Booster pump makes funny noise all the time

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harleysilo

harleysilo

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Mar 1, 2012
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North Georgia
So when my main pool pump is running a small amount of water runs through the booster pump. You can feel the water flow out of the dedicated booster pump return in the pool.

To me is sounds like air or bubbles is rushing through the booster pump causing the noise.

This is all occurring when the booster pump is OFF.

What should I do?

Click on the pic below for the video
 
As far as I know the water is intended to flow out of the booster attached return even when the booster pump is off. I would imagine not doing that would lead to chlorine starvation and junk in the pipes between the booster return and the booster pump.

I don't recall any sounds on mine however...

photobucket-8221-1341339851936-1.jpg
 
This is as it should be. If it's really bugging you, you can put a valve on the booster pump line and turn it off, however you won't like the results if you forget to open the valve when you turn on the booster pump!
 
Qwaxalot said:
This is as it should be. If it's really bugging you, you can put a valve on the booster pump line and turn it off, however you won't like the results if you forget to open the valve when you turn on the booster pump!
Click to expand...
. Well I guess that is better than something being broken. Can I put a valve on the flex line with compression fittings, or do I need to redo the tee where the flex line comes off to the booster?

Do you know why it makes that noise specifically?
 
harleysilo said:
Are the results similar to turning on booster with no cleaner attached ? Lol cause if that happens it sounds like its going to blow up. I'm guessing no water equals burned up pump....
Click to expand...

If you isolate the line in front of the booster and turn the booster on, in about 5 minutes, burned up booster.
If you isolate it after the booster, in short order, it will likely burst the pipe.

This is not the same as turning the booster on with the cleaner detached. Although noisy, nothing gets destroyed.

It's hard to believe that the noise caused by water running through that circuit (with the booster off) is that big of an annoyance. Is, by any chance, the regular circulation returns restricted, such that too much water is being forced through the booster pump circuit?
 
Qwaxalot said:
harleysilo said:
Are the results similar to turning on booster with no cleaner attached ? Lol cause if that happens it sounds like its going to blow up. I'm guessing no water equals burned up pump....
Click to expand...

If you isolate the line in front of the booster and turn the booster on, in about 5 minutes, burned up booster.
If you isolate it after the booster, in short order, it will likely burst the pipe.

This is not the same as turning the booster on with the cleaner detached. Although noisy, nothing gets destroyed.

It's hard to believe that the noise caused by water running through that circuit (with the booster off) is that big of an annoyance. Is, by any chance, the regular circulation returns restricted, such that too much water is being forced through the booster pump circuit?
Click to expand...
No nothing is clogged. I have two returns. I've been told my pump is too large on this forum. I can hear the booster pump where I normally sit 40' away through a fence.
 

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I assume the "shhhhhhh" type sound is what you are hearing?

Mine does not sound like that at all. It really does sound like bubbles or at least turbulence. Can you post video of the booster operating? I assume no bubbles. One from the cleaner return during either condition.
 
UnderWaterVanya said:
I assume the "shhhhhhh" type sound is what you are hearing?

Mine does not sound like that at all. It really does sound like bubbles or at least turbulence. Can you post video of the booster operating? I assume no bubbles. One from the cleaner return during either condition.
Click to expand...

Sure I can do that, but it won't be till tonight.

Yes it's that repetitive "shhhhh" type sound. I generally don't run the booster without the cleaner attached so i can't say if there are bubbles in the booster return or not, but I can run it for a min or two and check. I've never noticed bubbles in the cleaner return (while booster is not on) but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

How tiny of bubbles are we talking about? I have from time to time noticed what i would call microscopic bubbles coming out of my returns, but generally only at night with pool lights on and goggles on.

I think there HAS to be air/bubbles in the pump. What i can't understand is why would they be making a noise? Does the flow through the turned off booster pump cause the impeller to turn?

I've shaken the pump (it's not bolted down) to see if i could move the air along it did nothing.

There are times (i think) when it doesn't make this noise and all is quite.
 
UnderWaterVanya said:
Have you checked for air leaks on the booster hose and fittings?
Click to expand...
I have not. I was thinking since it was after the pump that it would leak water vs. suck air, i didn't see any water leaking. I can pour water over it tonight and see if I see any bubbles. A little soap in water would help no?
 
harleysilo said:
UnderWaterVanya said:
Have you checked for air leaks on the booster hose and fittings?
Click to expand...
I have not. I was thinking since it was after the pump that it would leak water vs. suck air, i didn't see any water leaking. I can pour water over it tonight and see if I see any bubbles. A little soap in water would help no?
Click to expand...

It would - and I agree. The hose should be under pressure from the filter side supplying it water. I can only conjecture that maybe some type of pressure drop occurs somewhere in the fittings and maybe creates suction - but honestly I'm grasping at straws here. It seems more likely (as you said) that pressure would be high in this small hose and a pressure leak would occur rather than something causing suction of air.

Since you have seen air - albeit tiny - in your returns - there could be a suction side leak that injects small bubbles - but the pump basket is free of air! Ugh - just can't quite get this one. The T where the 1" hose comes off the main flow could be an area where turbulence is injected but I can't figure out where the air would come from. I know high pressure systems like water systems get dissolved air in them that then releases when the pressure drops - but I can't see this being related in your pool.

What's your pump pressure with and without the booster pump running - in both conditions: No cleaner attached and cleaner attached?
 
UnderWaterVanya said:
harleysilo said:
UnderWaterVanya said:
Have you checked for air leaks on the booster hose and fittings?
Click to expand...
I have not. I was thinking since it was after the pump that it would leak water vs. suck air, i didn't see any water leaking. I can pour water over it tonight and see if I see any bubbles. A little soap in water would help no?
Click to expand...

It would - and I agree. The hose should be under pressure from the filter side supplying it water. I can only conjecture that maybe some type of pressure drop occurs somewhere in the fittings and maybe creates suction - but honestly I'm grasping at straws here. It seems more likely (as you said) that pressure would be high in this small hose and a pressure leak would occur rather than something causing suction of air.

Since you have seen air - albeit tiny - in your returns - there could be a suction side leak that injects small bubbles - but the pump basket is free of air! Ugh - just can't quite get this one. The T where the 1" hose comes off the main flow could be an area where turbulence is injected but I can't figure out where the air would come from. I know high pressure systems like water systems get dissolved air in them that then releases when the pressure drops - but I can't see this being related in your pool.

What's your pump pressure with and without the booster pump running - in both conditions: No cleaner attached and cleaner attached?
Click to expand...

Yeah if i had seen air in pump basket I'd have something to go on, but as you observed in vid no air!

I'll check pressure tonight in a couple scenarios.

I'm wondering if what i'm hearing is just turbulence around an non moving impeller in the booster pump? I wonder if i can look without taking it apart to see if impeller is spinning or not when booster is off and pool pump is running. I'm guessing it's not spinning.

At any rate it is annoying enough to me to throw a shutoff valve on if i can't quite it down. It's one of those things that once has been heard cannot be unheard, so I can be 50+ feet away, the only one that hears/notices it, and be annoyed. :hammer:
 
Wow... that's odd. The booster pump sounds perfectly normal when you turn it on without a load - it's just like mine sounds. Now I am wondering if there is something stuck in the line or the pump itself that rattles around and is audible until the pressure is increased.

Odd that you have any bubbles at all...
 

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