Pump priming issues

[arborman]

Ok, so here is my problem: I am loosing prime on my march pump ( mounted below my boil kettle on my top tier stand) when I go to do my whirlpool chill..

My set up is pictured below.. HLT goes up top, mash tun is middle shelf.

I fill up my boil kettle with my mash water, then pump it up to the HLT tank and begin to heat it. While mashing, I transfer my sparge water up to the HLT tank and heat. This part of the pumping process works great!

After my boil, I drop in my super chiller with whirlpool arm. When I open up my ball valve in the kettle to go down into the pump, nothing comes out. I have had to abandon whirlpool the last two brews because I cannot get the wort to go into the pump! What on earth am I not doing right here?

When I remove my hose off the ball valve after chilling, I open up the valve and the wort comes out into the fermentor, but I cannot seem to figure out why I cannot get it to do this when its hot and want to get it to the pump.. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[BrewMasta]

I have a hard time getting my march pump to prime as well, I have to lay the tube that comes from the chiller on the ground, lower than the pump untill I see wort start to come through the line, as It reaches the end I quickly put the tube in the fermenter. I would try something like this, manipulate the hose until it pumps. Also, when I chill my wort this time of year I have to open the valve only ever so slightly to get the right temp coming out the back end of the chiller. However, I have noticed that if I open the valve all the way while priming the pump it helps get the pump primed....nice set up by the way, are you happy with your top tier stand....I purchased one from our local beer god who makes them himself....Paul Zoko.