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How to connect a Bestway pool filter pump

Updated: October 2026

You already have a 220–240 V cartridge pump for an above-ground pool, the pool is full, and the first start is either silent or blowing bubbles. How to connect a Bestway pool filter pump is the sequence that fixes that: the right port, the air out of the housing, then the plug. The models in this set, and which ones are the wrong voltage, are on the [Wiltec pool pump](/hub/swimming-pools/wiltec-pool-pump) comparison. This page is the procedure after you have chosen. It does not decide 115 V against 230 V, and it does not describe a sand-filter backwash. The steps follow the stored listings and Bestway’s storable-pool notes, not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already have a 220–240 V cartridge pump for an above-ground pool, the pool is full, and the first start is either silent or blowing bubbles.

Our top picks

Bestway Bestway 58389GB 1,500 gal

Best overall

Bestway Bestway 58389GB 1,500 gal
7.6/10about £133.92
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Bestway Bestway 58381 330 gal

Preis-Tipp

Bestway Bestway 58381 330 gal
7.6/10about £37.49
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GJXJY GJXJY 300 gal/h

Rank 3

GJXJY GJXJY 300 gal/h
0.0/10about £61.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Ports before the plug
  2. 2.Purge the air
  3. 3.The first fortnight
  4. 4.When to stop

Ports before the plug

Match the marks before you think about power. Bestway sidewall fittings are labelled, and the pump ports need to follow them: the inlet hose from the pool’s outlet port, and the return hose back to the inlet port. A UK review of the small Bestway says the maker suggested draping the inlet and outlet hoses over a pool that had no A and B inserts, and that gravity did not make that work. If your pool has the threaded inserts, use them. The Bestway 58381 states that no adaptor is included and that it cannot connect to a 38 mm hose. The Bestway 58389GB includes adaptors for 32 mm valves and says it works only with 38 mm threaded valves. Use the adaptor when the valve is 32 mm. The GJXJY and generic 300 gal/h sets list two 1.9 m tubes, clamps, and clips. Those tubes are the hoses for that kit. They still do not name a voltage, so this order applies only if you have already confirmed 220–240 V on the unit. How that check works is on the buying guide. Seat each clip, then tug the hose. UK reviews of the small Bestway say clips fail. If a clip will not grip, replace it before you run the pump.

Purge the air

Air in the housing is the usual reason a new cartridge pump is noisy or moves little water. Bestway’s noisy-pump note says to open the air purge valve until water comes out, then to look at the cartridge if the noise remains. On the 58381, UK reviews describe filling the chamber, lifting the hoses so water can reach the pump, and turning the top dial until water, not air, comes out. One description puts that at about 30 seconds. That timing is a review, not a specification, so stay with the valve until you see water. The 300 gal/h listings also name an air-release valve. Wait until water, not air, comes out, then close it. Do not copy a strainer-pot routine from an inground manual. These cartridge sets do not have that pot. Do not switch the pump on dry. Bestway’s guidance says not to run the pump dry. If the housing is empty because the pool water cannot reach it, fix the hose height first.
Bestway Bestway 58389GB 1,500 gal

Testsieger

Bestway Bestway 58389GB 1,500 gal
7.6/10about £133.92
View offer

The first fortnight

Once water is moving, the cartridge is the next limit. Bestway’s guidance and the GJXJY bullets both point at a roughly two-week clean. UK reviews of the small 58381 say the cartridge can clog sooner and the flow then feels weak. If the return jet fades inside a few days, rinse the cartridge before you decide the pump is too small. Rinse it with a hose, let the paper drain, and put it back only when you can see through the folds. A cartridge that stays brown and flat needs the named spare. The 58381 names Type I cartridge 58093. The 58389GB names Type III cartridge 58012. Neither listing says that cartridge is in the box. The 300 gal/h sets list one cartridge and give no code. The eight-hour line on the GJXJY and generic bullets is a run limit on those listings, not a safety standard and not a turnover calculation.

When to stop

Unplug the pump before you open the housing, pull a hose, or rinse the cartridge. Do not run the pump while anyone is in the pool. If the cord is cut, crushed, or the plug is cracked, scrap the appliance. The same manuals put the plug at least 3.50 m from the pool, on an RCD that does not exceed 30 mA, and they say not to use an extension cord. That 3.50 m figure comes from those manuals, not from a tape measure of these ASINs, and it is not a US manual’s six-foot line. Electrical Safety First’s garden advice is the stop rule beside that: if a water pump misbehaves, switch it off and use a registered electrician. A burning smell, a breaker that opens, or a housing that is too hot to touch all count. The UK review that describes a Bestway unit catching fire during a support test belongs in that category. A permanent pool or a new socket is not a DIY hose job. Distance, the RCD, and Section 702 are on the 230 V plug page.

Common questions

Which hose goes to which port?
Follow the A and B marks, or the inlet and outlet marks, on the pool wall and on the pump. The hose from the pool’s outlet goes to the pump inlet, and the return hose goes back to the pool. A UK review says draping both hoses over a wall with no inserts did not work, even though that had been suggested. If the clips will not hold, replace the clips before you run the pump.
How do I get the air out before I switch on?
Open the air purge valve on the top of the housing until water comes out, then close it. UK reviews of the 58381 describe filling the chamber and using the top dial for about 30 seconds, which is a reviewer’s timing, not a printed specification. Stay until you see water. Do not run the pump dry as a test, and do not follow a strainer-pot routine from an inground pump manual.
How soon should I clean the cartridge?
Bestway guidance and the GJXJY bullets use about two weeks as the interval. UK reviews of the small Bestway also describe cartridges that clog much sooner and leave the flow weak. If the jet fades inside the first days, rinse the cartridge before you replace the pump. The 58381 spare is Type I, code 58093. The 58389GB spare is Type III, code 58012. The listing does not promise either one is in the box.
Why is a new pump noisy?
Air is the first cause Bestway names: open the purge valve until water comes out, then check whether the cartridge is dirty. A noise that continues after water is flowing, or any smell of burning, is a reason to unplug. Do not keep a noisy dry pump running to clear it. The housing has to be full first.
May the pump run while someone is in the pool?
No. The Bestway guidance for these storable pumps says not to run the filter while people are in the water. Switch it off and let people get out before you start it again. That is separate from the RCD and the 3.50 m plug distance, which still apply when the pool is empty of swimmers.

Related pages

Best Wiltec pool pumps

Wiltec pool pump

115 V pool pump on UK mains: why the adaptor fails

Pool filter pump size UK: voltage, litres, hose size

Cartridge filter vs sand filter for a UK pool

Sources

Public UK sources for outdoor RCDs, electrical equipment on the Great Britain market, pool zones, and cartridge versus sand. Listings are the amazon.co.uk captures for these seven ASINs, not a live reload on 17 October 2026. Prices on amazon.co.uk move. Wiltec’s sand set is cited from the manufacturer page and is not an ASIN in this set.

  1. Electrical Safety First, garden advice (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. IET, Section 702 swimming pools and other basins (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. BSI, BS EN IEC 60335-2-41 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. SPATA, swimming pool filtration (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Bestway UK, cartridge filters versus sand filters (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. Wiltec sand filter system 63347 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. Intex UK, 220–240 V sand filter pump manual (retrieved 17 October 2026)