40 psi, the relief valve is relieving..

[thunderkyss]

I don't understand it.

When the pool was first installed last spring, the filter pressure would run a little of 10 psi in highspeed, 6 psi on low speed, and about 20 on the spa on high speed.

For the last month or so, It's been getting higher & higher. I cleaned the filters a few weeks ago, thinking that would help it come down. No joy, not even a little bit. It was reading 30 psi before & after the cleaning.

Last week, I decided to clean them again. Still no luck.

So today I vacuum the pool, when I put everything back to normal the pressure is over 40 & the little valve on top is spewing water.

I took everything apart, cleaned the filters, removed the PVC going between my filters & the heater, removed the little flapper valve (check valve) made sure it worked properly, didn't find any obstructions.

But the pressure is still high 40 psi, I don't understand.

 

[JasonLion]

It could be a bad pressure gauge. If the filter pressure is really 40 psi you should have almost zero water flow. Check the return jets, if they are weak to nonexistent flow then there really is something serious wrong. But if the return is strong and healthy then your gauge is broken.

In either case, a leak from the valve on the top of the filter almost always means that valve is either not closed correctly or is broken. Very few filters have actual over-pressure relief valves.

 

[thunderkyss]

Ah... it says relief valve, so I was just thinking.

The water flow from the jets are strong, in the pool & the spa on high speed.

I'm worried that there is scaling in my heater again. I haven't used it since I cleaned it out last year, but the water is always runs through it. I checked my CH today, it's 275. Wasn't able to check my PH as I'm shocking the pool again.

the water looks fine, but when I pulled the top off the filter this last time, the water was milky white. It's clear as can be in the pump basket & the pool, but milky in the filter canister.

 

[JamesW]

The "Relief valve" is an Air relief, which is used to purge air from the filter.

Of the TriStar models, the SP32102EE could not get to 40 psi, the SP32152EE and the SP32202EE could, but just barely.

Therefore, it is not likely that the reading is correct. If the pump is substantially below the water level, then it might be more likely that the pressure could reach 40 psi.

Does the pressure gauge go to zero when the pump is off?

 

[thunderkyss]

It's me again.... same issue.

Since the returns were strong, I went on thinking the guage was bad & finished the season like that. I never closed the pool, I kept the pump running & the chlorine, ph, TA, CH.... all that where they were supposed to be, even though no one swam in it.

I've heated the pool & everything worked fine for a few weekends here & there since the end of April.

But I've been noticing the returns have been loosing pressure & now, only two of the 5 are returning water. There is pretty good pressure coming from both of them, but not like they used to.

I did change the gauge on the filter housing when I cleaned the filters in April. Still reads 30 psi.

There is a spa connected to the pool, the returns to the spa appear to be working fine.

What could possibly stop 3 of the 5 returns & how would I start looking for the problem?

 

[duraleigh]

Is your filter clean? Do you have test results you can post? (which might indicate an algae bloom which would plug your filter and increase your psi)

 

[thunderkyss]

Is your filter clean? Do you have test results you can post? (which might indicate an algae bloom which would plug your filter and increase your psi)

I do appreciate the reply, but as I mentioned earlier, I just cleaned the filters & my numbers are within the specified range of the pool calculator guidelines. My chlorine numbers do not change overnight, so I highly doubt an algae bloom.

I do believe I have some sort of obstruction, been thinking that since last year when the pressure started reading so high. Last year I took all the PVC apart after the filter & checked for an obstruction but saw none.

This morning I played with the valves a bit, I don't have a drawing of where all the pipes go, but I kinda have an idea after what I saw this morning. After the filter, the water is piped into the heater, from the heater it Tees off. One direction it goes a check valve then to the spa. I am certain the obstruction is not there, I took that check valve apart & made sure it worked as designed. Water also appears to come out of each jet with no obstruction.

The other side goes to the chlorinator, then tees off again. I've got a valve here & I can chose where the water goes. One appears to go to the return below my skimmer. It most likely also goes to the jet inside the skimmer as well, but I need to verify that. The other position goes to the 5 return lines. The valve is normally positioned so that water goes both routes.

I used that valve to isolate the return lines. I could hear a difference at the pool, sounded like a lot of air moving through the pipes. There was an increase in the amount of water that came out of the jet below the skimmer.

I used the valve to isolate the jet below the skimmer, water flow returned to each of the 5 returns, no more than before.

The pressure at the filter did not change in either case, so I don't know if that means the obstruction is going to the 5 returns, or if it's before the Tee... at the chlorinator, or the heater.

I think I'm going to disconnect the pipe going to the heater turn the pump on & see what kind of pressure I get. Then disconnect it after the heater & see what kind of pressure I get. I'm not sold on doing this, as I know it will make a big mess.

BUt.... I don't know what else to do.

 

[thunderkyss]

Is your filter clean? Do you have test results you can post? (which might indicate an algae bloom which would plug your filter and increase your psi)

I didn't clean them good enough.

I went & bought a couple of 3 way valves & piped around my heater. As soon as I turned on the pump, straight to 40 psi. I figured I was just wrong & it had to be the filter, because nothing I did down stream made any difference whatsoEver. I even took another valve apart & let the water shoot out. The water coming out was nowhere near 40 psi..... still good volume though.

So I yanked the filters, put the housing back together turned the pump on & the pressure only got up to 12 psi (or so).

That was yesterday. I got up this morning & spent the whole morning soaking & washing my 4 giant filters. They are much cleaner than when I started, still feel like I should be able to get them cleaner. But I put it all back together & now the filter pressure only reads 15 psi, but I think it's already starting to creep up..... so, I may be looking at a new set of filters, or I'll find someway to soak my filters overnight.

Thanks for the help.