Ella: The most common problem I've had with pump is an air lock. To solve it, I usually use a hose to force water through the pump (with the pump at the side of the pond, then quickly re-connect the pump and submerge it.

Thanks. This is all brand neew to me. I've seen the pump in operation only 2-3 times. I was there late last night because of the hard freeze warnings, and wanted to be sure the water pipes were protected and that the pump was running. It was set to go from midnight to 6AM. When water didn't come through after 20 minutes or so, I turned the pump off at the breaker.
The pool lady called this am and said I did the right thing, and they'll get someone there to fix it today.

Ella