Pressure and suction help

[STLexplorer]

inground pool set-up and need assistance with pressure and suction. Pool filter is running at 12.5 psi
and pool pump is not providing enough suction. Also, any idea what the pipe with
no cap coming out of the ground is? I think its for the main drain. In the skimmer, i have
two holes with a flap on left. the suction in the skimmer is hardly noticeable and its
not enough to work a vacuum. The main drain may be capped since i see no movement
with leaves on the bottom. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Need to see pictures of the entire equipment pad and pool to view pipes, valves and so on....

 

[STLexplorer]

here's another picture if the equipment.

inground pool set-up and need assistance with pressure and suction. Pool filter is running at 12.5 psi
and pool pump is not providing enough suction. Also, any idea what the pipe with
no cap coming out of the ground is? I think its for the main drain. In the skimmer, i have
two holes with a flap on left. the suction in the skimmer is hardly noticeable and its
not enough to work a vacuum. The main drain may be capped since i see no movement
with leaves on the bottom. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[duraleigh]

In the middle picture (that's your strainer basket)....is the pump running and is the strainer basket filled completely with water with no air bubbles whatsoever?

 

[STLexplorer]

In that picture, the pump is running and has water. it doesn't look like it
completely fills up with water and gets a bubble at the top of the lid.
would you know why there is the pvc pipe coming out of the ground with
no cap would be for? its the one next to the pvc pipe going into the
strainer basket.

 

[banditig]

Your secound picture shows bubbles in the basket, suction leak. Have you tried silicon lube on the lid 0 ring? the smaller PVC pipe with no cap could have been main drain or suction side port. Is there an opening on the pool wall that is not a return eyeball?

 

[STLexplorer]

Your secound picture shows bubbles in the basket, suction leak. Have you tried silicon lube on the lid 0 ring? the smaller PVC pipe with no cap could have been main drain or suction side port. Is there an opening on the pool wall that is not a return eyeball?

No other returns in the pool. there is currently
no suction from the main drain. i havent gone
down to check. just moved in and the pool was
already filled.

- - - Updated - - -

i havent tried the silicone yet, i'll try it.

 

[atttech-2]

My guess is you have a setup similar to mine your main drain is plumbed to the skimmer then the suction line goes from the skimmer to the pump. If you are getting an air bubble in the pump basket that is on the smallish side and stays that way that can be normal depending on the pump speed but if you see bubbles being sucked in constantly or the air bubble being pushed out constantly but remains the same size that is probably a suction leak as Banditig suggested.

How are you vacuuming by connecting to the suction port in the skimmer if so and you are not geting enough power that can also be an indication of a suction leak or you could have a blockage in the suction line

In your skimmer basket the pipe without the cap should be the the suction side. The one with the cover goes to the main drain. You will not get any suction from the main drain unless the skimmer is full without a float valve. It's a flying saucer shaped device that goes in the bottom of the skimmer so that some of the suction is diverted to the main drain while the rest is used for skimming. Take a look at this video this guy has several good ones. Float Valve Assembly and your Pool Skimmer - YouTube The cover on the main drain side allows you to restrict the suction from the main drain even more than the float valve alone.

You do not need a float valve it is just to get the main drain to work I have seen several threads discussing if a mains should even be installed anymore. With out the float valve the main drain will get a little suction as more and more debris enters the skimmer basket so how you have it can be a good way to leave it, if your ever got a plastic bag or a lot of debris in the skimmer basket it would start pulling form the main drain and keep it form starving the pump for water.

As for the mystery pipe do you have a return that does nothing? Perhaps it goes to a port that was intended for a cleaner but later removed or never installed if that was the case it would be near the middle of the pool. Try hooking a hose to it and see if you get any bubbles anywhere in the pool. Wear shorts you will probably get soaked in the process.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I believe that you might have the wrong impression about what the main drain looks like when it is working. The water flow through the main drain is almost imperceptible. You will not normally see or even feel the flow of water through the main drain.

I suggest you forget about the main drain, working or not, until you can get a good flow of water from your skimmer, thorough the filter and back to your pool. Once you get that, you can start working on your other issues.

As others have said you may have a suction side are leak causing you to have the bubbles under your pump basket lid. With a single speed pump, these bubbles should not be there.

While the air leak is the most probable issue, you could also have a partially clogged line from your skimmer to the pump.

For now I would not worry about the uncapped pipe, as it is not causing your problems. I suspect your main drain is connected to one of the two ports in your skimmer, but I can't figure out how the adjustable flap that is there can make it work?

Jim R.

 

[Richard320]

I did some googling and came up with this explanation of your skimmer

The second type of diverter is just a flap, which is screwed onto the bottom of the skimmer. Slide the flap over the main drain pipe to reduce flow from the main drain, while increasing the skimming action, or "top-down" flow into the skimmer.

See if closing the second port increases the flow and turbulence in the skimmer. And if you're vacuuming with a vacuum plate

Then you will have to slide that flapper over the second port while vacuuming, otherwise most of the suction will go to the main drain rather than through the long convoluted vacuum hose.

 

[STLexplorer]

i bought some silicone and used it around the o-ring
to the pool pump lid and seems to work better.
i have more suction in the skimmer now also and
was able to vacuum.

I did some googling and came up with this explanation of your skimmer

See if closing the second port increases the flow and turbulence in the skimmer. And if you're vacuuming with a vacuum plate

Then you will have to slide that flapper over the second port while vacuuming, otherwise most of the suction will go to the main drain rather than through the long convoluted vacuum hose.