Poor circulation and prime.

[Sum12B]

Hi everyone. I'm new here. I am having an issue with my circulation and water level in the pump basket. When the pump turns on it primes for 1 minute (2785 RPM) and fills the pump basket up to the lid. During this time I can see a lot of water flow into the skimmer and the return jets are moving water aggressively. However, after about an hour with the pump on filter speed (1500 RPM) the level of water in the pump basket is half of what is was. I've also tried running at 1800 RPM. Also the skimmer is barely moving water and the flow from the returns is very weak. I've tried periodically purging air from the valve on the filter but I never get more than a quick hiss before a stream of water is coming out.
The pool is new for me but was built in 1991. It has one skimmer, one drain at the bottom, and two returns. The spa has one drain on the floor, one about 8 inches up on the wall, one return, and four jets. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

Since you're getting air in the basket, you have a suction side air leak. Common places are the pump basket lid, pump drain plug, skimmer weir not working freely, water level in the pool too low.

It's common for variable speed pumps to have a few air bubbles in the basket when running on low speeds but not to the extent you're describing.

 

[Sum12B]

Thanks for the reply. I've been reading posts on here and checked the things you mentioned but I'll go over it agian. Should I add a small amount of grease to the o-rings? Also how should the weir act normally? Mine seems to float almost all of the way open.

 

[duraleigh]

The best way to deal with the weir door (when looking for a suction leak) is to judge it's operation. Pump running, simply observe the water being drawn in to the skimmer. If it's not sucking any air, you are generally good to go.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Yes you should lube the o-rings.

The weir should float just under the surface of the water. Mine has a piece of foam in it to act as a float and keep it just under the water when it's running.

 

[Sum12B]

I thought I would post a follow up to this. I did indeed find a suction side leak on one of my PVC couplers. It was REALLY hard to find because it's literally a pin hole. By chance I turned the pump off and heard this faint sound of air releasing when I walked back over to it. I turned the pump on and off again and put my ear to the area and homed in on the spot.

 

[Bama Rambler]