How to Prime a New Pool Pump

Your pool pump keeps the water in your pool clean.

When you prime your new pool pump what you're doing is adding water to expel the air inside the pump and getting it ready to keep your pool water sparkling and clean. There are two occasions when you need to prime your pool pump: when it's brand new and when you open your swimming pool for the first time at the beginning of each season. After you prime your pool pump once, the process will seem quick and easy.

Things You'll Need

• 2- or 3-gallon bucket
• Water

Instructions

1. Turn off your pool pump. The pump needs to be turned off before you begin priming it.

2. Lift the lid of the pump slowly. Open it slowly because of the pressure that's released. The pressure will make a hissing sound, but this is normal.

3. Close off all the valves except to your main drain. Close the skimmer lines. If you only have a main drain, don't worry about this step.

4. Fill a 2- to 3- gallon bucket with water. Pour the water into the pump. Make sure the water doesn't overflow. Allow enough time while pouring for the water to fill the pump and go into the open plumbing line. Not all the water will get drained out, however.

5. Place the lid onto your new pool pump. You may need to screw in screws or knobs to keep it in place. These should only be hand tightened.

6. Turn on the new pool pump. The remaining water will be sucked out of the pump. Water will slowly return to the pump and bubble, but this could take up to a minute. Eventually the water in the pump will stop bubbling.

7. Open the valves you closed once the water in the pump stops bubbling. Make sure you open these valves slowly as opening them will cause the pool pump to temporarily lose prime. If you only have a main drain, don't worry about this step.

Tips & Warnings

• If your new pool pump does not have bubbling water in it after a minute, repeat the process and add two buckets of water to the pump instead of one.

References

• Penguin Pools: Prime Your Swimming Pool Pump