You can take a water hose and run water over the fittings and valves and see if the pump changes sound and the bubbles go away or lessen. If that happens you've found your leak. You can seal the line up in the pool and rig a way to pressure test it from the pump end.

Of course......and the leak is almost never underground. I can remember only one underground suction leak on this forum in 4 years. That doesn't mean that you aren't the second one, but it's incredibly rare.

OK fellas... I think I have my marching orders for the weekend... Let's all hope and pray that my next post will be one of excitement of solving the problem!

For sure let us know one way or another. These issues are often VERY hard to find but are frequently something really simple.

I had a suction side leak that I tried to live with but my pool pump is so hard to prime I was determined to find it.....I couldn't.

Next, I decided to modify a couple of things on the suction side anyway and, in so doing, accidentally fixed that leak. To this day, I have no idea what component it was that was leaking and it hasn't leaked since.

Dave, I noticed a leak at a joint, but it is after the filter on the return side to the pool. dont think that is the problem, but it is on the "to do list".

that joint is pressureized (when running) and only leaks water out....it will not suck air in.

OK Folks here we go... after a week of lots of rain and other challenges I'm back here to give ya'll an update. Last Saturday I used some dish soap to try to find the leak..no help... I was tired of hearing the pump struggle so I turned on the water to prime the pump...that night it rained and topped off the pool water level... i wnet out of town for the next two days and when I came back the pump was running smoothly. I thought the problem had solved it self. Today the pump pressure was high, so I did my back wash and added DE.. and now the pump is cavitating and struggling again. Water level is still very high, new O ring on the pump stainer.. I'm pulling my hair out again! I just dont know what to do....

Remind us what all you've done looking for the leak? (skimmer weir, drain plugs, basket lid o-ring, etc.)

Suction leaks can be a pain to find. Run water over the plumbing fittings while the pump is running and see if the bubbles go away.

here's the update..no leaks... just letting the pressure stay high and back washing not as often... the higher pressure stops the pump noise!

okay...am i the only one that didn't understand that update?