Will bubbles in the basket hurt anything

[swirlywater]

I just fired everything up from the winter because I noticed some stuff growing so I wanted to get the pool up fast. I believe I have a leaky gasket on the filter basket. I have suction and operating at normal pressure. Can I keep this running till I get to the store tomorrow or do I risk damage to the pump or filter? Pump is full of water but definitely is chundering some bubbles.

 

[gwegan]

Generally no. Its not a problem. If there is mostly air then you have a problem.

 

[Richard320]

Check for low water level in the skimmer, or a sticking weir. That can get a vortex going in the skimmer and you'll suck air there.

 

[swirlywater]

Skimmers are full and functional. I just cleaned them. There is no water loss. When I turn the pump off water squirt out both sides of the pump basket lid.

 

[Texas Splash]

A few bubbles may not be a big deal, but if your strainer basket begins to drop (especially over night while you're sleeping) that could be a problem. This is your first post-winter start-up, and weird things can happen. It's dark now, so if you can't seal that gasket tonight, or quickly resolve the issue from the recommendations above, you might consider just letting the pump circulate water for a short time then shut it down before bed....just to be safe until you can watch it more closely and evaluate everything. It sat all this time anyways. A few more hours isn't going to hurt anything. Last thing you want to do is damage your pump.

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That's probably your culprit - the lid gasket. If you don't have some Magic Lube or a replacement, it's your call. Depends on how much air it's pulling-in.