from the pool until it's full. Secure the lid, turn the multiport valve to filter and switch the pump on. You should maintain prime if you can do this quickly enough.

Good luck!

You say there is a lever on the skimmer and main drain, is the only 1 skimmer. If so, closing that lever will stop water from flowing back into the pool on the intake side.
Try closing that lever and setting the multipart valve to close before opening the lid.

Thanks for the advice! I will try closing that lever and setting the multipart valve to "close" before opening the lid. I will also add some water to the basket before putting the lid back on, if needed. If I end up losing prime somehow, what do I do to regain prime? In the past, I always called my pool pro, but I'd like to learn what to do myself to save some cash.

Just follow the steps outlined above and you should be fine. It's not clear if you have one valve that serves both the skimmer and the bottom drain or if these are separate valves. If it's one valve where you can select skimmer or main drain or off, turn it to off after you shut the pump off. If it's two separate valves, turn them both to off after shutting down the pump. Turn the multiport valve to closed, then open the basket cover and clean out the debris.

If you're able to close the valve(s) on the intake side of the pump, you may not lose any water when you open the basket. If you do lose some water, simply fill the pump basket from a bucket until overflowing. Secure the lid, put the multiport valve in the filter position, open the skimmer and/or main drain valve(s), and switch the pump on. Watch through the clear cover to insure water is being pulled into the pump. You'll hear if there's air in the line and the pump may surge as it pulls water and air until the air is purged and you have a solid column of water being pulled into the pump.

If it doesn't "catch" or "prime" and you're not pulling any water in short order, say 30 seconds, shut the pump off and repeat the above steps. The ceramic seals in the pump are water cooled and if they run dry for any length of time, they'll burn out and fail to seal properly. As long as you see some water flowing through the pump, it should catch prime and you'll be fine.

It just takes practice and patience, but it's just physics. The pool guy does the same thing.

Good luck!

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