How to Maintain a Properly Functioning Pool Pump

by Felicia A. Williams

The beauty of having a pool is that it can provide hours of family fun and a refreshing respite to the hot summer's heat. The downside to having a pool is that sometimes your filter and pump don't function properly and you have to spend time troubleshooting it.

The best way to determine if your pool pump is working properly is to spend a few minutes observing and evaluating your pool's water and pump function to get hints as to how to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Check the return flow and pressure gauge. These go hand in hand. If the pressure gauge on the pool filter starts to rise at least 10 points above its optimal running pressure, it's time to perform a little maintenance. High pool filter pressure and a slow return flow usually indicate the pool filter is dirty and in need of a backwash or manual cleaning.

Clean the skimmer basket and the pump basket. Sometimes dirt, leaves and debris caught in the skimmer and in the pump basket will cut down on the flow of water leaving the pool and entering the pump. Clean these areas and see if the pressure and return flow improve.

Look at the pool water. A good indicator of a pool pump problems is dirty pool water. If you find that suspended dirt particles in the water are not being filtered out, it can point to an improperly functioning pump or a dirty filter.

Remove debris from the tube that connects the pump basket and the impeller. To do this you must turn off the pump, remove the pump basket cover and reach into the area connecting the basket and the impeller. Removing debris from this area helps to improve pump function. While you have your fingers in this area, touch the impeller to make sure it doesn't wobble. A wobbling impeller will not create enough of a vacuum in order to properly filter the water. If your impeller is wobbling or damaged, you will need to replace it.

Listen to the motor. A noisy motor doesn't always mean the pump isn't working correctly. Sometimes the noise is a result of vibration which can be cured by placing the pump on level ground. A high pitch whine or grinding sound, on the other hand, is something that should be looked into. If your pump's motor sounds like a jet engine, you should take it to be serviced.

Tip:

Most pool pump problems are a result of regular maintenance and cleaning. If you diligently perform the necessary maintenance and keep your filter free of debris, it should give you years of problem free filtering.

About the Author: Felicia Williams is a wife, mother and grandmother who likes to write about a host of topics.

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Last Modified: 24 March 2020