Help! Pool pump loses suction after 10 mins

[osmith78]

I'm very new at pools...just got mine opened and almost clear enough to swim, just to find out I having trouble with my pump. I have a DE filter. It was cleaned out and had the DE powder added back in. However, After about 10 minutes the pump starts losing suction power and the pump basket has a significant amount of air inside of it.

The pool water is high enough, and I have made sure the Overreen is okay and increased up. Also, the impeller has been checked, and is fine. What is weird is that the filter seems to keep full pressure, and I can shut the pump off, let it sit for a whole, turn it on and it will be full strength without repriming it.

Now...I just noticed that when I put the multiport valve on recirculate, the pump continues to work at full speed and capacity. What does that mean? I'm such a novice that I'm not sure what that fact rules out!

Thanks for your help!

 

[duraleigh]

and I have made sure the Overreen is okay and increased up

I doubt it is related to your problem but what is an "Overeen"

 

[osmith78]

Dang Siri! Overeen = o-ring lol

 

[osmith78]

O-ring is okay and greased up is what that should say

 

[duraleigh]

Air only enters the system through the suction side. Yet, when you bypass the filter (which is on the pressure side)the air stops. I am really struggling with that one....someone else may have an idea.

If Siri mangles stuff that badly, I pity the folks who use her with a last name of Humperdinck.

 

[osmith78]

I just did a backwash, and that definitely helped. The suction is now at full power again. I'm really not sure a backwash would do anything, but it's held some pretty good suction for the last 15 minutes. I'm going to keep an eye out, but my assumption is that it will continue to lose suction. Any idea why the backwash would help things?

 

[duraleigh]

Backwashing would, of course, allow water to flow more freely through the filter but, again, the filter cannot be the source for air so it makes no sense that bypassing the filter eliminated the air from your system.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The following is just SWAGing at it on my part.When you decrease the pressure side head loss, (i.e. cleaning or bypassing the filter) you increase the suction head and that may actually pull whatever is leaking closed enough to stop the leak allowing the system to maintain the suction.

[ETA] Even if this is the case (which is a long shot) you still have a suction leak, which should be found and fixed. Since you've cleaned and lubed the o-ring, I'd check the drain plugs and if that doesn't fix it I'd check the valves and fittings. And keep going from there.

 

[CraigMW]

There might be a suction leak or a clog on the suction line. I was having similar problems on our cleaner line and it turned out to be a rather significant clog, primarily big leaves at a couple of elbows and right next to the 3-way Jandy valve that controls the skimmer vs. cleaner line. A reverse flow line plumbed in helped this, but you may be able to eliminate the clog using a DrainKing.