DE Filter Pressure Gauge reading 0- brand new gauge

Jump to latest Follow Reply
L

llang31ll

0
Jun 21, 2012
22
I just replaced my broken pressure gauge and it stays at 0.
I put on the new one, bled it until all the air left and a stream of water came. I put Teflon on the gauge and tightened it when a wrench.
I can see flow being pulled in to the skimmer.
My pump basket has a see through lid and I can see water moving turbulently in there with some debris.
There is a strong flow of water thru the return back to the pool.
The filter has an intact O ring (if that matters)

I just cleaned out the grids, turned on the pump and got a reading of 0 (I haven't put the DE in). Is it at 0 because there's no DE? I haven't put in the DE because I want to know the system and the gauge are fine so I can get a baseline/start reading when I put in the fresh DE.
 
What range is the gauge? 0-60 psi, 0-100 psi, etc,
If you have a valve on the return plumbing after the filter try closing it off some and see if the gauge reads anything.

You don't ahve the multiport valve set on recirc or bypass do you?
 
I would think if you added the DE, the pressure should go up. If it doesn't go up, you could relieve the filter's pressure, unscrew the new gauge, screw in the old one to fill the hole and take the new one back to the store and get it replaced. I know the filter will leak some while you are doing this but it's seems easier than taking it all apart again.
 
I put in all the DE and it is still reading 0.
I will bring the gauge back in and get another one in case that one is faulty.
However, I noticed that even after I bled it, when I open the air relief valve more air comes out before water does. I then tried it again 5 minutes later after bleeding it again and there was air coming out again. Is this abnormal?

Also I'm getting a drop of water every 10 seconds coming out of the bottom of the slide valve.
 
The air in the filter is a result of the turbulence you see in the pump basket. That turbulence is a result of either a water restriction or air leaking into the suction lines someplace.
 
JohnT said:
The air in the filter is a result of the turbulence you see in the pump basket. That turbulence is a result of either a water restriction or air leaking into the suction lines someplace.
Click to expand...

What are some things I can try to do to isolate the leak? Should I go get a new pump basket lid? Both the lid and O ring looked fine though.
Overall, is this a job I can tackle or do I need to seek professional help?
 
Bama Rambler said:
Common places for getting air in the system are the pump basket lid o-ring
The pump drain plugs.
The skimmer weir.
You can also run water over the suction plumbing and pump basket to see if it's leaking.
Click to expand...

I have some very naive questions (I am a not-very-handy young female)... I did some research but can't seem to find any clear information about my questions

Skimmer weir: I don't have one installed. I can see the water going into the skimmer so I know it's not sucking air in. Is this necessary?

You can also run water over the suction plumbing and pump basket to see if it's leaking:
How do I do this? Do I take off the pump basket lid, put a running hose in the basket and turn on the pump? I just tried it and when the filter is on the water being sucked into the filter is quicker than the hose can refill it. I'm sure I'm doing it wrong!
 
The weir makes the skimmer more efficient. If it sticks closed that could result in air being pulled into the skimmer plumbing.

To check for air leaks you run the pump normally and put a water hose over each joint. If the air in the pump disappears, then it is sucking in water from the hose instead of air and you found the leak.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone ;)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I"m unsure if this is significant or if it points us in a direction but every time I open the air relief valve and let the air out until water comes out, I close it off and the pressure is still at 0, then 10 seconds later I open it again and air comes out again. Typical leak?
 
If air keeps getting into the filter with the pump on, then that certainly points to a suction side leak.

Although it does not make much sense that the pressure would show as zero.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone ;)
 
Yeah, a suction side leak can often result in 0 psi. I'm not sure I understand exactly how but it does happen on mine for sure.

Thereis littledoubt that OP has a suction side leak that must be stopped (i.e. no more air in the pump basket) and that will end the problem. just where that leak is is a little tough to find sometimes.

IOP, did you check the drain plugs on the bottom of the pump basket?
 
duraleigh said:
Yeah, a suction side leak can often result in 0 psi. I'm not sure I understand exactly how but it does happen on mine for sure.

Thereis littledoubt that OP has a suction side leak that must be stopped (i.e. no more air in the pump basket) and that will end the problem. just where that leak is is a little tough to find sometimes.

IOP, did you check the drain plugs on the bottom of the pump basket?
Click to expand...

Hello,
Aren't drain plugs the outlet from the filter? If so, they don't leak water when closed off.
What am I looking for at the bottom of the pump basket?
 
The drain plug on the pump strainer basket is the big offender. When testing the suction side for leaks, don't take the lid off, just run water over the plumbing and pump basket with the lid in place. You should see the bubbles in the pump basket lessen or go away completely as long as the water is running.
 
So I am still battling this....and I have 2 questions:

I just did the shaving cream test over every joint to check for air being sucked in. The only offender I found was on the outlet of the air relief valve- it seems as if air is being sucked in thru there. This is abnormal right?!? Since the brand new gauge I bought remains at 0 even right after I prime/let the air out of the system could this mean the gauge isn't working properly because the air relief valve is broken???


Also the air bubbles/turbulence seen in the pump basket issue....this might be a naive question but after testing all the joints and lid and not finding any suction leaks.. I'm wondering could this be due to a motor that is not high enough capacity for the pump? When we bought the house we had a new filter installed but the motor was never replaced.

Thanks in advance for anyone's advice!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply